Why study electromagnetics: the first unit in an undergraduate electromagnetics course

Abstract

Maxwell's equations represent a fundamental unification of electric and magnetic fields, predicting electromagnetic wave phenomena. It may seem a little odd to devote so much effort to study solutions of the 19th century's best equations. Thus we ask the question: "Of what relevance is the study of electromagnetics to our modem society? "The goal of this unit is to help answer this question. Whereas the study of electromagnetics has been motivated in the past primarily by the requirements of military defense, the entire field is shifting rapidly toward important commercial applications in high-speed communications and computing that touch everyone in their daily lives. Ultimately, this will favorably impact the economic well-being of nations as well as their military security.