ELETTROSTATICA E MAGNETOSTATICA
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
No special prerequisites are necessary other than the basics of calculus, algebra, and classical mechanics acquired in the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree program.
The examination consists of both written tests and oral questions. The final grade will be the arithmetic mean, rounded up, of the grades obtained in the exams of the two modules.
As far as module A is concerned, in order to facilitate the student in the study and understanding of the covered topics, three assignments will be organized, each consisting of two exercises, to be completed in 1 hour and a half. Alternatively, the student can take a single paper at the end of the course on all covered topics.
In this case, 4 exercises will be proposed to be carried out in 3 hours.
The positive outcome of the written test is preparatory to the oral test.
The student will be admitted to the oral exam if he/she passes the three assignments or the total writing with an evaluation of at least 16/30. If a student passes only a partial number of papers, at the final exam it will be agreed that he/she will do only a part of the exercises (3 if he/she has passed only 1 paper, 2 if he/she has passed 2). In addition to the three assignments, 6 total written papers per academic year will be arranged.
To evaluate the written test, the following criteria will be considered, in order of priority:
1) the correctness and explanation of the procedures used to solve the problems
2) the physical reliability of the obtained results
3) the correctness of the calculations and of the final result in carrying them out
4) the correct use of technical terminology and units of measurement.
During the oral test, the student will be questioned on the theory of both electrostatics and magnetostatics. In this case, the student will be asked 4 or 5 questions in order to verify the knowledge and understanding of the entire program.
As for the module B, the student must take a single written test at the end of the course on all covered topics, where 3 exercises of electro / magnetodynamics, and 1 of special relativity will be proposed to be carried out in 3 hours. The positive outcome of the written test is preparatory to the oral test. The student will be admitted to the oral exam if he/she passes the written exam with an evaluation of at least 16/30. A total of 6 written papers per academic year will be organized.
Even in this case, to evaluate the written test, the following criteria will be considered, in order of priority:
1) the correctness and explanation of the procedures used to solve the problems
2) the physical reliability of the obtained results
3) the correctness of the calculations and of the final result in carrying them out
4) the correct use of technical terminology and units of measurement.
During the oral test, the student will be questioned about the theory concerning both the electro/magnetodynamics and the special relativity. In this case, the student will be asked 4 or 5 questions in order to verify the knowledge and understanding of the entire program.
The final grade of the module will be assigned by making a weighted average of the evaluations obtained in the written test and in the oral test. The exam will be considered passed if the result of this weighted average is at least 18/30.
Objectives
The course aims at providing the fundamental knowledge of Electromagnetism, both static and dynamic, and special relativity. The classical theory of electromagnetic phenomena is one of the founding pillars of any Bachelor’s Degree Program in Physics.
Einstein's Special Relativity is a fundamental theory that allows to generalize concepts such as energy, momentum, force, mass, etc, through a rigorous definition of "inertial observer", introducing the concept of space-time.
The proposed course deals with the fundamentals of special relativity, with hints to the classical field theory, in particular to the electromagnetic field. The approach to the subject is mainly physical, only partially algebraic-mathematical. The course aims to make the student familiar with the basic concepts of Special Relativity, and to be able to apply them to concrete physical problems.
The Course, in fact, intends to contribute to the formation of the professional profile foreseen by the Three-Year Degree Course in Physics both with respect to basic physics knowledge and to the development of mathematical models for the description of physical processes themselves.
The course is divided into 2 modules: the first module is devoted to electrostatics and magnetostatics and is held by Prof. Allevi, while the second module concerns classical electrodynamics and special relativity and is held by Prof. Haardt. The first module will be taught during the first semester, while the second module will be taught during the second semester.
RdA
Upon completion of the Course, students will be able to:
- Identify the physical phenomena of electrostatics and magnetostatics and their applications
- Distinguish the phenomena described by classical electrodynamics and, in particular, radiative processes from non-relativistic moving charges
- Understand the conceptual basis of the theory of special relativity, and the consequences that this has in the interpretation of physical phenomena
- Recognize the Physics that lies beneath Maxwell's equations
- Solve independently a wide range of problems and exercises related to electromagnetic phenomena justifying in a clear and comprehensive way the choice of physical laws and explaining well the adopted steps
- Conceive in a natural way the Newtonian mechanics as an approximation of Special Relativity, and reason in a "relativistic" way.
The first module is devoted to Electrostatics and Magnetostatics. The main topics can be summarized as follows:
- ELETTROSTATIC FIELDS IN VACUUM
Electric charge and Coulomb’s law, electrostatic field, work and electrostatic potential, electric dipole, Gauss’s law, divergence theorem, Stokes theorem, electrostatic Maxwell’s equations, electrostatic energy and pressure
- ELETTROSTATIC FIELDS IN MATTER
Dielectrics, polarization, electric induction
- ELECTRIC CURRENT
Charge conservation, Ohm’s law, Joule’s effect, electromotive force, Kirchoff’s laws
- MAGNETOSTATIC FIELDS IN VACUUM
Phenomenology, magnetic field, magnetic flux, magnetic force on moving charges, Laplace second law, magnetic field from a distribution of currents, Ampere’s circuitation, magnetostatics Maxwell’s equations
- MAGNETOSTATIC FIELDS IN MATTER
Magnetization of media, magnetic induction vector, microscopic origin of magnetization, diamagnetism and paramagnetism, ferromagnetism and permanent magnets.
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The first module of the course is delivered during the first semester, for a total of 48 hours.
The lectures, in which the theoretical concepts of the course are introduced, are frontal in nature. The lecturer of the module holds the lesson through a graphic tablet. During the lectures, the lecturer introduces the different topics and performs calculations and demonstrations, as well as some example problems. At the end of each lecture, lecture notes are made available to all students in the course.
There are also a few hours of tutorials given by a tutor in order to better prepare students to take the written exam.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact the teacher by e-mail: alessia.allevi@uninsubria.it.