640-245 Electromagnetism

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Physics 640-121 + 640-122 or 640-141 + 640-142; Mathematics 620-111 or 620-121 or 620-142; Mathematics 620-112 or 620-122 or 620-200 or 620-211; Mathematics 620-132 or 620-130.

Pre/corequisites

Mathematics 620-231.

(For subjects completed prior to 1998, the Mathematics and Statistics departmental code 620- should be replaced by the superseded Mathematics departmental code 618-)

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

By the completion of this subject the student should:

• comprehend how Maxwell's equations provide a unified understanding of electrical, magnetic and optical phenomena;
• be able to apply Maxwell's equation to simple problems, including those involving dielectric and magnetic media;
• appreciate the key role that Maxwell's equations play in a wide range of science and engineering.

The subject provides an introduction to: Maxwell's equations in differential form. Scalar and vector potentials. Dielectric and magnetic materials: field vectors P, D, M, H. Boundary conditions for field vectors. Magnetic circuits. Energy density of electric and magnetic fields. Simple boundary value problems. Electromagnetic waves: in vacuum and simple dielectrics; wave equations; Poynting's vector.

Assessment

A 2-hour end-of-semester written examination plus tests and/or assignments, set during the semester, which may account for up to 20% of the final marks.

Prescribed Texts

• Cheng D K, Field and Wave Electromagnetics. Addison-Wesley 1989.