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Course module: UCSCIPHY21
UCSCIPHY21
Classical Electrodynamics
Course info
Course codeUCSCIPHY21
EC7.5
Course goals

The course provides a solid, modern introduction to Classical Electrodynamics. Understanding its foundations, elucidated with key examples, will reveal concepts that pervade all of Physics, and increase its appreciation as a coherent body of knowledge, with a powerful, systematic mode of investigation.

After completing this course students are able to:
  • Describe the principles of the theory of Classical Electrodynamics, and understand its practical applications
  • Start examining the fundamentals of Quantum Field Theory
  • Appreciate the coherent, systematic nature of Physics as a field of knowledge, and its method of scientific inquiry, in a reasonably sophisticated manner.
Content
Classical Electrodynamics describes the physics of Electricity, Magnetism and Electromagnetic waves (light). At the core of it are Maxwell’s Laws, which contain all the dynamical relationships connecting Electric and Magnetic fields with both their sources and each other. It is one of the most profound achievements of the 19th century and its technological applications have dramatically altered the world. This theory managed to unify all electromagnetic phenomena in a single consistent framework and thus inspired, influenced and even guided the systematic development of reasoning and methodology throughout all of Physics. It still took many decades for its ideas - of fields being physical objects in their own right, capable of interacting with material bodies, exerting forces and carrying energy and momentum - to reveal their full significance and impact.
Ultimately, it was Albert Einstein who realized what Classical Electrodynamics, if valid, told us about the very nature of Space and Time, and these insights formed the basis for his introduction of the theory of Relativity. This course will tell the story of Electromagnetism from the perspective just sketched. Once one has understood the theory in its modern formulation, insights can be expanded both in the direction of fundamentals of (Quantum) Field Theory in general, and in the direction of practical applications to be derived from Maxwell’s laws.
     
 
Format
Students prepare for class hours by reading designated parts of the Course Guide and working on practice material. Both are provided. In class, instruction will be limited to highlighting key elements and questions asked. Most of the contact hours will be devoted to presentation and discussion of materials that students are working on. Every student will document her/his work in a portfolio, as will be explained fully on the Course Workspace. In addition, each student will write two papers. One paper will be on a methodological topic of choice, which has to have a clear quantitative component, but may or may not be closely related to Electrodynamics, as long as it serves as a plausible inspiration for the chosen topic. This paper will be due at midterm. After midterm each student will choose a topic and work on a paper that demonstrates the ability to fully understand a fundamental issue in or an application of Electrodynamics. This paper will be presented in class. It is due at the end of the final exam week. Lastly, there will be a written final closed-book exam, the purpose of which is to demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the essentials of the theory of Electrodynamics.  
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Kies de Nederlandse taal