Physics Ladder · College

Electricity and Magnetism

Calculus-based electricity and magnetism, as in AP Physics C: E&M and university physics II: Gauss's law, potential, capacitors, circuits with time, Ampère's and Faraday's laws, AC circuits and Maxwell's equations.

0 of 50 topics passed

Start this course Skill map

50 topics in 7 units. Builds on Mechanics with Calculus and Physics 2: Fluids, Heat, Electricity, Light and Atoms, plus Calculus 2 from the Math Ladder. Leads to Waves, Optics and Modern Physics. Not sure this is the right course? Find your rung.

  • Passed
  • Review due
  • Learning
  • Ready to learn
  • Needs an earlier topic

Unit 1 Charges, Fields and Gauss's Law

8 topics

Fields of charge distributions by integration, electric flux, and Gauss's law for symmetric charges.

  1. Charge Densities
  2. The Field of a Charged Rod
  3. Fields of a Ring and a Disk
  4. Electric Flux
  5. Gauss's Law
  6. Gauss's Law with Spherical Symmetry
  7. Gauss's Law for Lines and Planes
  8. Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium

Unit 2 Electric Potential

5 topics

Potential from the field and the field from potential, potentials of charge distributions, and energy of charge systems.

  1. Potential from the Field
  2. Potentials of Charge Distributions
  3. Field from Potential
  4. Energy of a System of Charges
  5. Energy Conservation for Moving Charges

Unit 3 Conductors, Capacitors and Dielectrics

4 topics

Sharing charge, capacitance from geometry, energy stored in fields, and dielectrics.

  1. Connecting Conductors
  2. Capacitance from Geometry
  3. Energy Stored in the Electric Field
  4. Dielectrics

Unit 4 Current and Circuits

5 topics

Drift velocity, resistance by integration, multi-loop circuits and RC circuits as differential equations.

  1. Current Density and Drift Velocity
  2. Resistance of Tapered Conductors
  3. Multi-Loop Circuits
  4. Charging a Capacitor
  5. Discharging and Energy in RC Circuits

Unit 5 Magnetic Fields

9 topics

Magnetic forces as cross products, crossed fields, torque on loops, and the fields of currents from Biot–Savart and Ampère.

  1. The Lorentz Force
  2. Velocity Selectors and Mass Spectrometers
  3. The Hall Effect
  4. Force on a Current-Carrying Wire
  5. Torque on a Current Loop
  6. The Biot–Savart Law
  7. Fields of Loops and Arcs
  8. Ampère's Law
  9. Fields Inside Wires, Solenoids and Toroids

Unit 6 Electromagnetic Induction

11 topics

Faraday's law with calculus, induced electric fields, inductance, and RL, LC and RLC circuits.

  1. Magnetic Flux That Changes
  2. Faraday's Law with Calculus
  3. Generators
  4. Induced Electric Fields
  5. Induced Currents and Magnetic Forces
  6. Self-Inductance
  7. Mutual Inductance and Transformers
  8. RL Circuits
  9. Energy in Inductors and Magnetic Fields
  10. LC Oscillations
  11. RLC Circuits

Unit 7 AC Circuits and Maxwell's Equations

8 topics

Alternating current, reactance and impedance, resonance, displacement current, Maxwell's equations and light.

  1. Alternating Current and RMS Values
  2. Reactance of Capacitors and Inductors
  3. Impedance and Phasors
  4. Resonance and Power in AC Circuits
  5. Displacement Current
  6. Maxwell's Equations
  7. Electromagnetic Waves from Maxwell's Equations
  8. Energy and Momentum of Light
@teddyrookbook GitHub