Course Details

Course Information Package

Course Unit TitleELECTROMAGNETISM AND OPTICS WITH LAB
Course Unit CodeAPHY112
Course Unit Details
Number of ECTS credits allocated5
Learning Outcomes of the course unitBy the end of the course, the students should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate graphically and calculate the forces experienced on a charged particle by other charged particles, the electric field intensity and the electric potential due to several point charges at a particular point, describe and solve problems of charged particles motion in a uniform electric field.
  2. Explain and apply the Gauss law to evaluate the electric field intensity in problems where spherical or cylindrical or translational symmetry exists
  3. Define the electrostatic energy of a charged capacitor with/out dielectrics, describe and experimentally investigate the resistance’s and the Ohm’s Law variables, explain and experimentally measure the electromotive force.
  4. Develop skills to solve problems with circuits including several capacitors, several resistors, and resistors-capacitors, experimentally investigate the equations in Wheatstone Bridge and RC circuits, and experimentally demonstrate the Kirchhoff's Rules in electrical circuits.
  5. Define, demonstrate graphically and calculate the magnetic field at a point due to one or more current carrying wires (Biot-Savart Law) and closed loop wires (Amperes Law),
  6. Define, demonstrate graphically and calculate the magnetic forces on two current carrying parallel/antiparallel wires, and the path of a charged particle motion in a constant magnetic field.
  7. Describe and experimentally demonstrate the laws of reflection and refraction, show with appropriate drawings how these laws apply to light rays at plane and spherical surfaces (mirrors, thin lenses), and solve associated problems.
Mode of DeliveryFace-to-face
PrerequisitesAMAT122,APHY111Co-requisitesNONE
Recommended optional program componentsNONE
Course Contents

Review: Basic concepts of electricity, atomic structure.

Electrostatics: Coulomb’s Law, electric field intensity due to one or more point charges, electric potential, motion of a point charge in a uniform electric field. 

Further electrostatics: Gauss Law and applications, capacitors and combination of capacitors, electrostatic energy of charged capacitors, dielectrics.

Dynamic electricity: Electric current, resistance and Ohm's Law, resistivity of conductors, combination of resistances.

Direct Current Circuits: Electromotive force (EMF), Kirchhoff’s rules, power, potential across resistors, RC circuits.

Magnetism: Definition of magnetic field, magnetic field at a point due to current carrying wires (Biot-Savart Law) and closed loop wires (Ampere’s Law), magnetic forces on current carrying parallel/antiparallel wires, motion of a charged particle in a constant magnetic field. 

Optics: The nature of light, measurement of the speed light, Huygen's principle, reflection, refraction, and polarization.

Geometrical Optics: Convex and concave mirrors, thin lenses, optical instruments.

Laboratory Work: Small group experiments on: Electrostatic Charge, Ohm’s Law, Exploratory Study of Resistance, Resistances in Circuits, EMF, Kirchhoff's Rules, Resistor – Capacitor Network, Wheatstone Bridge, Law of Reflection, Law of Refraction.

Recommended and/or required reading:
Textbooks
  • D. Giancoli, Physics: Principles with Applications, Prentice Hall, 6th Edition,2005
References
  • David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, John Wiley & Son, 2001
  • J. D. Cutnell, K. W. Johnson, Physics, John Wiley & Sons, 2005
  • A. Giambattista, B. McCarthy Richardson and R. C. Richardson, College
Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures are delivered to the students by means of computer presentations including images, simulations, and videos. Lecture notes and presentations are available through the web for students to be used in combination with the textbooks.

Lectures begin with real-life observations challenging the students for explanation to guide them to the new physics concept and to investigate its principles and variables.  Problems are presented and solved in the class while further problems are given for practice.

Lectures are supplemented by ten laboratory exercises to investigate, test, and verify the taught physics principles, laws and methodologies.
Assessment methods and criteria
Tests20%
Laboratory20%
Final Exam60%
Language of instructionEnglish
Work placement(s)NO

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