The Energy of Physics Part II: Electricity and Magnetism

The Energy of Physics Part II: Electricity and Magnetism steps away from the traditional chronological organization of material and instead groups similar topics together, thus enabling students to better understand potentials and fields and the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

In the first section of the text, the concepts of potential and field are introduced in the context of gravitational, electric, and magnetic interactions. The second section discusses how electric and magnetic interactions influence each other as well as the electric and magnetic properties of material. The final section focuses on applications of electric and magnetic interactions to electric circuits and optics. Appendices provide additional support in applied mathematics, derivations of key equations, further discussion of select examples, and more that students can refer to throughout the book.

Written for the second semester of a two-semester, calculus-based physics curriculum The Energy of Physics, Part II builds on the energy-based approach to classical mechanics presented in Part I and has the similar goal of helping students develop their applied mathematics skills. The book can be used in any calculus-based introductory electricity and magnetism course, and is particularly suited to classes in the physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics.
Christopher J. Fischer holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. An associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Dr. Fischer also serves as associate chair and director of undergraduate studies. He has been extensively involved in curriculum development, including the redesign of the university's introductory calculus-based sequence. Dr. Fischer's research focuses on biophysics with an emphasis on understanding the function of molecular motors, particularly those that manipulate DNA structure.