Electromagnetism Concepts and Principles

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and concepts from the lecture on electromagnetism.

Electric Field Strength (E)

The force per unit charge exerted on a positive test charge placed in the field, measured in volts per meter (V/m).

Electric Flux Density (D)

The electric field multiplied by the permittivity of the material: D = εE, measured in coulombs per square meter (C/m²).

Charge Density (ρ)

A measure of charge per unit volume, area, or length: Volume charge density (C/m³), Surface charge density (C/m²), Line charge density (C/m).

Permittivity (ε)

A measure of how easily a material can become polarized by an electric field; relevant in determining the electric displacement field (D).

Continuity Equation

An equation expressing the conservation of charge, connecting current density (J) and charge density (ρ) over a volume.

Gauss's Law

States that the electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the enclosed electric charge.

Coulomb's Law

The law describing the force between two charged objects, proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Displacement Current

A term added to Ampere's law to account for changing electric fields in the calculation of magnetic fields.

Maxwell's Equations

A set of four equations that describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields and their interactions.

Conduction Current Density (J)

The current density due to the movement of charge carriers (e.g., electrons) in a conductor, measured in amperes per square meter (A/m²).

Electric Field Due to Multiple Charges

The resultant electric field at a point is the vector sum of the electric fields due to each individual charge.

Magnetic Flux Density (B)

A measure of the strength and direction of a magnetic field, proportional to the magnetic field strength (H).