Physics 171.106: SPRING 2008

Electricity and Magnetism I

Contact Information
 

Professor

Teaching Assistant

Daniel Reich

reich@jhu.edu

X6-7899 

Bloomberg 347 

Office Hours: Tues. TBD

Office Hours:

Class:

11-11:50AM MWF.

Section:

1:30-2:30PM Thurs.

Course Description:

This course is a one semester introduction to electricity and magnetism. It is the second course in a four semester introductory sequence that includes Physics 105 and Physics 201-202 or 209-310. As such, it is primarily intended for students who are planning to take at least two years of physics courses. Students planning to take a single year of physics should consider the introductory 101-102 or 103-104 sequences.

The goal of this course is to give a solid grounding in the core topics of classical electricity and magnetism, and to prepare students for further study in physics. It will not contain a survey of "Modern Physics" such as found in Physics 102 or 104. Calculus will be used in keeping with the students'; level of math preparation, and additional mathematical techniques will be introduced as needed.

Prerequisites – Physics 171.105 (C- or better) or either Physics 171.101 or 103 and permission of the instructor.

Corequisites – Introductory Physics Laboratory 173.112 Section 16, and Calculus 110.109 or higher level mathematics course.

Textbooks:

Required: E. M. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism, 2nd Edition (McGraw Hill, New York). ISBN: 0-07-004908-4
Recommended:
1. D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and K. S. Krane, Physics, Volume 2, 5th Edition (Wiley) ISBN: 978-0-471-40194-0
2. Used Math by Clifford Swartz

The book by Purcell is a classic book that treats the material with more mathematical sophistication than most introductory texts. Supplementary material will be used for a treatment of ray optics and in place of sections that rely on special relativity. This material will probably be taken from the Halliday and Resnick text, which is the second volume of the text used in 105. The book by Swartz, which veterans of 105 may already have, is a useful primer/reminder for the math used in the course.

THE REST OF THE COURSE WEBSITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JANUARY 08