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Module

PHY3032 : Advanced Electromagnetism

  • Offered for Year: 2023/24
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Mark Rayson
  • Owning School: Mathematics, Statistics and Physics
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
  • Capacity limit: 55 student places
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 5.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

To enhance the students’ knowledge of the fundamental theory of electromagnetism and to enable the students to view these laws within the wider context of physics as a whole.

Module Summary

The theory of electromagnetism was a tour de force of 19th century physics. In this module it will be placed in its proper context with regard to another pillar of classical physics, namely, special relativity. The course ends with a discussion of a radical change to our view of the world required to understand previously covered phenomena when considering the particle nature of light.

Outline Of Syllabus

Scalar and vector fields, vector calculus, electrostatics, scalar potentials, Maxwell’s equations inferred from electrostatics and coordinate transformations, magnetic charge and duality transformations, magnetic vector potentials, four-potential and four-current, radiation and the particle nature of light.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture112:0022:00Formal Lectures
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion321:0032:00Completion of in course assignments/ examination revision
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching51:005:00Tutorial/problem class
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study411:0041:00Preparation time for lectures, background reading, coursework review
Total100:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The teaching methods are appropriate to allow students to develop a wide range of skills, from understanding basic concepts and facts to higher-order thinking.

Lectures are used for the delivery of theory and explanation of methods, illustrated with examples, and for giving general feedback on marked work.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination1202A80N/A
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written exercise2M5Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M5Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M5Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M5Problem-solving exercises assessment
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A substantial formal unseen examination is appropriate for the assessment of the material in this module. The format of the examination will enable students to reliably demonstrate their own knowledge, understanding and application of learning outcomes. The assurance of academic integrity forms a necessary part of programme accreditation.

Examination problems may require a synthesis of concepts and strategies from different sections, while they may have more than one ways for solution. The examination time allows the students to test different strategies, work out examples and gather evidence for deciding on an effective strategy, while carefully articulating their ideas and explicitly citing the theory they are using.

The coursework assignments allow the students to develop their problem solving techniques, to practise the methods learnt in the module, to assess their progress and to receive feedback; these assessments have a secondary formative purpose as well as their primary summative purpose.

Reading Lists

Timetable