Department of Physics

PHY 204: Elementary Physics II

Course Information

Please note that exact details of the course can vary

An honors version of this course is also offered by the Physics Department (PHY 204H).

Professor:  Dr. Gerhard Muller, Dr. Robert Coyne,

Please note that one of the professors might not be teaching this course in the current semester. Please check eCampus to find out which professor is in charge for the current semester before contacting anyone above

Semester: Spring/Fall every year
Credits: 3+1 (PHY204/PHY274)
Prerequisites: PHY 203; credit or concurrent enrollment in MTH 142; and concurrent enrollment in PHY 274 (Recitation and Laboratory).

Catalog Description: Introduction to electricity and magnetism, leading to Maxwell’s equations. Electric fields and Gauss’ law; magnetic fields and Ampere’s law. Capacitance and inductance, DC and AC circuits. Electromagnetic waves.

Course Goals ( PHY204/274)

• Develop a conceptual and quantitative understanding
  • (a) of electric and magnetic fields and there
    effects on charges and currents,
  • (b) of electric and magnetic fluxes through open and closed
    surfaces,
  • (c) of the relationship between electric potentials, potential energies, and fields,
  • (d) of electric energy stored in capacitors, magnetic energy stored in inductors, and energy dissipated in
    resistors.
• Develop skills necessary to analyze simple circuits containing sourses of emf (dc or ac), capacitors,
  inducors, and resistors.
• Develop a conceptual and quantitative understanding of Maxwell’s equations and an appreciation
  of the wealth of applications in modern life.
• Develop a conceptual and quantitative understanding of electromagnetic waves and its diverse
  manifestations from from radio waves to light to X-rays and beyond.
• Develop an incipient appreciation of the theory of relativity and its implications regarding the
  structure of spacetime.

Learning  Outcomes( PHY204/274)

Upon completion, successful students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts 1. of electricity and magnetism.
• Demonstrate the ability to successfully apply conceptual understanding to specific problems.
• Demonstrate problem-solving skills through the mathematical analysis of such problems.
• Demonstrate the ability to carrry out experiments using the lab setups provided, and to process,
  analyze, and interpret data.

Course Description

This course meets 3 times per week for lecture, once per week for lab (two hours) and recitation (one hour).  Separate enrollment in each is required.
Topics covered in this course include:

• Charge distributions and electric field
• Gauss’s law for the electric field
• Electric potential
• Capacitance and capacitor circuits
• Electric current and direct-current circuits
• Effects of the magnetic field: forces and torques
• Sources of the magnetic field: moving charges, currents, spins
• Ampere’s law and the law of Biot and Savart
• Faraday’s law and magnetic induction
• Alternating-current circuits
• Maxwell’s equations and electromagnetic waves

General education areas:

This course satisfies URI’s general education areas: “Scientific, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical Disciplines” (Full); and “Mathematical, Statistical, or Computational Strategies” (Partial).

Contact Information:

Please check eCampus for the professor in charge for the current semester before attempting to contact anyone below.Your inquires may be unanswered or delayed if  not sent  to the correct person.

Dr. Gerhard Muller

Dr. Robert Coyne

LEC: (3 crs.) Introduction to electricity and magnetism, leading to Maxwell’s equations. Electric fields and Gauss’ law; magnetic fields and Ampere’s law. Capacitance and inductance, DC and AC circuits. Electromagnetic waves. (Lec. 3) Pre: PHY 203, credit or concurrent enrollment in MTH 142, and concurrent enrollment in PHY 274. Intended for science or engineering majors. (N)