Reading Assignments Phys3320 Fall 2009
Tentative, check frequently for changes!
- Last updated on 15 November 2009

For all the detailed lecture notes on these chapters, see our online notes page.
For many of the Concept Tests from lectures (and a few extras) see our concept tests page.

WEEK
Dates
Topics Reading for the week.
1
August 24-28

Introduction, then review all week!

Review Griffiths Ch. 1-6, focusing on the material in chapters 2 and 5 (and 1 as needed).
2

August 31- Sept 4

1. Review
2. Finish review, start Ohm's law
3. Electromotive force and batteries

Ch. 7.1, 7.2.1, 7.2.2
3
September 7-11
(Mon Labor Day)

1. (Holiday)
2. Motional EMF and Electromagnetic induction
3. Inductance and inductors

Ch. 7.2.3
4
September 14-18

1. Complex Impedences
2. RL, RC Circuits
3. RLC Circuits

Ch. 7.2.4
5
September 21-25

1. Energy Density of EM Fields
2. Problems with Maxwell's Equations
3. Correction to Ampere's Law

Ch. 7.3.1, 7.3.2
6
Sept 28-Oct 2
(1st Exam)

1. Application of corrected Ampere's law
2. Maxwell's equation in matter/Displacement current
3. Charge conservation/Poynting vector

Ch. 7.3.5, 7.3.6, 8.1

7
October 5-9

1. Energy conservation/flux in EM Fields
2. Maxwell Stress Tensor
3. Momentum conservation/flux in EM Fields

Ch. 8.2

8
October 12-16

1. Application of Maxwell Stress Tensor, Angular momentum density
2. Waves in complex notation
3. EM Wave equation in vacuum

Ch. 9.1, 9.2.1
9
October 19-23

1. EM waves in vacuum
2. Wave Equation in linear materials
3. EM Waves in linear materials

Ch. 9.2.2, 9.2.3, 9.3.1
10 October 26-30

1. Reflection/transmission at a dielectric interface
2. Fresnel equations for normal incidence
3. Fresnel equations for oblique incidence

Ch. 9.3.2, 9.3.3

11 November 2-6

1. Wave equations in conductors
2. EM waves in a conductor
3. Reflection/transmission at a Dielectric/Conductor Interface

Ch. 9.4.1, 9.4.2
12

November 9-13
(2nd Exam)

1. Dispersion and Group Velocity
2. Frequency Dependence of Permittivity
3. Waves in Waveguides

Ch. 9.4.3, 9.5.1

13
November 16-20

1. Rectangular Waveguides
2. Potential Formulation of Maxwell's Equations, Gauge Transformations
3.Radiation

Ch. 9.5.2, 10.1, 10.2.1, 11.1
14
Nov 30 - Dec 4

1. Principles of Special Relativity
2. Lorentz Transformations, 4-vectors and invariants
3. Relativistic Kinematics/applications

Ch. 12.1, 12.2
15
December 7-11

1. Magnetism as Relativisitic effect
2. Lorentz Transformation of EM Fields
3. Review

Ch. 12.3

Back to main page.