Electricity, Magnetism, and Thermodynamics

Oberlin College Physics 111

Spring 2008

This World Wide Web page written by Dan Styer, Oberlin College Department of Physics and Astronomy;
http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/P111/;
last updated 21 May 2008.

Technical note: To access the links marked (PDF) you must first download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software.

Teachers: Lectures: Dan Styer; Laboratories: Bruce Richards.

Course syllabus

Problem assignments

Hints for doing well in the course

I recommend that you first do the readings, then attend the lectures, and then work on the problem assignments. More tips can be found in Study Tips for Introductory Physics Students, but I cannot emphasize too strongly that I expect you to do the reading.

Information about physics problems is available through:

Links and handouts

Additional problems (PDF)

Electric potential energy (PDF)

Conductors in electrostatic equilibrium (PDF)

Magnetic field due to a single moving point charge (PDF)

The LC circuit (PDF)

RC circuit; slow changes (PDF)

RC circuit; fast changes (PDF)

Concusions concerning RC circuits from our qualitative discussion (PDF)

Solution of the RC cirucit differential equation (PDF)

The LCR cirucit (PDF)

A changing magnetic field makes an electric field. A changing electric field makes a magnetic field. (PDF)

Polarization of light (PDF)

Humans can't, but bees can visually detect polarized light.

Comparison of alcohol and mercury thermometers by the Swiss scientist Jean-Andre De Luc to test for comparability. (That is, for consistency of measurments by several thermometers of the same type.) Figure from Hasok Chang, Inventing Temperature (Oxford University Press, 2004).

Gas thermometry (PDF)