Course Name
Paradigms in Physics: Static Fields
Course Number
ph422
Year/Term
Fall-2026
Course Credits
4
Class meeting times
7 hours of lecture/discussion per week for five weeks.
Prerequisites
PH 422: PH 213, PH 335 (may be taken in the same term), MTH 255 (may be taken concurrently) PH 522: None
Course description
Theory of static electric, magnetic, and gravitational potentials and fields using the techniques of vector calculus in three dimensions.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
W1 D1: Math Bits
Introduction to the Static Fields (Math Bits)
Introduction to Static Fields (Physics)
W1 D2: Math Bits
Work and Vector Line Integrals
W1 D3: Math Bits
Densities
Acting Out Charge Densities Modeling Nonuniform Density
GSF: Densities
GEM 2.1.4
Total Charge
Charge on a Parabola
W1 D4: Math Bits
Vector Cross Product
Cross Product Review
Triple Product
Total Charge
Total Charge: Spheres \& Cylinders
W1 D5: Math Bits
Step Functions
Read After Class:
GMM: Step Functions
GEM 1.5.2
Video:
Step & Delta Functions
W2 D1
\(1/r\) vs. \(1/r^2\)
Review Distance Formula
Visualizing Potentials I
Drawing Equipotential Surfaces
W2 D2
Superposition of Discrete Charges
Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (without Series)
Visualizing Potentials (with Technology)
Using Technology to Visualize Potentials
W2 D3
Veterans Day (No Class)
W2 D4
Potential Due to a Pair of Charges: Limiting Cases
Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (with Series)
Unit: Potentials from Continuous Sources
W2 D5
W3 D1
W3 D2
W3 D3
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge as a Gradient
GSF: Electric Field
GEM 2.1.1-2.1.2
W3 D4
Flux Definition
Acting Out Flux
Read After Class:
GSF: Flux
GSF: Flux of the Electric Field
GEM 1.3.1, 2.2.1
W3 D5
W4 D1
Unit: Maxwell's Equations in Differential Form
Derivatives of Vector Fields
Definition of Divergence
Read After Class:
GSF: The Definition of Divergence
GEM 1.2.4
W4 D2
Divergence Theorem
GSF: The Divergence Theorem
GEM 1.3.4
Taylor 13.7
Differential Form of Gauss's Law
W4 D3
Current Density
Total Current
Read After Class:
GSF: Current
GEM 5.1.3, 5.2.2
Magnetic Vector Potential
Read After Class:
GSF: Magnetic Vector Potential
GEM 5.4.1
W4 D4
Thanksgiving (No Class)
W4 D5
Thanksgiving Break (No Class)
W5 D1
Product Rule
Integration by Parts
Second Derivatives
Laplace's Equation
W5 D2
W5 D3
Magnetic Field \(\vec{B}\) from Magnetic Vector Potential \(\vec{A}\)
GEM 5.4.1
W5 D4
Stokes' Theorem
Differential Form of Ampère's Law
Curl-Free Vector Fields
Read After Class:
GSF: Curl-Free Vector Fields
GEM 1.6.2
Taylor 4.4
W5 D5