Physics 100:Electric Force, Fields, Potential and Capacitors from Udemy

This comprehensive course covers Coulomb's Law, Electric Field, Gauss's Law, Capacitors, Electrical Potential and Electrical Potential Energy

The course combines lectures that summarize the important concepts and tutorials that will guide you and help you develop a problem solving strategy.

Topics include in this class are:

1) Charging Objects by Conduction and Induction

2) Coulomb's Law

3) Electric Field: Point Charges, Electric Dipoles, and Parallel Plates

4) Electrical Potential and Electrical Potential Energy

5) Electric Flux and Gauss's Law

6) Capacitors

7) Dielectrics

There are over 60 fully solved problems ranging in difficulty. I've mixed in many conceptual problems as well as algebraic problems to help you practice applying energy principles to solve problems.

If at any point you don't understand something in my videos please feel free to reach out. I'm always willing to help someone learn. Physics Ninja always has your back.

Happy Learning

Dr. E.,

Physics Ninja and Expert Physics and Math Teacher.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to solve problems using coulomb's law
How to find the electric field from point charges and charged plates
How to find the electric field using gauss's law

How to find the electrical potential and the potential energy
How to solve problems involving capacitors and capacitors with dielectrics

How to solve problems using coulomb's law
How to find the electric field from point charges and charged plates
How to find the electric field using gauss's law
How to find the electrical potential and the potential energy
How to solve problems involving capacitors and capacitors with dielectrics

Syllabus

Introduction

Introduction to Forces Between Charges

The Atom

Elementary Charge

Here we apply Coulomb's law to find the Net Force on a point charge.

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what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers Coulomb's Law, electric fields, Gauss's Law, capacitors, electrical potential, and electrical potential energy, which are fundamental concepts in introductory physics courses

Combines lectures summarizing important concepts with tutorials guiding problem-solving strategies, which is helpful for students who learn best through a combination of theory and practice

Includes over 60 fully solved problems ranging in difficulty, providing ample opportunity for students to practice and reinforce their understanding of the concepts

Mixes conceptual and algebraic problems to help learners apply energy principles, which is useful for developing a deeper understanding of the material

Explores electric fields produced by charged plates, which is a core topic for those studying electrical engineering and related fields

Includes quizzes on induction, Coulomb's Law, and electric fields, which allows learners to test their knowledge and understanding of key concepts

Reviews summary

Strong physics fundamentals and problem solving

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive experience for mastering fundamental physics concepts related to electricity and magnetism. Students particularly praise the instructor, known as Dr. E or Physics Ninja, for his clarity and engaging teaching style, which helps make complex topics understandable. The course stands out for its abundance of solved problems and tutorials, which many reviewers found invaluable for developing problem-solving skills and building confidence. While the course provides a solid foundation, a few students noted that the pace can feel fast at times and it may be most beneficial for those with a decent math background or as a supplement rather than a complete introduction for beginners.

Course provides a strong basis in the subject.

"This course provides a solid foundation in the topics covered."

"Perfect course for understanding electrostatics from scratch."

"A well-structured course. It covers the fundamentals effectively."

Many solved problems and tutorials are highly valued.

"The lectures are concise and the problem-solving examples are incredibly helpful."

"I particularly appreciated the large number of worked examples."

"Excellent problem-solving tutorials! The course title is accurate - it covers all the stated topics thoroughly with plenty of examples."

"The number of solved problems is impressive."

Instructor is praised for clear and effective teaching.

"Dr. E (Physics Ninja) does an excellent job of explaining the concepts clearly and breaking down complex problems into manageable steps."

"The instructor is knowledgeable and enthusiastic."

"Fantastic course! The explanations of electric fields and potentials were the clearest I've ever encountered."

"Dr. E is simply the best! He explains difficult concepts in an understandable way."

Conceptual explanations are sometimes seen as too brief.

"...the conceptual explanations were sometimes too brief for me. I had to supplement with my textbook for deeper understanding..."

Some find the pace fast or require math background.

"Sometimes the pace felt a little fast, especially in the later sections..."

"I struggled a bit with the speed. It feels like it assumes you have a very strong math background already."

"Some sections felt a bit rushed..."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Physics 100:Electric Force, Fields, Potential and Capacitors with these activities:

Review Basic Algebra and Trigonometry

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Reinforce your understanding of algebra and trigonometry, as these are essential mathematical tools used throughout the course for solving physics problems.

Browse courses on Trigonometry

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Review trigonometric functions (sine, cosine, tangent) and their properties.
Practice solving algebraic equations and manipulating formulas.
Work through example problems involving vectors and coordinate systems.

Read 'University Physics' (Young & Freedman)

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Supplement the course material with a comprehensive physics textbook to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the concepts.

View UNIVERSITY PHYSICS WITH MODERN PHYSICS on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to electric forces, fields, potential, and capacitance.
Work through the example problems in the textbook.
Attempt the end-of-chapter problems for additional practice.

Solve Coulomb's Law Problems

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Reinforce your understanding of Coulomb's Law by solving a variety of problems involving electric forces between point charges.

