Learning resources for Electromagnetism?

[kdar1987]

I am taking class in my university on electromagnetism (2nd class). At the moment we are covering electromagnetic wave propagation.

I feel like I am completely lost now and I also didn't do too good on exam.

I never was really able to understand electromagnetism 100%, but did ok on the 1st class.

Does anyone know some good learning resources I could use? Maybe some books or something online?
Right now I am using M.N.O Sadiku's "Elements of Electromagnetics".

[steveb]

This can be a difficult subject, especially if there is not a good match between teacher and student. Different people respond differently to particular teaching approaches. I would recommend the following free online MIT lectures as a supplement to your present lectures.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-...ions/index.htm

The cool thing is that in every lecture he does an experimental demonstration of the concept he is teaching that day. I mean really cool stuff!

A key thing to remember is that solving problems is the best way to truly learn the subject well, and watching these lectures will not help you in that area. You will have to work hard solving problems on your own. However, it is also important to develop an intuitive understanding for the subject and these lectures provide that better than any other resource I've seen.

[kdar1987]

Thanks for the link.

yes, Electromagnetism is probably one of the hardest classes for me, maybe because I never was so good in physics. Was always slow to understand its concepts. Just like I am now on Electromagnetic class, I can solve a problem, but sometimes I just don't understand it really mean.

Do you know any good problem books for this? Something to try to solve, additionally to what is in my book?

[steveb]

Originally Posted by kdar1987

Do you know any good problem books for this? Something to try to solve, additionally to what is in my book?

I know many good EM books, but most I have are grad-level. I still have my old undergraduate text and use it frequently, so it is very good in my opinion. "Electromagnetics" by John D. Kraus. I believe there are updated editions with additional authors added now, but I expect it is still a good book. To save money, you could look for used older editions.

You can also go over to Physics Forums and look in the homework forum. You'll find many problems posted there.

Also, feel free to post any questions here, if you have trouble. You will have to show your honest attempts at solving the problem and then people will help you on a step by step basis.

[bertus]

Hello,

On learnerstv.com there are a lot of video lectures on the subject:
http://www.learnerstv.com/lectures.p...Physics&page=1

Greetings,
Bertus

[steveb]

Originally Posted by bertus

Hello,

On learnerstv.com there are a lot of video lectures on the subject:
http://www.learnerstv.com/lectures.p...Physics&page=1

Greetings,
Bertus

Actually, those videos turn out to be the Walter Lewin lectures, which are the MIT videos I mentioned above.

That is a good site to get videos on other subjects though.

[kdar1987]

I watched few of those videos last night.. and wow.. its pretty cool lectures.
And all those experiments are really helpful.
Thanks for the links, guys.

[Duane P Wetick]

The teacher makes all the difference. Unfortunately, all the instructors I ever had on this subject were a collection of the most boring, monotoned, lackluster speakers to be found anywhere on earth and beyond. Getting your hands on a good textbook is essential; most college teaching texts do not make it into this category, I have found. Some reference texts that I would recommend are: 1. Electromagnetic Devices (basis for the commercial success of GE, Siemens and many others.), H.C. Roters 1941.
2. Inductance Calculations, Grover, 1946, 3. Electromagnetic Shielding, D. White, 1980 and 4. Driving Force, Livingston, 1996 (Read all about the most important invention ever brought to American shores.)

Cheers, DPW [ Everything has limitations...and I hate limitations.]