Ateneo - UPO

Electrostatics. DC circuits and quasi static circuits. Magnetism. Variable fields and electromagnetic induction. Inductance and AC circuits. Maxwell equations and electromagnetic waves. Light propagation and application. Introduction to special relativity. Photoelectric effect and corpuscular nature of light.

Giovanni Cantatore, Gianni Vannini, Lorenzo Vitale,
GETTYS FISICA 2 - ELETTROMAGNETISMO E ONDE,
6a edizione, McGraw Hill 2024 - ISBN 9788838658617;
P. Mazzoldi, M. Nigro, C. Voci, Fisica Vol. II - Elettromagnetismo e onde, III Edizione, EdiSES 2021 - ISBN 9788836230303;
Corrado Mencuccini, Vittorio Silvestrini, Fisica - Elettromagnetismo e Ottica, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana 2017 – ISBN 9788808186614

The aim of this course is to teach the electromagnetic processes, Maxwell’s equations, the production of electromagnetic waves and their properties and introduce special relativity.

Contents of the first-year courses: Physics I, Mathematics I, Mathematics II.

Classroom lectures and numerical exercises.

Monitoring the learning process: this will be achieved by posing questions to students during lectures and exercise sessions, and also through quizzes proposed on the D.I.R. platform.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti,
consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The final evaluation will be based on a written test and an oral discussion. The written test will consist in the resolution of 4-5 numerical exercises similar to what discussed during the lessons and useful to understand the degree of knowledge and autonomy achieved by the student, in the solving of exercises. The oral discussion will serve to determine the awareness of what has been done during the written test and to evaluate the degree of knowledge of the theoretical aspects and the ability to express them in an articulated manner. To pass the test, the student must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic concepts and their applications to solve numerical exercises. Excellence is achieved if the written test is perfect, proving that the student has reached a level of knowledge and skill appropriate throughout all the course program, and proving to know clearly all the arguments required during the oral test. The level of difficulty corresponds to the program and the reference texts indicated.

Coulomb’s law and electric field; Gauss’s law; Electric potential; Conductors, capacitance and dielectrics; Current and resistance; Direct current circuits. Magnetic field; Magnetic force; Sources of the magnetic field; Ampère’s law; Magnetic properties of materials. Variable fields and electromagnetic induction: self- and mutual-inductance; Electrical oscillations and alternating currents. Maxwell equations and electromagnetic waves. Derivation of light’s propagation laws and applications: Reflection and refraction; Geometrical optics; Interference; Diffraction. Introduction to special relativity and relativistic transformations of electric and magnetic fields. Photoelectric effect and corpuscular nature of light.
Gender integration: the importance of gender integration in research, teaching programs and training will be discussed.

- Knowledge and understanding:
Understanding of fundamental laws of electricity and magnetism and their application to circuits and generation and propagation of electromagnetic waves. Discussion of the applicability of corpuscular and wave theory of light. Introduction to special relativity.
- Applying knowledge and understanding: Analyze problems of average complexity involving electromagnetism and solve them also using calculus.
- Communication skills:
Understand and be able to discuss, also from a historical perspective, the laws of electromagnetism and discuss the unification and duality aspects of the theory. Be aware of and be able to discuss the cultural impact of the theory of special relativity.
- Learning skills: Obtain a good understanding of electromagnetic laws and of their formalism to be able to identify and apply the same techniques in other courses.