Maxwell's Equations

The Physics Hypertextbook™
© 1998-2008 by Glenn Elert -- A Work in Progress
All Rights Reserved -- Fair Use Encouraged

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Discussion

introduction

text

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1. Gauss' law
   • There are two types of charge, positive and negative, just as there are two types of real numbers, positive and negative.
   • Electric field lines diverge from positive charge and converge on negative charge
2. Law with no name
   • There is no magnetic monopole
   • Magnetic field lines neither converge nor diverge (have no beginning or end)
3. Faraday's law
   • Electric field lines don't curl
   •  … except when the magnetic field changes.
4. Ampère's law
   • Magnetic field lines curl around electric current
   •  … and also curl when the electric field changes.

∂_μF^μν = j^ν

tensor notation

Summary

• maxwell.pdf

Problems

practice

1. Write something.
   • Answer it.
2. Write something.
   • Answer it.
3. Write something.
   • Answer it.
4. Write something completely different.
   • Answer it.

numerical

1. problems

Resources

• general
  • The Mechanical Universe and Beyond (video on demand, login required)
    • Maxwell's Equations, Maxwell discovers that displacement current produces electromagnetic waves or light.

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