UY1: Electromagnetism
University Physics Year 1 electromagnetism module surface with current core sequence, current extension path, and legacy support/archive routes for induction and AC continuity.
Before you begin
UY1 electromagnetism trains method selection: when to use field symmetry, when to switch to potential-energy arguments and when circuit approximations are valid. Explain your assumptions before you calculate.
Be comfortable with: A-Level electric fields and current electricity, and the integrals in mathematics for undergraduate physics.
Learning goals
- Analyse capacitance, resistance, energy transfer, and transient circuit behaviour.
- Construct electric-field and potential models for discrete and continuous charge distributions.
- Analyse magnetic forces, induction, inductance, and alternating-current systems with consistent signs.
Lessons
Work through them in order.
- UY1: Capacitors And CapacitanceDefine capacitance and derive the parallel-plate formula from its geometry.
- UY1: Capacitors In Series And In ParallelDerive the equivalent capacitance of series and parallel combinations from charge and voltage.
- UY1: Energy Stored In CapacitorsDerive the energy a capacitor stores and the energy density of an electric field.
- UY1: Electric Field LinesDraw and read electric field lines as a map of field direction and strength.
- UY1: Electric field of a point chargeDerive the field of a point charge from Coulomb's law and add fields as vectors.
- UY1: Electric PotentialDefine electric potential and potential difference and compute them for point-charge systems.
- UY1: Electric Potential EnergyRelate electric work to potential energy in uniform fields and point-charge systems.
- UY1: Equipotential SurfacesExplain why equipotential surfaces are perpendicular to the field and why a conductor's surface is one.
- UY1: Potential GradientFind the electric field from the potential gradient, including its components.
- UY1: Gauss's Law (Simple Version)Define electric flux and state Gauss's law for a closed surface.
- UY1: Gauss's Law For ConductorsUse Gauss's law to show that charge sits on a conductor's surface and the field there is normal.
- UY1: Usage Of Gauss's LawApply Gauss's law to negative, zero and multiple enclosed charges.
- UY1: Using Gauss's Law For Common Charge DistributionsUse Gauss's law to find the fields of an infinite line, an infinite sheet and parallel plates.
- UY1: Resistance And ResistivityDistinguish resistance from resistivity, derive R = ρ L/A and account for temperature.
- UY1: Resistance Of A Cylindrical ResistorApply R = ρ L/A to cylindrical conductors and scale resistance with radius.
- UY1: RC CircuitsDerive the charging and discharging equations of an RC circuit and interpret its time constant.
- UY1: R-L CircuitDerive current growth and decay in an RL circuit and use its time constant.Supporting
- UY1: Electric Charge & Coulomb's LawApply Coulomb's law in vector form and superpose forces from several charges.
- UY1: Steps to solving problems involving Coulomb's LawFollow a step-by-step method for Coulomb-force problems, including vector addition and checks.Supporting
- UY1: Coulomb's Law To Gauss's LawDerive Gauss's law for a point charge from Coulomb's inverse-square field.
- UY1: Electric DipoleDefine dipole moment and derive the torque and potential energy of a dipole in a uniform field.
- UY1: Electric Field Of An Electric DipoleDerive the field of a dipole on its axis and bisector, exactly and far away.
- UY1: Electric Field Of Line Of ChargeIntegrate to find the field of a finite line of charge, using symmetry to cancel components.
- UY1: Electric Field Of Ring Of ChargeIntegrate to find the on-axis field of a charged ring and check its limits.
- Electric Field Of Two Oppositely Charged Infinite SheetsSuperpose sheet fields to find the field between and outside two oppositely charged sheets.
- UY1: Electric Field Of Uniformly Charged DiskSum ring contributions to find the on-axis field of a charged disk, with sheet and point limits.
- UY1: Electric Field And Potential Of Charged Conducting SphereFind the field and potential inside and outside a charged conducting sphere.
- UY1: Electric Field Of A Uniformly Charged SphereUse Gauss's law to find the field inside and outside a uniformly charged insulating sphere.
- UY1: Electric Potential Energy With Several Point ChargesCompute the potential energy of a multi-charge system by summing over pairs.
- UY1: Electric Potential Of A Ring Of ChargeDerive the on-axis potential of a charged ring and check it against the field.
- UY1: Electric Potential Of A Line Of ChargeDerive the potential of a finite line of charge and differentiate it to find the field.
