PHYS 3308 course web page

Fall 2014

Physics 3308 - Electromagnetism

Professor: Heather Logan [webpage]
Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays (first class Thursday September 4, 2014; last class Thursday December 4, 2014)
Time: 8:35 - 9:55 a.m.
Location: 318 Southam Hall
Professor's office: Herzberg 2450
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:00-2:00 p.m., or by appointment.
Email: logan at physics dot carleton dot ca
Telephone: 613-520-2600 extension 4319
Required textbook: Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th edition, David J. Griffiths
- If you have the 3rd edition, that is fine; the changes implemented in the 4th edition seem to be pretty minor, and I will be assigning my own homework problems.
- If you have a copy of Wangsness, talk to me; it is probably ok but I want to think about it.
- The 4th edition of Griffiths Electrodynamics will be on sale at Haven Books ($163.96) and at the Campus Bookstore ($192.00). It's also on Amazon ($146.47) and Abe Books (let me just say globalism is amazing), but be aware of shipping times.
- (The Campus Bookstore also offers rentals of the book, but do you really want to do that for a core physics textbook? Look it up on Abe Books before making any rash decisions.)
Prerequisites: PHYS 2202, PHYS 2604, MATH 2004 or 2008, and MATH 3705.

The course outline is here (pdf).

Announcements

The midterm exam was on Tuesday November 4. (Class average = 58%; histogram will be posted outside my office.)
Here is the formula sheet (pdf) that will be provided with the midterm exam.
Office hours during exam period:
- Thurs Dec 11, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
- Fri Dec 12, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
- Mon Dec 15, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
- Tue Dec 16, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Assignment 10 is marked and can be picked up at my office.
The exam schedule has been posted. Our final exam will be on Wednesday December 17, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Here is the formula sheet (pdf) that will be provided with the final exam.

Assignments

Homework assignments will be posted here as pdf files. They will also be handed out in class on paper.
Homework #1, assigned Thurs Sept 4, due Thurs Sept 11, 2014. (Class average = 74%)
Homework #2, assigned Thurs Sept 11, due Tues Sept 23, 2014. (Class average = 70%)
Homework #3, assigned Tues Sept 23, due Tues Sept 30, 2014. (Class average = 64%)
Homework #4, assigned Tues Sept 30, due Thurs Oct 9, 2014. (Class average = 64%)
Homework #5, assigned Thurs Oct 9, due Thurs Oct 16, 2014. (Class average = 51%)
Homework #6, assigned Thurs Oct 16, due Thurs Oct 23, 2014. (Class average = 80%)
Homework #7, assigned Thurs Nov 6, due Thurs Nov 13, 2014. (Class average = 65%)
Homework #8, assigned Thurs Nov 6, due Thurs Nov 20, 2014. (Class average = 71%)
Homework #9, assigned Thurs Nov 20, due Thurs Nov 27, 2014. (Class average = 74%)
Link to the levitating frog video.
Homework #10, assigned Thurs Nov 27, due Fri Dec 5, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. (Class average = 81%)

Calendar

Thurs Sept 4: First lecture, 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall (Note of course that the class starts at 8:35 and ends at 9:55, but I'll say 8:30-10 because it's easier for me to remember.)
Read for this lecture: Griffiths sections 1.1, 1.4-5, 2.1, and start 2.2
Course outline (pdf) will be distributed.
Homework #1 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Sept 11. This assignment is a review of techniques involving Coulomb's Law and continuous charge distributions that you saw in first-year physics.
Read before next class: Griffiths appendix A.2-3; sections 1.2-3, 2.2; these lecture notes (pdf) on vector analysis and curvilinear coordinates.
Choosing office hours: Please go to this Doodle poll between now and noon Sunday September 7 and enter the days/times that would work with your schedule. I will pick two hours during the week for regular office hours and announce them on this webpage and in class on Tuesday September 9. Of course you can also see me at other times by appointment (please arrange using email).
Tues Sept 9: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: the rest of Griffiths appendix A; section 2.2.3 (applications of Gauss's law)
Thurs Sept 11: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #1 due at the start of class. Solutions will be posted outside my office (Herzberg 2450). You are welcome to borrow them for photocopying if you like, but please be kind to your fellow students and return them promptly.
Homework #2 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Tues Sept 23.
Read before next class: the rest of Griffiths Sec. 2.2; Sec. 1.6; Appendix B; start Sec. 2.3.
Tues Sept 16: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 2.3 (electrostatic potential).
Thurs Sept 18: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 2.4 (work and energy in electrostatics).
Tues Sept 23: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #2 due at the start of class.
Homework #3 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Tues Sept 30.
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 2.5 (conductors).
Thurs Sept 25: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 3.1 (Laplace's equation).
Tues Sept 30: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #3 due at the start of class.
Homework #4 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Oct 9.
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 3.2 (Method of Images).
Thurs Oct 2: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 3.3 (Separation of Variables).
Tues Oct 7: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 3.4 (multipole expansion).
Thurs Oct 9: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #4 due at the start of class.
Homework #5 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Oct 16.
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 (dielectrics).
Tues Oct 14: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read before next class: Griffiths Sec. 4.3 and 4.4 (dielectrics).
Thurs Oct 16: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #5 due at the start of class.
Homework #6 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Oct 23. (This will be the last homework assignment before the midterm.)
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 5.1 and start 5.2.
Tues Oct 21: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 5.2 and 5.3.
Thurs Oct 23: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #6 due at the start of class.
Tues Oct 28 and Thurs Oct 30: Reading Week; no class
Tues Nov 4: Midterm exam 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 5.3.
Thurs Nov 6: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #7 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Nov 13.
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 5.4.
Tues Nov 11: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 5.4 (continued), 6.1, 6.2.
Thurs Nov 13: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #7 due at the start of class.
Homework #8 (pdf) will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Nov 20.
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, and start 7.1.
Tues Nov 18: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 7.1 and 7.2.
Thurs Nov 20: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #8 due at the start of class.
Homework #9 will be distributed, and is due at the start of class on Thurs Nov 27.
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 7.2 (continued), 7.3, and start of 9.2.
Tues Nov 25: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 9.1, 9.2 (the rest), and start 9.5.
Thurs Nov 27: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Homework #9 due at the start of class.
Homework #10 will be distributed, and is due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday Dec 5.
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 9.5.
Tues Dec 2: Lecture 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall
Read for next class: Griffiths Sec. 9.3.
Thurs Dec 4: Last lecture, 8:30-10 a.m. in 318 Southam Hall