Maxwells Equations Preface

Henceforth, we shall examine situations where electric and magnetic fields are dynamic, or time varying. It should be mentioned first that in static EM fields, electric and magnetic fields are independent of each other whereas in dynamic EM fields, the two fields are interdependent. In other words, a time-varying electric field necessarily involves a corresponding time-varying magnetic field. Second, time-varying EM fields, represented by E(x, y, z, t) and H(x, y, z, t), are of more practical value than static EM fields. However, familiarity with static fields provides a good background for understanding dynamic fields.

 Third, recall that electrostatic fields are usually produced by static electric charges whereas magnetostatic fields are due to motion of electric charges with uniform velocity (direct current) or static magnetic charges (magnetic poles); timevarying fields or waves are usually due to accelerated charges or time-varying currents Any pulsating current will produce radiation (time varying fields). It is worth noting that pulsating current is the cause of radiated emission in digital logic boards

As a result of these concepts, Maxwell's equations will be modified to account for the time variation of the fields. It should be stressed that Maxwell's equations summarize the laws of electromagnetism and shall be the basis of our discussions in the remaining part of the course

 Gauss' law tells us lines of Electric flux, are proportional to the electric field and "diverge" away from a region containing electrical charge. Electric field lines which do not form closed loops begin and end on charge Gauss' law for magnetism tells us lines of Magnetic field never diverge from anything, and so must form closed loops. (because there is no magnetic charge) Faradays law, tells us electric field lines which form closed loops, encircle (curl) a changing magnetic field. Amperes law says a couple of things. For the case where the magnetic field is not changing in time, it says that the magnetic field makes closed loops around the moving charge that generates the field. If you think of current flowing through a wire, then the magnetic field would look like circles centered on the wire and plane described by these circles would be perpendicular to the wire. If the field varies in time, then another term is added to the equation which says there is a time varying electric field that is also giving rise (or fighting) the magnetic field. This term is called the displacement current and is Maxwell's contribution.

MAXWELL'S EQUATIONS Maxwell's equations are a set of fundamental equations that govern all macroscopic electromagnetic phenomena. The equations can be written in both differential and integral forms, and here we present both to illustrate applications of some of the integral theorems discussed in the preceding section. The General Integral Form

Notations
is the divergence operator is the curl operator The Divergence operator

The Curl operator

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

Example 5