5v333
Well-known member
Actually i got the book for the em course yesterday.
"An introduction to electrodynamics", D. griffiths.
"An introduction to electrodynamics", D. griffiths.
That is a good one! Probably my favorite to begin studying EM. Only problem is that it is 100% physics, meaning that there are no engineering applications, its all abstraction, but the book is great. He also has a book on Quantum Mechanics, also very good.Actually i got the book for the em course yesterday.
"An introduction to electrodynamics", D. griffiths.
Hope you are right. So far it has been very intense.5v333, quantum mechanics isn't as scary in reality as it sounds. There is also usually a very generous curve in those types of classes.
user 37518, is there an advantage for you getting another formal degree? I just ask because for me I found it easier (and cheaper) to just take classes and learn about things that truly interest you and then skip some of the rigid requirements and formalities.
To be honest, I think that EM is harder than Quantum Mechanics, it depends of course, I am referring to a college course. But the thing with EM is that you need to use a lot of vector calculus like divergence, rotational, and different coordinate systems, there is a lot of geometry involved and you have to get coordinates right. And, at least in my experience, Quantum Mechanics involves partial differential equations with boundary conditions and stuff like that. I don't know, you'll be the judge but EM for me seemed harder, there is a lot more "drawing" involved, if that makes any sense.... But also, I totally love EM because all electronics derive from it, once you start learning about EM you begin to understand how electricity really works, the whole "electrons flow like water in a tube pipe" stuff that they teach in circuit analysis is a complete lie, but it works at low frequencies, it certainly works for audio...Hope you are right. So far it has been very intense.
I just have a feeling that stuff will become super abstract and with calculations very different from classical physics.
But i am always worried about a new course.
Yes there is probability and statistics, quantum can involve some nasty partial diff equations and integrals. I remember my "welcome" to the course was to derive Planck's Black Body radiation equation, which involves integrating a nasty exponential, not very hard once you get it though.I am interseted in em for the same reason. The foundation of electronics.
Vector analysis can be heavy but it is linear. Isnt quantum physics based alot on statistics etc?
I had a course in stats and discrete mathematics before the summer. It wasnt that hard but i never got an intuition for it.
I was both pleased and relieved.And you were very pleased with your self when it was completed.
How are the EM theory classes going? Did you enjoy the Laplacians, divergences, Jacobians, rotationals, change of coordinates and all the other beautiful vector calculus operations?And you were very pleased with your self when it was completed.
That's where the good stuff is!In three weeks we have gone through electrostatix, magnetostatik, e fields and b fields in matter, D fields and H fields, polarisation and magnetisation, bound charges and bound current, linear materials...
This week starting with electrodynamix i think.
Its like running after a train.
Vektor calculus is not new for us but things like multipole expansion with legendre polynoms is...
Ohhh yes, "if and only if", "for all x", "a necessary and sufficient condition", etc...Induktion and ohms law today. Felt much better.
I think you will do fine!
The only tricks i have for exams are to come as prepared as I can and make sure my feet are not cold.
Dont forget, true mathematicians say the words "If and only If" almost all the time.
You are going to use the continuity equation again in your EM course. Yes, I guess that physicists are more interested in what you are talking about. I took Applied EM courses during my bachelor's and master's. They are really interesting, I mean, physics is great and all, but I think I would get bored if everything were just "charged spheres" and a "wire loop". When you use this stuff in antennas or in RF circuts, it is that you really appreciate it, otherwise it's just an abstract intellectual exercise and a way to play around with calculus, vectors and geometry.Ill pay a little bit extra attention If it appears.
In many courses i had, we are intersted in things like conservation and conservative fields/forces.
Stuff like (maybe i rember wrong) divJ = - d/dt(charge density),
Continuity equation,
heattransfer equation,
etc.
Nice! a work of art isn't it?And there it was today...
The wave equation and the speed of light in vacuum. All derived from maxwell's equations.
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