Nov 10, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-22

PHYS 2056 - General Physics 2 electricity and magnetism


This is the second of a three-semester sequence of introductory physics classes for scientists and engineers that uses calculus and vectors. Topics include: electrostatics: conductors and insulators,Coulomb’s Law, Gauss’s Law, electric field and potential, capacitance, energy storage in an electric field;electric current: current flow in materials, circuits with batteries, resistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes; magnetism and magnetic fields: magnetic forces on moving charges and current carrying conductors,magnetic fields produced by electric currents and moving charges, electric induction including Faraday’s Law,Lens’s Law, and induced electric fields, transformers; properties of electromagnetic waves: transmission,detection, reflection, refraction, polarization; Optics: images formed by plane mirrors, spherical mirrors, and thin lenses; Interference of light: Young’s Double Slit interference, Thin Film Interference, Diffraction by single and multiple slits. This course is paired with the laboratory course (PHYS 2057) for General Education and TAGs credit.

Requisites: (PHYS 2054 and 2055) OR PHYS 2051
Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS Arch: Natural World
General Education Code (students who entered prior to Fall 2021-22): 2NS
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to make use of scientific notation and SI units.
  • Students will be able to use calculus in their solutions to problems, where appropriate.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate appropriate methods of solving problems, provide all the steps necessary for their solutions, and cite the relevant physical principles.
  • Students will be able to test scientific hypothesis and theories.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving properties of electrically charged particles, and the electrical properties of insulators and conductors.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving the physics of electrostatics and to determine the electric force, and electric field due to a continuous charge distribution.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving Coulomb’s and Gauss’s laws of electrostatics.
  • Students will be able to apply Kirchhoff’s circuit laws to analyse the properties of simple circuits with batteries, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and diodes.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving the transient response of resistors, capacitors, and inductors.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving magnetic fields, and Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction,
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving energy stored in electric and magnetic fields.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving the reflection, refraction, and polarization of electromagntic waves and in particular visible light.
  • Students will be able to solve problems of geometric optics.
  • Students will be able to solve problems involving interference and diffraction of electromagnetic waves.


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