Electric Field Continuity Across a Boundary

Highlights of the activity

1. This small group activity is designed to help students apply Maxwell's equations to determine the continuity conditions for the electric field across a charged surface.
2. Students apply the integral forms of Maxwell's Equations to find the continuity (and discontinuity) conditions of the electric field (either the perpendicular or parallel component) as a it crosses a charged surface.
3. The wrap-up discussion focuses on the coordinate system (naming the thing you don't know), as well as how to choose and use Gaussian surfaces and Amperian loops appropriately.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

Knowing how electromagnetic fields change across boundaries is a common main goal in undergraduate E&M sequences. This activity is a good introduction to thinking about boundary conditions in E&M. This activity also demonstrates the power of the differential version of Maxwell's equations and raises issues surrounding how to choose Gaussian surfaces and Amperian loops.

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version

Student Handouts

vfeboundhand.pdf

vfeboundhand.tex