ID:
501985
Duration (hours):
60
CFU:
6
SSD:
FISICA SPERIMENTALE
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 05/06/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The goal of the course is to provide basic knowledge of electromagnetism, starting from experimental observation and/or from theoretical derivation in order to achieve the formulation of physical laws. Starting from Maxwell equations (which are discussed at the end of Electromagnetism I course), students will acquire knowledge and abilities on various aspects of electromagnetic waves and optics, including e.m. waves in vacuum and in isotropic and anisotropic media, radiation, polarization, reflection and refraction, geometrical and physical optics, interference and diffraction.
From this and previous general courses in Physics, students will acquire comprehension of natural phenomena related to electromagnetic waves and optics, also by familiarizing with orders of magnitude of relevant physical quantities. Moreover, students will acquire the capability to describe and analyse physical situations, both via the mathematical formalism and from a more phenomenological point of view.
From this and previous general courses in Physics, students will acquire comprehension of natural phenomena related to electromagnetic waves and optics, also by familiarizing with orders of magnitude of relevant physical quantities. Moreover, students will acquire the capability to describe and analyse physical situations, both via the mathematical formalism and from a more phenomenological point of view.
Course Prerequisites
Bases of Calculus, Linear Algebra, Mechanics and waves, Electromagnetism I as treated in the first year and in the second semester of the second year.
Students should be familiar with standard mathematical tools like trigonometry and complex numbers.
Students should be familiar with standard mathematical tools like trigonometry and complex numbers.
Teaching Methods
Class lectures and exercises. We shall organizing tutoring sessions, focused on exercises, as a preparation for the esam. A few sessions with experimental demonstrations and with interactive teaching are also given during the course.
For students in special situations, the teachers will propose flexible receiving times and will provide all necessary didactics aids, including video-recordings, after a meeting to focus the issues.
For students in special situations, the teachers will propose flexible receiving times and will provide all necessary didactics aids, including video-recordings, after a meeting to focus the issues.
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of a written test and a subsequent oral test. The oral exam will be shortly after the written one, and it is the teachers’ intention that preparation of the written and oral exam should be as close as possible. To this purpose, the written test is structured with exercises and questions, and it has a significant weight in the final evaluation. The threshold for admission to the oral test is equal to 50% of the maximum score of the written test. The written test is valid only for the given exam session: the student who declines to make the oral test must repeat the written test. We warmly suggest to tackle the exam of Electromagnetism II after passing the exam of Electromagnetism I, and after acquiring a solid and complete preparation.
Texts
P. Mazzoldi, M. Nigro, C.Voci: Fisica: Elettromagnetismo e onde, terza edizione, Edises (2021)
D.J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th edition, Cambridge Univ. Press (2017)
D.J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th edition, Cambridge Univ. Press (2017)
Contents
Wave phenomena: wave equation, harmonic plane waves, phase, interference. Reminders of Fourier analysis, real and complex. Wavepacket, coherence time and coherence length. Attenuation and dispersion, phase and group velocity.
Maxwell equation in vacuum and in matter, constitutive equation for macroscopic fields. Boundary conditions at the separations between two media (reminders of Electromagnetism I, but absolutely necessary).
Electromagnetic waves: plane waves, energy density and energy flux, Poynting vector, intensity. Density of momentum and radiation pressure. Polarization of an electromagnetic wave: linear, circular, elliptical, unpolarized.
Radiation by an oscillating dipole: intensity and emitted power, pattern of emitted radiation. Diffusion of light and blue sky. Radiation by an accelerated charge. Spectrum of electromagnetic waves.
Reflection and refraction by electromagnetic waves: Snell law, total internal reflection, Fresnel formulas and Brewster angle. Propagation in anisotropic media, birefringence, polarizers and analyzers, Malus law.
Electromagnetic waves in material media: Lorentz model (bound electrons), complex dielectric function and refractive index. Absorption, dispersion (normal and anomalous). Electromagnetic waves in conductors: Drude model (free electrons), plasma frequency and reflectivity.
Geometrical optics: mirrors and lenses, focus, real and virtual image, magnification. Fermat principle.
Interference: in phase/opposition/quadrature. Huygens-Fresnel principle. Interference by a double slit, Young’s experiment. Interference by N slits. Interference in thin films.
Diffraction: Fraunhofer and Fresnel limits. Diffraction by a slit. Resolution limit of a lens, Rayleigh criterion. Babinet principle. Diffraction grating. X-ray diffraction. Hints to Fresnel diffraction and holography.
Maxwell equation in vacuum and in matter, constitutive equation for macroscopic fields. Boundary conditions at the separations between two media (reminders of Electromagnetism I, but absolutely necessary).
Electromagnetic waves: plane waves, energy density and energy flux, Poynting vector, intensity. Density of momentum and radiation pressure. Polarization of an electromagnetic wave: linear, circular, elliptical, unpolarized.
Radiation by an oscillating dipole: intensity and emitted power, pattern of emitted radiation. Diffusion of light and blue sky. Radiation by an accelerated charge. Spectrum of electromagnetic waves.
Reflection and refraction by electromagnetic waves: Snell law, total internal reflection, Fresnel formulas and Brewster angle. Propagation in anisotropic media, birefringence, polarizers and analyzers, Malus law.
Electromagnetic waves in material media: Lorentz model (bound electrons), complex dielectric function and refractive index. Absorption, dispersion (normal and anomalous). Electromagnetic waves in conductors: Drude model (free electrons), plasma frequency and reflectivity.
Geometrical optics: mirrors and lenses, focus, real and virtual image, magnification. Fermat principle.
Interference: in phase/opposition/quadrature. Huygens-Fresnel principle. Interference by a double slit, Young’s experiment. Interference by N slits. Interference in thin films.
Diffraction: Fraunhofer and Fresnel limits. Diffraction by a slit. Resolution limit of a lens, Rayleigh criterion. Babinet principle. Diffraction grating. X-ray diffraction. Hints to Fresnel diffraction and holography.
Course Language
Italian
More information
Inclusive teaching:
Video-recordings and all other material related to the course (slides ecc) are available online starting from the Kiro platform. This applies to all students and all the more to students with special needs, as specified by the conditions for inclusive teaching.
For such students with special needs, the teachers are available to agree on reception times online and/or in non-working hours, after a first appointment for a an interview.
Interactive teaching: we organize sessions with experimental demontrations and sessions with peer learning using the software Wooclap. Morover, the tutoring activities are carried out in an interactive manner, also via exercises in small groups with the help of the tutors.
Video-recordings and all other material related to the course (slides ecc) are available online starting from the Kiro platform. This applies to all students and all the more to students with special needs, as specified by the conditions for inclusive teaching.
For such students with special needs, the teachers are available to agree on reception times online and/or in non-working hours, after a first appointment for a an interview.
Interactive teaching: we organize sessions with experimental demontrations and sessions with peer learning using the software Wooclap. Morover, the tutoring activities are carried out in an interactive manner, also via exercises in small groups with the help of the tutors.
Degrees
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PHYSICS
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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