First Special Case: Static Electric Fields

Central terms in electrodynamics can be traced back to the properties of static electric fields. After reading this chapter, you will understand the connections between the electric field, potential, voltage and energy. You will also know how the use of these terms emerges from the properties of the static electric field. You will recognise the interplay between field energy, potential energy, and the intrinsic electrical energy of matter. You will be familiar with some of the techniques used to calculate electric fields be it by solving the equations of Poisson and Laplace or be it the use of Green’s function. Also included in this lesson are mirror charges and the approximation method of multipole expansion. You will recognise that the methods of classical electrical engineering become invalid at subatomic distances.