Browse courses on Coulomb's Law

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Find practice problems online or in a textbook.
Solve problems with varying charge magnitudes and distances.
Check your answers and review the solutions to understand any mistakes.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Tutor a Peer in Electric Fields

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Reinforce your understanding of electric fields by explaining the concepts to a peer who is struggling with the material.

Browse courses on Electric Field

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Offer to help a classmate who is having difficulty with electric fields.
Explain the concepts in your own words, using examples and diagrams.
Answer their questions and help them work through practice problems.

Create Electric Field Visualization

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Solidify your understanding of electric fields by creating a visual representation of the electric field lines for different charge configurations.

Browse courses on Electric Field

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Choose a charge configuration (e.g., dipole, point charge, parallel plates).
Use a software tool (e.g., Python with Matplotlib, online field visualizer) or draw by hand to create the field lines.
Explain the relationship between the charge configuration and the resulting electric field lines.

Build a Simple Capacitor

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Gain hands-on experience with capacitors by building a simple parallel-plate capacitor and measuring its capacitance.

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Gather materials: two metal plates, a dielectric material (e.g., plastic sheet), multimeter with capacitance measurement.
Assemble the capacitor by placing the dielectric between the plates.
Measure the capacitance using the multimeter.
Vary the plate separation or dielectric material and observe the effect on capacitance.

Read 'Electricity and Magnetism' (Purcell & Morin)

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Deepen your understanding of electromagnetism with a more advanced textbook that emphasizes physical intuition.

View Electricity and Magnetism on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to electrostatics and capacitance.
Focus on the conceptual explanations and derivations.
Attempt the more challenging problems in the book.

Career center

Learners who complete Physics 100:Electric Force, Fields, Potential and Capacitors will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Electrical Engineer

An Electrical Engineer designs and develops electrical systems and components, often working with circuits, power generation, and distribution. This course is crucial for an aspiring electrical engineer as it lays the foundation for understanding the fundamental principles of electromagnetism. The course topics, including Coulomb's Law, electric fields, electrical potential, and capacitors, form a core part of the knowledge necessary to design effective circuits and electrical systems. An electrical engineer should be familiar with solving problems using the theory taught in this course and be prepared to use these principles in real-world scenarios. The course will be helpful because it will help build a foundation for understanding electric forces, fields, and how these forces are used in electrical engineering applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer

Physics Teacher

A Physics Teacher educates students in the fundamental principles of physics, including electromagnetism. This course helps a prospective physics teacher by providing a strong base in the core concepts of electrostatics, which are essential for teaching. The course covers topics such as Coulomb's Law, electric fields, Gauss's Law, electrical potential, and capacitors, and gives a practical approach to problem-solving related to these topics. Understanding these principles, and having a deeper insight into the subject matter, will help future teachers guide students through complex physics concepts. A physics teacher benefits from this course by solidifying their understanding, allowing them to present the material with clarity, while also addressing student questions and misconceptions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Physics Teacher

Research Scientist (Physics)

A Research Scientist in Physics investigates fundamental principles of the universe, often focusing on specific areas like electromagnetism. This course may be useful to a research scientist as it provides a thorough understanding of electrostatics, which is a foundational component in many areas of physics research. This course will be helpful for anyone entering the field of physics. It covers Coulomb's Law, electric fields, Gauss's Law, electrical potential, and capacitors, all of which are essential for understanding more complex phenomena involving electromagnetism. A research scientist will likely be interested in the problem-solving strategies introduced in this course, as it will help them tackle advanced research questions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research Scientist (Physics)

Electronics Technician

An Electronics Technician assists in the design, development, and testing of electronic equipment. This course is relevant to an electronics technician because it covers the fundamental principles of electricity and electromagnetism that are used in circuit design. The course's material on Coulomb's Law, electric fields, and capacitors can be helpful for technicians working with electronic circuits and components. An electronics technician will need to be familiar with the behavior of these systems. This course helps build a valuable understanding of the underlying physics. The hands-on approach to solving problems will benefit those who wish to enter the field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronics Technician

Robotics Engineer

A Robotics Engineer designs, builds, and tests robots and automated systems. This course may be useful because it will help them when working on sensor and actuator design that rely on electromagnetic principles. This course helps provide an understanding of electric fields, potential, and capacitors, all of which are relevant to many robotics applications. The course's focus on problem-solving and energy principles can allow a robotics engineer to better approach complex problems they face in their field. A robotics engineer may benefit from a deeper understanding of the physics learned in this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

High School Science Teacher

A High School Science Teacher educates students in various areas of science, including physics and electromagnetism, making this course useful to them. The course is helpful as it provides a detailed review of Coulomb's Law, electric fields, electrical potential, and capacitors. A teacher will benefit from reviewing the material in this course and being able to present these topics with clarity and precision to their students. The problem-solving approach in the course, particularly the conceptual and algebraic problems, will help a teacher when preparing lesson plans and addressing student questions on electromagnetism.

