Electrostatics
PHYS 301 · Module 1
This module introduces electric charge, electric forces, electric fields, flux, Gauss's law, and electric potential. Students learn how vector fields and scalar potentials describe the influence of charges in space.
Lessons in this module
Coulomb's law and the electric force
Coulomb's law describes the force between electric charges. This lesson explains charge, inverse-square forces, superposition, and how electric forces compare with gravity.
The electric field
The electric field describes force per unit charge at each point in space. This lesson introduces field vectors, field lines, superposition, and fields from continuous charge distributions.
Gauss's law
Gauss's law relates electric flux through a closed surface to enclosed charge. This lesson develops electric flux, symmetry, Gaussian surfaces, and applications.
Electric potential and voltage
Electric potential is potential energy per unit charge. This lesson explains voltage, potential difference, work, equipotential surfaces, and the relationship between field and potential.
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