Physics 208H Spring 1998

Chapter/Topic Objectives




Chapter 22 Electric Charge

Use Coulomb's Law to determine magnitude and direction of force on a point charge due to one or more other point charges in various geometrical configurations. Understand the distinction between conductors and nonconductors and the behavior of objects in the presence of electric charge.

Chapter 23 The Electric Field

Understand the meaning of E. Be able to calculate E at various points in space given a knowledge of the source charges that give rise to E. Understand the concept and the properties of electric field lines.
Be able to determine the force on a particle of known charge and mass and the subsequent motion of the particle in a known electric field.

Chapter 24: Gauss' Law

Understand the meaning of electric flux F - both its quantitative definition, and its qualitative relation to electric field lines. Understand the meaning of Gauss' Law and be able to apply it to determine the electric field in the presence of certain symmetrical distributions of charge (i.e. points, lines, planes, cylinders, spheres). Be able to apply Gauss's law to predict and explain the some of the properties of charge distribution on conductors.

Chapter 25: Electric Potential

Understand the idea of the potential energy of an electric charge (located at some point in an electric field) relative to that at some other point. Understand that electric potential V is the potential energy per unit charge. Know the general definition of the potential difference between two points in space in an arbitrary electric field and how to apply it in particular cases such as for a constant field, the field due to a point charge etc. Be able to use the expression we obtained for the potential at a distance r from a point charge relative to a point at infinity. Be able to extend this to multiple discrete charges or continuous charge distributions. Understand how to obtain the potential energy of a set of charges.

Chapter 26: Capacitance

Understand the definition of capacitance C = Q/V. Be able to calculate the capacitance of pairs of conductors in simple cases (Sec. 27-3). Be able to analyze combinations of capacitances in series and parallel to determine equivalent capacitance, charge and voltage on individual capacitors. Understand the effect of introducing dielectrics in capacitors, energy storage in capacitors, and energy density in the electric field.


Chapter 27 Current and Resistance

Know and understand the definition of current, current density, resistance, and resistivity. Be able to determine the resistance of conductors and the temperature dependence of resitance given the resistivity , and temperature coefficients. Understand the meaning of Ohmic materials.

Chapter 28: Circuits

Know and understand the definition and concept of emf. Know how to analyze series and parallel combinations of resistors, in single-loop and multi-loop circuits. Understand power delivery to circuit elements including resistors. Understand the charging and discharging processes for a capacitor in series with resistors including the time dependence of charge and currents in various situations.

Chapter 29: The Magnetic Field

Know and understand the definition of the magnetic field in terms of the force on moving charges and current carrying conductors. Be able to predict the motion of charges in magnetic fields, the force and torque on current loops, and the concept of the magnetic moment.

Chapter 30: Magnetic Fields Due to Currents

Understand qualitatively and quantitatively the concept of current as the source of the magnetic field. Be able to apply the Biot-Savart law and Ampere's law in appropriate situations. Be especially familiar with the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field produced by a long-straight current carrying conductor. Be able to determine the magnetic field produced by current loops, solenoids, and toroids.

Chapter 31: Induction

Understand the definition of magnetic flux (for uniform and nonuniform magnetic fields). Be able to use the results of chapters 30 and 31 to determine the magnetic flux and its rate of change.Know and understand Faraday's law and Lenz's law, and be able to apply them in situations of changing magnetic flux to determine both the magnitude and direction of the induced emf. Be able to determine motional emfs in situations where they arise. Read section 32-6 and understand the expression of Faraday's law in terms of the line integral of the electric field.

Chapter 31: Inductance

Know and understand the definition of self inductance and it's connection with Faraday's Law. Be able to calculate the inductance in certain situations, such as those illustrated in the sample problems and homework problems. Be able to determine the magnitude and direction of the induced emf when the rate of change of current is specified. Understand the process of establishing a current in series combinations of inductance and resistance as well as the process of turning the current off. Understand the concept of energy storage in an inductor and in the magnetic field. Know, understand, and be able to use the concept of mutual inductance.

Chapter 32: Maxwell's Equations

Understand qualitatively the meaning of Maxwell's equations, and know something about the significance of these equations (particularly) Faraday's law and the Ampere-Maxwell law in predicting the existence and properties of traveling electromagnetic waves.

Chapter 33: Electromagnetic Oscillations

Understand the physics of an LC oscillator in terms of what is happening to the charge on the capacitor and the current in the inductor as a function of time. Know how the frequency and period depend on L and C. If given Q(t) be able to determine I(t) as well as the inverse problem. Understand the energy exchange between inductance and capacitance. Review sample problems and homework problems.


Chapter 34: Electromagnetic Waves

Know and understand the properties of traveling electromagnetic waves, the frequency and wavelength spectrum, and the energy transport aspects. Have a working knowledge of polarization and the effect of polarizing sheets on the transmitted intensity as illustrated in the sample problems and homework.

Chapter 39: Geometric Optics

Understand and be able to use the laws of reflection and refraction, the concept of total internal reflection, image formation by mirrors and lenses. Be able to use the lens and mirror equations and know something about the approximations used in obtaining these equations. Be able to draw ray diagrams for converging and diverging mirrors and lenses.

Chapter 40: Interference

Know the meaning of Huygens principal, diffraction, and interference. Understand the idea of coherent and incoherent sources, double-slit interference and interference in light reflected from thin films. Be able to describe the angular and linear positions of double-slit maxima and minima. Be able to deal with different combinations of thin films in contact with materials of higher and lower indices of refraction.

Chapter 41: Diffraction

Understand the meaning of diffraction. Be able to predict the angular and linear positions of single-slit diffraction minima. Understand the significance of diffraction on our common perception of the behavior of different types of waves. Understand the principles of the diffraction grating and be able to use the grating equation to predict diffraction maxima of specified orders for given wavelengths.



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