Document Type

Poster Session

Publication Date

4-29-2023

Meeting Name

AAPT New England Section Spring 2023 Meeting

Meeting Date

April 29, 2023

Meeting Location

Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, MA)

Abstract/ Summary

While most introductory calculus-based textbooks introduce a fully-vectorized expression for the electric field due to a point charge, they rarely – if ever – introduce a fully-vectorized expression for the magnetic field due to an infinitely long current, and corresponding field superposition problems are normally solved by the method of components (find magnitudes, break magnitudes into components, sum the respective components). In this poster I will explain why I teach a fully-vectorized approach – starting with the fully-vectorized field expressions and summing the fields vector-algebraically – alongside the more traditional method of components in my introductory calculus-based physics course, and I will provide resources and suggestions for instructors who might want to try incorporating the fully-vectorized approach into their own courses.

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