- UY1: Electric Potential Of An Infinite Line ChargeExpress the potential of an infinite line charge from a reference radius and recover its field.
- UY1: Capacitance Of Spherical CapacitorDerive the capacitance of concentric spherical conductors and interpret its limits.
- UY1: Capacitance Of A Cylindrical CapacitorDerive the capacitance per unit length of a coaxial cylindrical capacitor with Gauss's law.
- UY1: Dielectrics In CapacitorsExplain how a dielectric changes capacitance, field, voltage and stored energy, with and without a battery.
- UY1: Energy Stored In Spherical CapacitorFind the energy of a spherical capacitor from its capacitance and by integrating field energy density.
- UY1: Transferring Charge And Energy Between CapacitorsSolve charge-sharing problems with charge conservation and account for the energy lost.
- UY1: Current, Drift Velocity And Current DensityRelate current, drift velocity and current density with consistent carrier signs.
- UY1: Electromotive Force & Power In CircuitsModel a real source by its e.m.f. and internal resistance, and find terminal voltage and power.
- UY1: Magnetic Field & Motion Of Charged Particles In Magnetic FieldsUse the magnetic Lorentz force to predict straight, circular and helical particle paths.
- UY1: Hall EffectDerive the Hall voltage and use it to find the sign and density of charge carriers.
- UY1: Magnetic Force On A Current Carrying ConductorCompute the magnetic force on straight wires and current elements in vector form.
- UY1: Force & Torque On Current Loop In Magnetic FieldShow that a uniform field exerts no net force but a torque τ = μ × B on a current loop.
- UY1: Magnetic Field Of A Current ElementApply the Biot–Savart law to find the magnetic field of a current element.
- UY1: Magnetic Field Of A Straight Current Carrying ConductorFind the magnetic field around a long straight wire and its direction.
- UY1: Magnetic Field Of A Circular Current LoopFind the magnetic field at the centre and on the axis of a circular current loop.
- UY1: Magnetic Field Of A Moving ChargeCalculate the magnetic field of a moving point charge using the cross product.
- UY1: Magnetic Field & Force Between Parallel ConductorsDerive the force per unit length between parallel currents and predict attraction or repulsion.
- UY1: Magnetic Force On A Curved ConductorFind the net magnetic force on a wire with straight and curved sections in a uniform field.
- UY1: Magnetic Field Lines & Magnetic FluxCalculate magnetic flux through a surface and apply Gauss's law for magnetism.
- UY1: Magnetic-Field Energy In InductorDerive the energy stored in an inductor and the energy density of a magnetic field.
- UY1: Electromagnetic Induction ExperimentsUse coil-and-magnet experiments to show that induction needs a changing magnetic flux.
- UY1: Phasors & Alternating CurrentsRepresent a.c. signals as phasors, combine them and compute r.m.s. values.
- UY1: Resistors, Inductors & Capacitors In A.C. CircuitsCompare resistors, inductors and capacitors in a.c. circuits by phase, reactance and average power.
- UY1: Electromagnetic Spectrum & Sinusoidal EM Plane WavesPlace radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum and describe a sinusoidal plane wave's fields.
- UY1: Energy & Momentum In Electromagnetic WavesCalculate energy density, the Poynting vector, intensity and radiation pressure of an electromagnetic wave.
- UY1: The electric field as a webBuild the idea of an electric field from the force on a test charge and superpose fields.
Practise and check
Recommended nextCheck what I know: Electromagnetism · University Physics Year 1
Topic reference
Induction, inductance and A.C. circuits
These pages continue the module into Ampère’s law, induction and A.C. circuits.
- Ampere’s Law — Magnetostatic circulation methods.
- Applications of Ampere’s Law — Solenoids/toroids.
- Displacement Current — Ampere-Maxwell closure.
- Faraday & Lenz — Induction sign discipline.
- Induced Electric Field — Non-conservative electric fields.
- Self-Inductance — Inductor dynamics.
- L-C Circuit — Oscillatory exchange dynamics.
- L-R-C Series Circuit — Damping-regime interpretation.
- L-R-C Series Circuit with A.C. — Resonance and phase response.
- Resonance & Power in A.C. Circuits — Power-factor/resonance analysis.
- Standing Electromagnetic Waves — Standing-field mode interpretation.