3P35 Definitions

PHYS3P35 Electromagnetism Chapters 1 & 2

position vector

position vector

the vector from a point in space to the origin (r vector)

r hat vector

unit vector pointing radially outward (write __ vector)

dl vector

vector from a point in space to a very small increment in space (variable vector)

source point

point where electric charge is located (___ point)

r prime vector

the vector from the origin to the point where electric charge is located (___ vector)

field point

point where you are calculating the electric (or magnetic) field (___ point)

r vector

the vector from the origin to the point where you are calculating the electric (or magnetic) field (__ vector)

separation vector

vector from the source point to the field point (word vector)

curly r vector

vector from the source point to the field point (variable vector)

stationary point

point where the gradient of a function is zero

the gradient

del when applied to a scalar function (the __)

the divergence

del when dotted with a vector function (the __)

the curl

del when crossed with a vector function (the __)

conservative force

force that does not depend on the path taken (__ force)

infinitesimal displacement vector

vector from a point in space to a very small increment in space (name vector)

Gradient Theorem

theorem that relates a 1D path integral to a difference of the function at the boundaries

Divergence Theorem

theorem that relates a 3D volume integral to a 2D surface integral

Stokes’ Theorem

theorem that relates a 2D surface integral to a 1D path integral

r

(in spherical coordinates): the distance from the origin to the point

theta

(in spherical coordinates): the angle down from the z-axis to the point

polar angle

(in spherical coordinates): the angle down from the z-axis to the point (__ angle)

azimuthal angle

(in spherical coordinates): the angle from the x-axis to the point (__ angle)

phi

(in spherical coordinates): the angle from the x-axis to the point

radial length

(in spherical coordinates): the distance from the origin to the point (__ length)

zero to infinity

general range of r in spherical coordinates (write in words)

zero to pi

range of theta in spherical coordinates (write in words)

zero to two pi

range of phi in spherical coordinates (write in words)

phi

(in cylindrical coordinates): the angle from the x-axis to the point

z

(in cylindrical coordinates): the distance along the z-axis

s

(in cylindrical coordinates): the distance from the point to the z-axis

zero to infinity

range of s in cylindrical coordinates (write in words)

zero to two pi

range of phi in cylindrical coordinates (write in words)

negative infinity to infinity

range of z in cylindrical coordinates (write in words)

principle of superposition

the interaction between any two charges is completely unaffected by the presence of others

electrostatics

special case where the source charges are stationary, though the test charge can be moving

lambda

charge per unit length variable

sigma

charge per unit area variable

tau

charge per unit volume variable