ABSTRACT
In this volume we’ve undertaken a thorough survey of classical electromagnetism, culminating in Maxwell’s Equations.
Having begun with the physical existence of electric charge and the empirical properties of the Coulombic interaction between static charges, we were led to introduce the electric field and its associated potential. Gauss’s Law for Electric Fields emerged from the analysis of special cases, while the fieldline perspective, along with heuristic arguments, assured us of its generality. With the introduction of capacitance, it became necessary to regard the electric field as a physical object, rather than a mere formal construction, owing to its ability to store and release energy. “Planar” combinations of capacitors were shown to be amenable to reductionist analysis employing well-defined combinatorial rules.