See salaries and explore the career path for High School Science Teacher

Aerospace Engineer

An Aerospace Engineer designs, develops, and tests aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems. This role benefits from a background in physics and engineering principles, and this course is helpful to those in this field. It can provide a crucial grounding in the principles of electromagnetism, which are essential for understanding various aerospace applications, such as avionics and satellite technologies. The course's coverage of electric fields, electrical potential, and capacitors allows an aerospace engineer to appreciate the electrical and electronic systems they work on. Practical problem-solving skills, will help in addressing complex issues.

See salaries and explore the career path for Aerospace Engineer

Materials Scientist

A Materials Scientist researches and develops new materials and improves existing ones, requiring a strong grasp of physics. This course may be useful to someone in this role because it provides a foundational understanding of electric fields and forces. The course covers topics like Coulomb's Law, electric fields, electrical potential, and capacitors, all of which may be useful in understanding how materials interact with electric forces. A materials scientist can benefit from this course's emphasis on problem-solving and mathematical relationships between electric fields and potential, which will help in solving challenges involving new materials.

See salaries and explore the career path for Materials Scientist

Renewable Energy Engineer

A Renewable Energy Engineer works on designing and developing renewable energy technology, which may include solar or wind energy. This course may be useful for a professional in this role because many renewable energy systems utilize electromagnetic principles. Concepts such as electric forces, electrical potential, and capacitors are useful to understanding the underlying physics of many systems. The course's problem-solving approach will allow the engineer to better understand how to approach new design challenges. The course may help build an understanding of the relevant physics behind many components of renewable energy systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Renewable Energy Engineer

Optics Engineer

An Optics Engineer designs optical systems and tools. This role can be benefited by a fundamental understanding of electromagnetism. This course may be useful because it covers the basics in electrostatics and provides a framework for understanding electromagnetic phenomena. The topics discussed in this course, including electric fields and potential, are important for understanding the behavior of light and its interaction with materials. The problem-solving approach taught in this course can help an optics engineer better explore more advanced topics in their field. This course will help build a foundation in electrostatics for an optics engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Optics Engineer

Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs and develops software applications and systems. While this role is not traditionally associated with physics, having a background in the principles of physics, particularly in electromagnetism, may be helpful. Concepts from the course, like electric fields and potentials, could be useful in simulations or graphical rendering environments. A software engineer may find that this course helps refine their problem solving skills and broaden their technical understanding. Although physics is not directly involved in most software engineering, a deeper understanding of electromagnetism may assist in areas that require simulation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Biomedical Engineer

A Biomedical Engineer applies engineering principles to solve medical and healthcare problems. This course may be useful because the field of biomedical engineering encounters many aspects of electrostatics. Understanding how electric fields and forces work will be useful to understanding the physics behind medical devices. This course may help build a foundation in electrical principles. The course's problem-solving approach will allow a biomedical engineer to approach any new challenges they may face in their field. While the topics are not directly applicable, they may still be helpful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Biomedical Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

A Mechanical Engineer designs, develops, and tests mechanical devices and systems. While this course is not specifically in their area of study, familiarity with fundamental physics concepts like electrostatics can be helpful. A mechanical engineer may find the course helpful as they may encounter situations where mechanical systems and electrical components interact. The problem-solving approach taught in this course could also be useful in approaching new challenges in the field. The course covers the electrical concepts and principles and may be useful for a mechanical engineer who has reason or interest to learn about them.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mechanical Engineer

Data Scientist

A Data Scientist analyzes and interprets complex data to inform decision-making using statistics and other techniques, making this course not immediately relevant. This course may still be useful as it allows the professional to develop an understanding of modeling and problem-solving in another context. By engaging with the mathematical relationships in the course, including those for electric fields and potentials, a data scientist can hone their analytical skills. The problem-solving strategies taught through the numerous examples and quizzes will allow a data scientist to learn from a different problem-solving domain. While not directly applicable, the course may help build a well rounded approach to problem solving.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Financial Analyst

A Financial Analyst analyzes financial data, prepares reports, and advises on investment strategies. This course is not directly relevant to the field of finance and may not be of use. The course focuses on electrostatics and developing problem-solving skills within that context, which is not applicable in the field of finance. The course materials cover topics such as Coulomb's Law, electric fields, and capacitors, which are not related to the daily tasks of a financial analyst. While it may be useful to become a more well rounded professional, this course is not recommended for a financial analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Physics 100:Electric Force, Fields, Potential and Capacitors.

Sears and Zemansky's University Physics

Save

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of introductory physics, including mechanics, electromagnetism, and optics. It standard textbook used in many university-level physics courses. Reading relevant chapters before or during the course can provide a deeper understanding of the concepts. It is particularly helpful for students who need a more detailed explanation of the underlying principles.

UNIVERSITY PHYSICS WITH MODERN PHYSICS

Paperback

$$$

Electricity and Magnetism

Save

Offers a more advanced and insightful treatment of electricity and magnetism. It is known for its clear explanations and emphasis on physical intuition. Reading this book after the course can provide a deeper understanding of the subject and prepare you for more advanced studies. It is particularly helpful for students who want to develop a strong conceptual understanding of electromagnetism.

Electricity and Magnetism

Hardcover

$$$

Electricity and Magnetism

Kindle Edition

$$$