ELECTROMAGNETISM
No special prerequisites are necessary other than the basics of calculus, algebra, and classical mechanics acquired in the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree program.
The exam consists of both written tests and oral questions. The final grade will be the arithmetic average (rounded up) of the marks acquired in the exams relating to the two modules, weighted by the number of credits relating to each module (mod. A contributes for 6/14 to the final grade, mod. B for 8/14).
As far as module A is concerned, in order to facilitate the student in the study and understanding of the covered topics, three assignments will be organized, each consisting of two exercises, to be completed in 1 hour and a half. Alternatively, the student can take a single paper at the end of the course on all covered topics.
In this case, 4 exercises will be proposed to be carried out in 3 hours.
The positive outcome of the written test is preparatory to the oral test.
The student will be admitted to the oral exam if he/she passes the three assignments or the total writing with an evaluation of at least 16/30. If a student passes only a partial number of papers, at the final exam it will be agreed that he/she will do only a part of the exercises (3 if he/she has passed only 1 paper, 2 if he/she has passed 2). In addition to the three assignments, 6 total written papers per academic year will be arranged.
To evaluate the written test, the following criteria will be considered, in order of priority:
1) the correctness and explanation of the procedures used to solve the problems
2) the physical reliability of the obtained results
3) the correctness of the calculations and of the final result in carrying them out
4) the correct use of technical terminology and units of measurement.
During the oral test, the student will be questioned on the theory of both electrostatics and magnetostatics. In this case, the student will be asked 4 or 5 questions in order to verify the knowledge and understanding of the entire program.
As regards mod. B, in order to facilitate the student in the study and understanding of the topics covered, two partial written tests will be organized, one at the end of the electrodynamics part, one at the end of the art of relativity. Each will consist of 2 or 3 exercises (depending on the complexity), to be carried out in 2 hours. Alternatively, the student can take a single written exam at the end of the course on all the topics covered. In this case, 4 to 6 exercises will be proposed (depending on the complexity) to be carried out in 4 hours. The positive outcome of the written test is a prerequisite for the oral test. The student will be admitted to the oral exam if they pass the written exam with an assessment of at least 16/30. A total of 6 writings per academic year will be organized.
Also for mod. B, to evaluate the written test, the following criteria will be considered, in order of priority:
1) the correctness and explanation of the procedures used to solve the problems
2) the physical reliability of the obtained results
3) the correctness of the calculations and of the final result in carrying them out
4) the correct use of technical terminology and units of measurement.
During the oral test, the student will be questioned about the theory concerning both the electro/magnetodynamics and the special relativity. In this case, the student will be asked 4 or 5 questions in order to verify the knowledge and understanding of the entire program.
The final grade of the module will be assigned by making a weighted average of the evaluations obtained in the written test and in the oral test. The exam will be considered passed if the result of this weighted average is at least 18/30.
The course aims at providing the fundamental knowledge of Electromagnetism, both static and dynamic, and special relativity. The classical theory of electromagnetic phenomena is one of the founding pillars of any Bachelor’s Degree Program in Physics.
Einstein's Special Relativity is a fundamental theory that allows to generalize concepts such as energy, momentum, force, mass, etc, through a rigorous definition of "inertial observer", introducing the concept of space-time.
The proposed course deals with the fundamentals of special relativity, with hints to the classical field theory, in particular to the electromagnetic field. The approach to the subject is mainly physical, only partially algebraic-mathematical. The course aims to make the student familiar with the basic concepts of Special Relativity, and to be able to apply them to concrete physical problems.
The Course, in fact, intends to contribute to the formation of the professional profile foreseen by the Three-Year Degree Course in Physics both with respect to basic physics knowledge and to the development of mathematical models for the description of physical processes themselves.
The course is divided into 2 modules: the first module is devoted to electrostatics and magnetostatics and is held by Prof. Allevi, while the second module concerns classical electrodynamics and special relativity and is held by Prof. Haardt. The first module will be taught during the first semester, while the second module will be taught during the second semester.
Upon completion of the Course, students will be able to:
- Identify the physical phenomena of electrostatics and magnetostatics and their applications
- Distinguish the phenomena described by classical electrodynamics and, in particular, radiative processes from non-relativistic moving charges
- Understand the conceptual basis of the theory of special relativity, and the consequences that this has in the interpretation of physical phenomena
- Recognize the Physics that lies beneath Maxwell's equations
- Solve independently a wide range of problems and exercises related to electromagnetic phenomena justifying in a clear and comprehensive way the choice of physical laws and explaining well the adopted steps
- Conceive in a natural way the Newtonian mechanics as an approximation of Special Relativity, and reason in a "relativistic" way.
Modules
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Credits: 6
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Credits: 8