Electrical Basics: Understand Physics & Learn Equations

[spank_fusion]

Alright, I've learned a lot of electrical physics over the past month. So far, I know about charges, forces, fields, flux, potential, and capacitance. The problem is that I'm having a hard time visualizing how these properties relate to each other. I'm also having a lot of trouble knowing which equations to use in which situations. The book is a bit confusing, and I was wondering if anyone could help me understand these basics a little better or point me to a good learning reference. I would really, really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[Astronuc]

See if these help. It's difficult to know what to tell you without knowing where you are stuck or where the uncertainty/confusion lies.

Charge is the basic starting point - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elecur.html#c2 .

Electric field concepts - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/efiecon.html#c1

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elelin.html


http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/PY106/Electricfield.html

Electricity - http://library.thinkquest.org/10796/ch11/ch11.htm
Electric field - http://library.thinkquest.org/10796/ch12/ch12.htm
Current - http://library.thinkquest.org/10796/ch13/ch13.htm

Electric Fields and Potentials
http://theory.uwinnipeg.ca/physics/charge/node1.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_field

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell's_equations

Review these and then we can answer any questions.

 

[andrevdh]

Try and get "Conceptual Physics" by Paul G.Hewitt published by Addison Wesley. He does an excellent job at making physics understandable (at a very basic level). I myself were brought up on "University Physics" by Sears, Zemansky and Young (first year university physics), which, if you have the patience to work through it, makes the concepts very clear.

 

[sporkstorms]

It sounds like you're probably in one of the first year physics classes (usually for mostly engineering students) that forces you to learn by rote techniques: "Memorize this equation, use it in this situation, plug and chug."

I understand this is often a necessary "evil," but if you have a decent multivariable calculus background, I highly recommend David J. Griffith's "Introduction to Electrodynamics."

It probably goes far beyond the scope of your course, but the first quarter to half of the book will do *wonders* to help your understanding of electrostatics and magnetostatics. You'll get to see why things are the way they are, and how certain conclusions were drawn.
He walks you through the math that allows you to truly understand E&M.

 

[Sajjad]

Book

Try this book "Physic for scientist and Engineers" by Raymond A. Serway, Robert Beichner. it will definitely help you out.