Poynting's theorem in Griffith's

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Poynting's theorem as presented in Griffith's electrodynamics. Participants express confusion regarding the physical interpretation and mathematical derivation of the theorem, particularly in relation to external and internal charges and their interactions with electromagnetic fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding Poynting's theorem and seeks a clearer explanation.
  • Another participant suggests resources, including the Feynman lectures, for additional context on the theorem.
  • A participant notes that specific questions are necessary for more targeted responses regarding the confusion expressed.
  • Concerns are raised about Griffith's treatment of external charges and how they relate to the electric and magnetic fields from previous configurations.
  • One participant asks if the mathematical transition from Maxwell's equations to Poynting's theorem is understood, indicating a potential area of focus for clarification.
  • A later reply asserts that any system obeying Maxwell's equations will also adhere to Poynting's theorem, regardless of the nature of the charges involved.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express confusion regarding the application of Poynting's theorem, with no consensus on the interpretation of external versus internal charges. Some agree on the mathematical foundation provided by Maxwell's equations, while others seek further clarification on specific aspects.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully resolved the implications of external versus internal charges in the context of Poynting's theorem, and there are indications of missing assumptions in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the applications of Poynting's theorem, Maxwell's equations, and the interpretation of electromagnetic theory may find this discussion relevant.

Zubair Ahmad
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I am in trouble with this theorem. I did it from Griffith's electrodynamics but I am not getting the physics of it. So can someone explain it lucidly.
 
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Zubair Ahmad said:
I am not getting the physics of it
@Lord Jestocost has given some good general material on the topic. If you want more specific responses then you will need to make a more specific question. What specifically are you not getting.
 
I am not getting the way Griffith's has done. He says some charges move around. So I consider these to be some external charges.
Now he uses rho and J of these external charges but when he uses Maxwell equations he relates this rho and J with E and B of older charge and current configuration whose force acted on these external charges?
 
Forget about external or internal charges for a moment. Do you understand how the math goes from Maxwell’s equations to Poynting’s theorem?
 
Yes that's clear to me.
 
Zubair Ahmad said:
Yes that's clear to me.
Ok, so that means that ANY system which obeys Maxwell’s equations will necessarily also obey Poynting’s theorem. It doesn’t matter if the charges are internal or external, if they move in response to the fields or in response to some other constraints, or whatever. As long as Maxwell’s equations are valid, so is Poynting’s theorem.
 

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