Course Outline
Electromagnetism provides a complete description of electric and magnetic forces, which determine all interactions between charged objects. Much of the material world consists of charged particles and the combination of the range and strength of electric and magnetic forces means that these are the dominant interactions which govern our everyday experience. Maxwell's unified description of electric and magnetic forces and the link that he established between electromagnetic waves and light were the crowning glory of 19th century physics. Much of our understanding of the physical world and our abilities for manipulating it stemfrom the body of work which he synthesized.
Physics 311 offers detailed coverage of the key concepts and techniques of classical electromagnetism, leading up to Maxwell's equations and using the full tools of vector algebra and calculus. One goal of this course is to expose you to the fundamental concepts and mathematical techniques of this theory, which plays an important role in theoretical discussions in most subfields of physics. But electromagnetism is more than a mere theoretical endeavor; it enters into the majority of experiments in the physical sciences. The second goal of this course is to equip you with the theory which is crucial for understanding and managing experimental and applied aspects of the physical sciences.
- Course Number: PHYS 311
- Instructor: Prof. David Collins, Physics
- Contact Information:
- Wubben 228B
- Telephone: 248-1787
- Email: [email protected]
- Class Times: TTh 2:00pm - 3:15pm
- Classroom: Escalante 129
- First Class Meeting: Tuesday, August 19, 2025
- Prerequisites: PHYS 132/132L, PHYS 230 or 231, MATH 253
- Text: D. J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 5th ed, Pearson (2024).
- Syllabus: Phys 311, Fall 2025 Syllabus
The course will cover the following topics subject to minor modifications.
- Mathematical tools: vector algebra, calculus in three dimensions.
- Electrostatics, Coulomb's law, Gauss' law.
- Work and energy in electrostatics, electric potential, Poisson's equation, Laplace's equation.
- Multipoles.
- Magnetic fields and forces, Biot-Savart law, Ampere's law, magnetic vector potential.
- Induction, Faraday's law.
- Maxwell's equations.
Homework Assignments
| Due: August 22, 2025 | Homework 1 |
| Due: August 26, 2025 | Homework 2 |
| Due: August 29, 2025 | Homework 3 |
| Due: September 2, 2025 | Homework 4 |
| Due: September 5, 2025 | Homework 5 |
| Due: September 9, 2025 | Homework 6 |
| Due: September 12, 2025 | Homework 7 |
| Due: September 16, 2025 | Homework 8 |
| Due: September 19, 2025 | Homework 9 |
| Due: September 23, 2025 | Homework 10 |
| Due: September 26, 2025 | Homework 11 |
| Due: October 7, 2025 | Homework 12 |
| Due: October 14, 2025 | Homework 13 |
| Due: October 17, 2025 | Homework 14 |
| Due: October 21, 2025 | Homework 15 |
| Due: October 24, 2025 | Homework 16 |
| Due: October 28, 2025 | Homework 17 |
| Due: October 31, 2025 | Homework 18 |
| Due: November 4, 2025 | Homework 19 |
| Due: November 7, 2025 | Homework 20 |
| Due: November 11, 2025 | Homework 21 |
| Due: November 14, 2025 | Homework 22 |
| Due: November 18, 2025 | Homework 23 |
| Due: November 21, 2025 | Homework 24 |
| Due: December 2, 2025 | Homework 25 |
Exams
There will be two hour long exams during class on the following dates: Thursday, October 2, 2025 and Thursday, November 13, 2025. There will be a comprehensive final exam on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
Exams and solutions from previous semesters.
Exams and solutions from this semester.
Solutions will be posted after each exam has been graded.
| Fall 2025 Class exam 1 |
| Fall 2025 Class exam 1: Solutions |
| Fall 2025 Class exam 2 |
| Fall 2025 Class exam 2: Solutions |
Supplementary Reading
There are many additional texts which are potentially suitable for this course. The following is a selection.
- Electromagnetism
R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton and M. Sands, Lectures on Physics, Vol II, Addison-Wesley (1965).
Pitched somewhere between a sophomore and junior level text, this is still a classic. Feynman was renowned for his unique approaches at explaining physics.
P. Lorrain, D. R. Corson and F. Lorrain, Fundamentals of Electromagnetic Phenomena, Freeman (2000).
Another standard undergraduate level text.
R. K. Wangsness, Electromagnetic Fields, Wiley (1986).
Similar to other undergraduate electromagnetism texts but includes a chapter on waveguides.
L. Eyges, The Classical Electromagnetic Field, Dover (1972).
More of an introductory graduate level text but sections are still accessible to an undergraduate audience. This is generally an excellent text.
A. Zangwill, Modern Electrodynamics, Cambridge University Press(2012).
Excellent graduate-level text.
J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, John Wiley (1998).
The default graduate level text, probably more as a result of its scope than its explanatory qualities. Encyclopedic but frequently confusing coverage of everything to do with electromagnetism. Tortuous problems.
Links and Animations
- Reference Sources
- Physlink Reference information and data, including decimal system notation, physical constants, math constants, astro-physical constants, etc,....
- Eric Weinstein's World of Physics Encyclopedia of Physics maintained by Wolfram Research. Entries at a variety of technical levels.
- Periodic Table of Elements WebElements site.
- NIST Databases Administered by the National Institute for Standards and Technology. The final word in physical data. Intended for professionals.
- Animations
- PhET From the University of Colorado.
- LTU Applets Collection of simulations provided by Scott Schneider, Lawrence Technological University.
- Animations for Physics and Astronomy Collection of simulations from the Penn State University, Schuylkill.
- Physclips Collection of simulations from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
- Electrostatics
- Electric Field Hockey. PhET simulation from the University of Colorado.
- Charges and Fields. PhET simulation from the University of Colorado.
- Capacitor Lab. PhET simulation from the University of Colorado.
- Trapped Ions for Quantum Information Processing. From the University of Innsbruck.
- Trapped Ion Quantum Information. From Chris Monroe's group, University of Maryland.
- Ion Trap Quantum Computing. University of Oxford group.
- Mechanical Saddle Demonstration. Demonstration of the Paul trap.
- Magnetic Fields
- Magnets and Electromagnets. PhET simulation from the University of Colorado.
- Charged Particles in Magnetic Fields. From the Penn State University, Schuylkill.