Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Electricity and Magnetism
Module Code	PS104
School	School of Physical Sciences
Online Module Resources
Module Teacher	Jean-Paul Mosnier
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

Module Aims: To give students a broad, rigorous introduction to electricity and magnetism treated as distinct phenomena in the statics approximation.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain the basic electric and magnetic interactions due to charged particles and currents
2. Describe how the electric interactions due to single or collection of charged particles are embodied in the concepts of the electric field and the electric potential
3. Predict the motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields
4. Explain the basic physics of capacitors and resistors
5. Predict the behaviour of simple and complex direct current circuits using the fundamental conservation laws.
6. Write a project on an application or a natural phenomenon based on the fundamental laws of electricity and magnetism

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	24	Class based instruction
Tutorial	6	Examples of numerical problems comparable to end of semester assessment questions
Independent learning time	70	Homework, exam preparation
Assignment	25	Project work
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Electric charge and Electric field.
Electric charge, Structure of matter, conservation of charge, conductors, insulators, induced charge. Coulomb's law, electric field and forces. Electric field calculations. Field lines. Electric dipoles.

Electric Potential.
Electric potential energy: Electric potential energy in uniform fields,electric potential energy of point charges.Electric Potential: Calculation of potential, potential as an integral of E, the electron volt. Equipotentials and field lines..

Capacitance, Capacitors and dielectrics.
Capacitance in vacuum, capacitors in series and parallel, capacitors network. Energy storage in capacitors. Dielectrics: Induced charge and polarisation.

Current, Resistance and Electromotive force.
Current, current flow and drift velocity. Resistivity: Resistance, temperature dependence, I-V plot. Electromotive force and electric circuits. Energy and power in electric circuits..

Direct Current Circuits.
Resistors in series and parallel. Kirchoff's rules and analysis of complex circuits. Measuring instruments. RC circuits..

Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces.
Magnetism and magnetic field, magnetic forces on moving charges, magnetic field lines. Motion of charged particles in magnetic field: mass spectrometers. Magnetic force on current carrying conductor, force and torque on a current loop..

Sources of Magnetic field.
Magnetic field of: a moving charge, current element, Biot and Savart law..

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	25%	Examination Weight	75%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Project	2,000 words paper	25%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 3

Indicative Reading List

Young and Freedman: 0, University Physics, 12th Edition, Chapters 21,23,24,25,26,27, parts of 28, Addison Wesley,
Jewett/Serway: 2008, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 7th Edition, chapters 23 - 30, Thomson Brooks COle,
Griffith: 2007, The Physics of Everyday Phenomena - A conceptual introduction to Physics, 5th Edition, Unit Three Electricity and Magnetism, McGraw-Hill,

Other Resources

None

Array

Programme or List of Programmes

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