Introduction to a course on Classical Electrodynamics

Mainak Sengupta

EE, IIEST Shibpur,

Howrah, WB, India

August 23, 2021

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 Presentation Outline

Presentation Outline

• Introduction - Realms of Mechanics & fundamental forces

• Definition - What,Why, How of Electrodynamics
• Field formulation
• Dynamics
• The jingle spreads
• Charges - properties
• Implications and conclusions
• Exercises
• References

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 Introduction

Introduction -Realms of mechanics

Figure: The four realms of mechanics [1]

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 Introduction

Introduction -Fundamental forces

Classification of fundamental forces [1]:

1 Strong
2 Electromagnetic
3 Weak
4 Gravitational

Listed in decreasing magnitude of strength[1].

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 Introduction

Introduction -Unification of forces

• Electrodynamics in builds Electromagnetism plus Optics plus -

1 Electrostatics/Electric
2 Magnetostatics/ Magnetodynamics(?)
3 Optics
4 Weak(?) - Electroweak !!
.
• Other areas - trying to emulate framework unification.
• GUT possible?.

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 Definition

Electrodynamics - What?

Classical electromagnetism or classical electrodynamics is a branch of

theoretical physics that studies the interactions between electric
charges and currents using an extension of the classical Newtonian
model [17].

The theory provides a description of electromagnetic phenomena

whenever the relevant length scales and field strengths are large
enough that quantum mechanical effects are negligible[17].

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 Definition

Electrodynamics - What?

Classical electromagnetism or classical electrodynamics is a branch of

theoretical physics that studies the interactions between electric
charges and currents using an extension of the classical Newtonian
model [17].

The theory provides a description of electromagnetic phenomena

whenever the relevant length scales and field strengths are large
enough that quantum mechanical effects are negligible[17].

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 Definition

Field formulation - What?

1 q1 q2
F~Coulomb = r̂ (1)
4π0 r 2
= q2 ~E (2)

• One part ~E - produces the field .

• The other part q2 acted upon by ~E responds.

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 Definition

Field formulation - Why?

• Perspective view possible - micro-events on a point-to-point

of a large space need not be investigated.

• Action at a distance - successfully explained.

• Superposition - successfully applicable.

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 Definition

Dynamics

• Let us consider a function of two variables and its derivative.

f = f (x, t) (3)
∂f ∂f
df = dx + dt (4)
∂x ∂t
df ∂f dx ∂f
= + (5)
dt ∂x dt ∂t
• Two equally significant terms are thrown up - one involving space and
the other involving time derivative.

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 Definition

The jingle spreads

• Coulomb’s law.
• Biot-Savart’s law
Maxwell’s equations :
ρ
∇.~E = (6)
0
~
∂B
∇×~E = − (7)
∂t
~
∇.B = 0 (8)

∂ ~E 
~
∇×B = µ0 ~J + 0 (9)
∂t

.... sets off the unstoppable jingle or rather explains it.

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 Definition

Charges - properties

• Polarities - only two possible

• Quantised - smallest unit - charge on electron or some fraction of it -

but discretised.

• Conserved - both locally and globally

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 Conclusions

Conclusions
• Electromagnetic force - is an omnipotent and omnipresent
fundamental force of nature.
• Electrodynamics - behind most phenomena of nature.
• Electrodynamics - utilised in Electrical Engineering apparatus.
• Field formulation - segregates force production mechanism and the
response to it.
• Field formulation - successfully explains action at a distance.
• Field formulation - permits superposition.
• Conceptually 2 charges and their dynamics are sufficient to set off the
magic electrodynamics
• Basics to be covered in this course relate mostly to applications of
conduction currents.
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 Exercises

Exercises

1 Evaluate the ration between the electrostatic repulsion and

gravitational attraction between two electrons just touching each
other. Realities of wave-particle duality may be neglected. Hint:
Assume the masses and charges to be concentrated at the geometric
centre of the electrons and take the distance between the centres as
equal to double the radius of electron. Use your high school basics.
2 Can you try to establish in more clear logical steps to explain how the
”electromagnetic jungle spreads”.

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 Conclusions

Acknowledgements

• Late Prof. K. V. Ratnam- my M.Tech and Ph. D Supervisor and my

GURU.
• Prof. T. K. Bhattacharya - my Ph. D co-Supervisor,
• My teachers at all levels.
• All students, particularly at the my PG & R level and colleagues at
IIEST, Shibpur.
• My entire family for the continued support!
• Prof. G. P Sastry for sustaining & furthering my interest in Physics!
• Most importantly - all of you, in this course.

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 References

References I

David J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th ed.,2017,

Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, India, ISBN-13:
978-1108420419 & ISBN-10: 1108420419.
John C. Slater and Nathaniel H. Frank, Electromagnetism, 2015,
Dover Publications USA, ISBN-10: 0486622630 & ISBN-13:
978-0486622637.
John David Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, 3rd Ed., 2007, Wiley,
ISBN-10: 9788126510948 & ISBN-13: 978-8126510948.
Matthew N.O. Sadiku, Principles of Electromagnetics, 4th
ed.,Student Edition, 2009, Oxford Intnatl., ISBN-10: 019806229X &
ISBN-13: 978-0198099154.

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 References

References II

Joseph A. Edminister, Outlines of Electromagnetics, 4th ed.,2013,

Schaums Series, McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN-10: 0071831479 &
ISBN-13: 978-0071831475.
John R. Reitz, Frederick J. Milford and Robert W. Christy,
Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory, 4th ed.,2008,
Addison-Wesley, ISBN-10: 0321581741 & ISBN-13: 978-0321581747.
John D. Ryder, Networks, lines and Fields, 2nd ed.,2015, Pearson
Education, India, ISBN 10: 9789332559516 & ISBN-13:
978-9332559516.
Robert M. Fano, Lan Jen Chu and Richard B. Adler, Electromagnetic
Fields, Energy, and Forces, 2020, MIT Press, ISBN: 9780262561709.

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 References

References III

Robert M. Fano, Lan Jen Chu and Richard B. Adler, Electromagnetic

Energy Transmission and Radiation, 2020, MIT Press, ISBN:
9780262511407.
Jordan and Balmain, Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating Systems,
2nd ed.,1964, Prentice Hall India, ISBN-10: 8120300548 & ISBN-13:
978-8120300545.
Richard P. Feynmann, R.B. Leighton and M. Sands, The Feynmann
Lectures on Physics, The Millenium ed.,12013, Dorling Kindersley
(India) Pvt. Ltd., ISBN-10: & ISBN-13: .
Erwin Kreyszig, Advanced Engg. mathematics, 5th ed.,1996, John
Wiley & sons, 1983, New Age(India) Pvt. Ltd. reprint 1996,
ISBN-81-224-0016-7.

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 References

References IV

George Arfken, Mathematical Methods for Physicists, 1st ed.,1966,

Academic Press, Library of Congress Catalog No. 65-27740.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong interaction
https://profmattstrassler.com/articles-and-posts/particle-physics-
basics/the-known-forces-of-nature/the-strength-of-the-known-forces/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak interaction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical electromagnetism

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 QA

Questions please?

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