Lecture 1 - Electrostatics |
The course begins with a discussion of electricity. The concept of charge is introduced, and the properties of electrical forces are compared with those of other familiar forces, such as gravitation. Coulomb's Law, along with the principle of superposition, allows for the calculation of electrostatic forces from a given charge distribution.
There are no assigned readings for PHYS 201. Professor Shankar suggests that students consult relevant sections of the books recommended on the Syllabus.