Physics 2961

Intro. to Modern Physics!

Textbook: Rohlf, Modern Physics, Wiley!

Imaginary Numbers and Complex Notation!

Representation on a 2-dimensional complex plane.!

z = x + iy = r(cos ! + i sin ! )
i!

e +e
cos ! =
2

"i!

i!

e "e
; sin ! =
2i

y=
Im(z)

"i!

x= Re(z)

Solve above two equations for ei! !

Euler"s identity.!

ei! = cos ! + i sin !

) = rei!
"i!
z* = r ( cos ! " i sin ! ) = re
z = r cos ! + i sin !

Magnitude!

z 2 = zz* = (x + iy)(x ! iy) = x 2 + y 2 = r 2

or

z 2 = rei" re!i"

= r2

Plane Wave in Complex Notation

Plane wave:

f (x,t) = A cos(kx ! " t + # )

Wave number: k = 2$ / %

Angular Frequency: " = 2$& = 2$ / T

Complex notation: f (x, t) = Aei(kx!" t+# ) = A ( cos(kx ! " t + # ) + i sin(kx ! " t + # ))

Phase angle: f (0, 0) = A ( cos # + i sin # ) ,

' f (0, 0) *
Real part of f : # = cos )
( A ,+

Intensity: I - ff * = Aei(kx!" t +# ) A*e!i(kx!" t +# ) = AA* = A

!1

Three Dimensions!

! !
!
!
k ! k, x ! r, kx ! kx x + ky y + kz z = kir
i(kx x+ky y+kz z"# t+$ )

f (x, y, z,t) = Ae

! !
i( k i r "# t+$ )

= Ae

Vector Wave!

! ! i( k! ir! !" t+# )

E = E0 e

Vector Calculus!
Read Rohlf, P576 to 577!

Gradient Operator
The gradient operator gives the direction and magnitude of the steepest!
rate of increase of a scalar function
. !

Cartesian coordinates.!

!
#F #F #F
!F "
i+
j+
k
#x
#y
#z

General coordinates.!

!
#F
#F
#F
!F "
u1 +
u2 +
u3
#s1
#s2
#s3

F(x, y, z)

The del or gradient operator in Cartesian and spherical coordinate systems.!

Rohlf, Appendix E, P 587.!
Cartesian coordinates

!
$ #f
#f #f
!f " &
i+
j+
#y
#z
% #x

'

k)
(

Spherical Coordinates:

f = f (r,! , " )
!
$f
1 $f
1 $f
#f = ur
+ u!
+ u"
$r
r $!
r sin ! $"

Divergence and Curl

!
! is a vector one can dot it with another vector.

Since
This is known as the divergence of a vector field.!
Cartesian coordinates.!

! !
!
"
"
"
! E = div( E) =
Ex + E y + Ez
"x
"y
"z
Cylindrical coordinates:

! ! 1 "
1 "
"
! E =
rEr +
E# +
E
r "r
r "#
"z z

( )

( )

( )

Spherical coordinates:

! ! 1 " 2
1
"
1 "E$
! E = 2
r Er +
E# sin# +
r sin# "#
r sin# "$
r "r

Cross product or curl !

! !
A! E =

Ax

Ay

Az

Ex

Ey

Ez

i
! !
#
! " E = curl(E) =
#x
Ex

j
#
#y
Ey

k
#
#z
Ez

Cross product or curl !

i
! !
#
! " E = curl(E) =
#x
Ex

Cartesian coordinates:!

ur

Circular cylindrical coordinates:

Spherical coordinates:

! ! 1 $
!" E=
r $r
Er

! !
!" E=

j
#
#y
Ey

ru#

uz

$
$#
rE#

$
$z
Ez

k
#
#z
Ez

ur

ru#

r sin # u$

%
r sin # %r
Er

%
%#
rE#

%
%$
r sin # E$

Some Vector Calculus Identities:

!
! ! ! !
!
! " u = "! u + u !"
!
! ! !
!
!
! # " u = "! # u + !" # u
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
!u # v = v !#u $u!# v
!
! !
! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !
! # u # v = v !u $ u !v + u ! v $ v ! u

) (

! ! !
! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !
! u v = u !v + v !u + u " ! " v + v " ! " u
!
!
! " !# = 0
! ! !
! !"u = 0
!
! !
! ! ! ! !!
! " ! " u = ! ! u $ ! !u
! !
!
! !#1 " !# 2 = 0

( )
( )
( ) (
(
)

In the above, assume that ! operates on all terms to its right

that are not separated from it by intervening parentheses.

Vector Calculus Operations!

Read Rohlf Appendix C, P576-577!

Gradient: !

!
$ #f
#f #f '
!f " &
i+
j+
k)
#x
#y
#z
%
(

Divergence:

! !
! "Ex "E y "Ez
! E = div( E) =
+
+
"x
"y
"z

Curl:!
Laplacian:!

j k
i
! !
# # #
! " E = curl(E) =
#x #y #z
Ex E y Ez

! !
#2 f #2 f #2 f
! f " !i !f = 2 + 2 + 2
#x
#y
#z
2

( )

Divergence Theorem
(Rohlf, P 576)!

! !
! !
"
!! Pida = !!! "i Pdv
The flux of a vector over a closed surface = the integral over the enclosed volume of the divergence.!
For example, for the electric field due to a charge distribution:!

!
da

!
P

Example of Divergence Theorem

! !
! !
"
!! Aida = !!! "i Adv

Gauss" Law!
.

! ! 1
q
Eid
a
=
#
dv
=
"
""
! 0 """
!0
! !
q
$i
E
dv
=
"""
!0

q
#
dv
=
"""
!0

! !
! 0 # = $i E (Gauss's Law)

Stokes Law
(Rohlf, P 577)!

! ! !
! !
## (! " P)ida = "# P dl
! !
!
The flux of ! " P is the circulation of P around any closed loop which bounds
the surface. The curl therefore is a measure of the rotation of the vector field. !

!
da

!
P
!
dl

Class Exercise - Vector Calculus !

1.The gravitational potential is U=Gy J/kg-m. Find the gradient.!

!
!
and the gravitational field, which is g = !"U .!

2. A sticky fluid is moving past a flat horizontal surface!

such that the velocity is given by

!
v = 10yi m/s.!

Find both magnitude and direction of the curl,.!

3. The electric field inside a uniformly charged dielectric!

!
is E = 10xi. Find the divergence and therefore the charge!
distribution.!