==== Course Overview ====

The Static Fields Paradigm uses the contexts of electrostatics and magnetostatics to teach a variety of fundamental physics principles.

==== Course Goals ====

These are the combined goals from the Symmetries and Vector Fields 3-week Paradigms

  - For students to develop **conceptual and geometric understandings of gravitational and electrostatic potentials and fields**, including geometric understanding of vector and scalar fields.
  - For students to **compute potentials and fields from distributions of sources**, to calculate **fields from potentials**, and to calculate **changes in potential from a field** using vector calculus.
  - For students to be able to move between **algebraic and diagrammatic representations** of these fields, including the use of computer visualization tools (//e.g.,// Mathematica).
  - For students to learn how to calculate potentials and fields due to both **discrete and continuous distributions**, and to be able to handle non-uniform densities.
  - For students to consider **symmetry** in making calculations and as part of sense-making activities.
  - To develop the **mathematical tools** needed to make these computations, including vector algebra, dot products, cross products, gradient, line integrals, and **power series expansions** (especially using power series expansions to make approximations).
  - For students to develop skills for **communicating** their physics ideas with verbal and mathematical language (group work, class presentations, writing assignments).
  * For students to build **conceptual and geometric understanding of current density, magnetic field, and magnetic vector potential** and a formal understanding of the relationships between them (using vector calculus)
  * For students to understand **divergence and curl** - formally and geometrically - and the **Divergence Theorem and Stoke's Theorem** formally and geometrically
  * To derive the **differential form of Maxwell's equations** from the integral form and for students to have link their conceptual understanding with the formalism of Maxwell's equations
  * For students to understand **Gauss' Law and Ampere's Law** and how to make explicit **symmetry arguments**.
  * For students to understand the continuity of electric and magnetic fields **across charge/current boundaries**.
  * For students to understand how **energy** is stored in electric and magnetic fields, and be able to calculate the energy from sources, fields and potentials.
  * For students to come to understand that **sources, fields, and potentials** are different constructs that address the same phenomena, but are useful in different ways.

==== Sample Syllabus ====

  * [[http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/syllabus/ph422|Most recent syllabus]]

===== Course Content =====

{{page>..:order20:vforder20}}

==== Activities Included ====