Mathematics motivated by physics: the electrostatic potential is the Coulomb integral transform of the electric charge density

Fuente: Redalyc
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: L. Medina
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C. 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1876430793533816832
author L. Medina
author_facet L. Medina
contents Mathematics motivated by physics: the electrostatic potential is the Coulomb integral transform of the electric charge density L. Medina E. Ley Koo Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas Electrostatics Laplace and Poisson equations spherical and circular cylindrical Harmonic functions This article illustrates a practical way to connect and coordinate the teaching and learning of physics and mathematics. The starting point is the electrostatic potential, which is obtained in any introductory course of electromagnetism from the Coulomb potential and the superposition principle for any charge distribution. The necessity to develop solutions to the Laplace and Poisson differential equations is also recognized, identifying the Coulomb potential as the generating function of harmonic functions. Correspondingly, the convenience of expressing the electrostatic potential in terms of its multipole expansion in spherical coordinates, or as integral transforms based on harmonic functions in different coordinate systems, is also established. These connections provide a motivation for teachers and students to acquire the necessary mathematics as a basic tool in the study of electromagnetic theory, optics and quantum mechanics. 2008 artículo científico 0035-001X https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57028302013 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=570 Revista Mexicana de Física application/pdf Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C. Revista Mexicana de Física (México) Num.2 Vol.54
format Artículo científico
id redalyc_57028302013
institution Redalyc
language en
publishDate 2008
publisher Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C.
spellingShingle Mathematics motivated by physics: the electrostatic potential is the Coulomb integral transform of the electric charge density
L. Medina
Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas
Electrostatics
Laplace and Poisson equations
spherical and circular cylindrical Harmonic functions
Mathematics motivated by physics: the electrostatic potential is the Coulomb integral transform of the electric charge density L. Medina E. Ley Koo Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas Electrostatics Laplace and Poisson equations spherical and circular cylindrical Harmonic functions This article illustrates a practical way to connect and coordinate the teaching and learning of physics and mathematics. The starting point is the electrostatic potential, which is obtained in any introductory course of electromagnetism from the Coulomb potential and the superposition principle for any charge distribution. The necessity to develop solutions to the Laplace and Poisson differential equations is also recognized, identifying the Coulomb potential as the generating function of harmonic functions. Correspondingly, the convenience of expressing the electrostatic potential in terms of its multipole expansion in spherical coordinates, or as integral transforms based on harmonic functions in different coordinate systems, is also established. These connections provide a motivation for teachers and students to acquire the necessary mathematics as a basic tool in the study of electromagnetic theory, optics and quantum mechanics. 2008 artículo científico 0035-001X https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57028302013 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=570 Revista Mexicana de Física application/pdf Sociedad Mexicana de Física A.C. Revista Mexicana de Física (México) Num.2 Vol.54
title Mathematics motivated by physics: the electrostatic potential is the Coulomb integral transform of the electric charge density
topic Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas
Electrostatics
Laplace and Poisson equations
spherical and circular cylindrical Harmonic functions
url https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57028302013