AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The target of the module is to provide basic notions of electromagnetism and to enable students to understand and be able to evaluate the electromagnetic aspects that determine the behaviour the simplest electrical components and circuits.
At the end of the course, the students will be able to:
1. explain the most important phenomena of electrostatics and magnetostatics
2. explain the fundamental concepts underlying the operation of electrical components
3. solve simple problems of electrostatics and magnetostatics
4. solve simple problems concerning the operation of electrical components

TEACHING METHODS

Lessons and exercises are carried out in the classroom by the teacher.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. Electric charge, quantization, its negligibility and continuous models. Electric charge density. Law of conservation of electric charge. Electric charge and matter. Coulomb's law. (2 h; tot. 2 h)
2. Static electric field. Lines of force. Fundamental laws of electrostatics. Calculation of the electric field in simple cases. Superposition principle, electric potential, energy of systems of electric charges. A few considerations on the energy density associated with the electric field. Links with circuit theory. (8 h; tot. 10 h)
3. Conductors, insulators and their properties. Capacitors. (5 h; tot. 15 h)
4. Electric current. Current intensity. Electric current density. Relations between i and j. Resistivity and conductivity. A few considerations on microscopic phenomena and on the Joule effect. Circuits and connections with the theory of circuits. (6 h; tot. 21 h)
5. Lorentz force and definition of the magnetic induction field. Notes on other possible forces acting on electric charges. Outline of forces acting on currents immersed in a magnetic field. Fundamental laws of magnetostatics. Calculation of the magnetic induction field in simple cases. (4 h; tot. 25 h)
6. Magnetic induction flux through a closed surface and concatenated with a closed line. Electromagnetic induction. Self and mutual induction. Inductors. (5 h; tot. 30 h)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Didactic material prepared by the teacher.

S. Bobbio, E. Gatti, Elementi di elettromagnetismo, Bollati Boringhieri, 1991.
D. Pescetti, Elettromagnetismo, Piccin, 1985.
J. Walker, D. Halliday, R. Resnick, Fundamentals of physics, Wiley, 10th edition, 2014.