Academic Programs

114052 – Physics II

Course Objectives and Targets

1. Introduction to electrostatic and magnetostatic phenomena.

2. Developing basic understanding of electric DC and AC circuits and also electric appliances, such as transformers, and engines.

3. Introduction to mechanical and electromagnetic waves and wave phenomena, such as interference and diffraction.

Weekly Lecture Topics

Part 1: Electricity and Magnetism

1. The electric charge (discrete and continuous) and Coulomb’s law. Superposition. Polarization and charging by induction. The electric field. Vector field representations. Motion of a charged particle in an electric field

2. Electric flux and Gauss’ law. Electrostatic potential energy, and the electric potential. Calculation of the electric field from the potential

3. Equipotential surfaces. Fields around and inside conductors. Electrostatic shielding. Leiden jar. High-Voltage breakdown, Lighting and Sparks

4. Capacitance and capacitors. Electric energy density. Dielectrics

5. Currents, resistivity and Ohm’s law. Batteries, electromotive force, electric circuits, Kirchhoff’s laws, RC circuit. Power. High voltage power lines

6. Magnetic field, Lorentz force, torques, electric motors (DC)

7. Motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field: cyclotron and mass spectrometer

8. Ampere’s law. Bio-Savart law. Gauss’ law for magnetic field

9. Faraday’s law of induction and non-conservative fields. Eddy currents and magnetic breaking. Inductance. Self-inductance. RL circuit

10. Transformer and magnetic energy density. RLC circuit, AC current. Synchronous and induction motors

11. Magnetic materials. Dia-, Para- and Ferromagnetism. Displacement current, and Maxwell equations. Part 2: Waves

12. Derivation and analysis of the wave equation. Amplitude, velocity, polarization, periodic waves – frequency/period and wavelength/wavenumber

13. EM waves: Poynting vector, Doppler effect. Wave adding, beats, standing wave

14.   Interference, Young’s experiment, Newton rings, Huygens’ principle. Diffraction grating, resolution. Single-slit diffraction, double-slit diffraction. Snell’s law, total reflection


114051 – Physics 1

Teaching Staff




Student Evaluation


Reading Requirements

  • Resnick, R. and Halliday, D.: Physics, Vol. II, (New York : Wiley, c1977-1978).
  • Giancolli, D.C.: Physics for Scientists and Engineers with modern Physics, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson education, 2009).
  • Purcell, E.: Electricity and Magnetism (Berkeley Physics Course; Vol. 2).

Contact Hours per Week

Lecture: 3 Hours

Recitation: 1 Hour

Credit: 3.5