Physics 124 -- Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism

Physics 124 is the third quarter of a three-quarter sequence on the theory of electromagnetic interactions. Physics 120 covers the theory of static electric and magnetic fields, and dielectric and magnetic materials. Physics 121 covers Maxwell's equations and dynamic electromagnetic fields. Physics 124 covers electromagnetic radiation. While Physics 120 and 121 cover material that is a basic part of academic training in Physics, this course covers more advanced topics, including a first glimpse of relativistic field theory.

Physics 124 meets MWF at 11 am. Course materials, including information sheets, problem sets, and lecture notes will be posted on this page. If you need any further information, please e-mail the prof.

General Course Information for Physics 124

Problem sets for Physics 124:

• Problem Set 1 (due Friday, October 4).
• Problem Set 2 (due Friday, October 11).
• Problem Set 3 (due Friday, October 18).
• Problem Set 4 (due Friday, October 25).
• Problem Set 5 (due Friday, November 1).
• Problem Set 6 (due Friday, November 8).
• Problem Set 7 (due Wednesday, November 20).
• Problem Set 8 (due Wednesday, November 27).
• Problem Set 9 (due Wednesday, December 4).

Lecture Notes for Physics 124:

• Set 1: Relativity and Electrodynamics
• Set 2: Lorentz Transformation of Electromagnetic Field Configurations
• Set 3: The Electromagnetic Potentials
• Set 4: Derivation of Maxwell's Equations
• Set 5: Solution of the Relativistic Wave Equation
• Set 6: Potentials and Fields of Point Charges
• Set 7: Multipole Radiation
• Set 8: Antennas
• Set 9: Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves
• Set 10: Interference and Coherence
• Set 11: Huygen's Principle
• Set 12: Kirchhoff's Theory of Diffraction
• Set 13: Fraunhofer Diffraction
• Set 14: Fresnel Diffraction
• Set 15: Holography
• Set 16: The Rainbow
• Set 17: Radiation from Extremely Relativistic Particles
• Set 18: Synchrotron Radiation
• Set 19: Yang-Mills Theory

Supplementary Materials for Physics 124:

• Yonathan Zunger's lecture notes on special relativity.
• "How to write Maxwell's equations on a t-shirt".

Exams for Physics 124:

• Final Exam, December 12, 8:30 am. solutions.

Java applets and other programming materials for Physics 124 can be found in this directory.