Physics 236 Topic Checklist
Unit 1
At the end of each chapter make sure that you are familiar with all the listed topics and most importantly that you can do the homework problems associated with them.
Chapter 23 Electric Fields The fundamental force laws for electric charges.
q Types of Charge Positive and negative.
q Fundamental Particles Proton, neutron, electron.
q Unit of Charge Coulomb (C)
q Fundamental Quantum of Charge e = 1.60 x 10-19 C
q Attraction and Repulsion depend on the signs of the charges.
q Coulomb’s Law Force law for electric charges:
q Vector Force Problems Components, unit vectors, magnitude and direction.
q Electric Field is created in the surrounding space by electric charges:
q Vector Field Problems Components, magnitude and direction.
q Discreet and Continuous Distributions of Charge. Charge Density
q Electric Field Lines begin on positive and end on negative charges.
q Acceleration Problems Use Newton’s Laws with electric forces.
Chapter 24 Gauss’s Law is an alternative way of describing the electric field.
q Electric Flux is the number of electric field lines passing through a surface:
q Gauss’s Law The flux through a closed surface is proportional to the net charge enclosed by the surface:
q Apply Gauss’s Law to Symmetrical Charge Distributions Spheres, sheets and cylinders of charge are particularly accessible to analysis by Gauss’s law.
q Properties of the Electric Field Inside and Near Charged Conductors
o The electric field is zero everywhere inside the conductor.
o Just outside the surface the field is perpendicular to the surface: E = s/e0.
o All the charge resides on the surface.
Chapter 25 Electric Energy and Potential This chapter deals with the energy relationships involving charged objects and introduces the important concept of electric potential or voltage.
q Electrical Potential Energy changes when charged particles move in an electric
field:
q Electric Potential at a point is the potential energy per unit charge at the point:
q Potential Difference between Two Points:
q Units
o Unit of potential energy = joule (J)
o Unit of potential = volt = joule/coulomb (v =J/C)
q Uniform Fields
q Potential of a Point Charge
q Potential of a Distribution of Point Charges
q Potential Energy of a Distribution of Point Charges
q Potential of a Continuous Distribution of Charges
q Charged Conductors The potential is the same everywhere inside.
q Equipotential Surfaces
q Electric Field in Terms of the Potential
Chapter 26: Capacitance and Dielectrics Capacitors are electronic devices used for short term storage of charge.
q Definition of Capacitance:
q Parallel Plate Capacitor
q Series and Parallel Combinations
o Capacitors in series have the same charge.
o Capacitors in parallel have the same voltage.
q Stored Energy
q Effect of Dielectrics Increase the capacitance. Dielectric constant.
q Atomic Model of Dielectrics Polarization, induced charge.
