Electromagnetism and Light module (PH21001)

Electromagnetism and light are at the heart of how our modern world works - from the signals in your phone to the light reaching your eyes right now. In this module, you will explore how electric and magnetic fields shape the universe, and how they come together to form electromagnetic waves, including visible light. You will build a deeper understanding of the invisible forces that power technologies like wireless communication and imaging systems.

As you progress, you will move beyond basic ideas and uncover the elegant mathematical framework that connects electricity, magnetism, and light into a single theory. You will discover how changing fields generate waves that travel through space, and how these waves can interfere, diffract, and even be polarised.

This module is a key step toward understanding advanced topics in physics, from photonics to quantum technologies, and gives you a glimpse of how fundamental science drives innovation.

What you will learn 

In this module, you will:

• revisit Coulomb’s Law, electric fields, and electric potential to understand how charges shape the space around them
• explore Gauss’s law and uncover the deep connections between charge and electric fields
• investigate magnetic fields, forces, and how moving charges create magnetism
• study electromagnetic induction and alternating current circuits, which underpin power generation and modern electronics
• explore light as an electromagnetic wave, including phenomena such as polarisation, interference, and diffraction

By the end of this module, you will be able to: 

• describe and analyse electric and magnetic phenomena using calculus and vector mathematics
• explain how electromagnetic energy is generated, transferred, and stored
• analyse real-world circuits using resistors, capacitors, and inductors
• understand how Maxwell’s equations unify electricity, magnetism, and light into a single theory
• explain how light behaves and interacts with matter in technologies such as imaging and communications

Assignments / assessment

• Problem solving assignments using Mastering Physics (40%)
• Final exam (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures
  • These will be interactive. They will cover key concepts and worked examples
• workshops
  • These will focus on solving real problems using techniques from lectures
• online adaptive exercises
  • These are personalised Mastering Physics tasks. They will adjust to your strengths and weaknesses