Appropriate for Gen Phys? was: comprehending electric/magnetic interactions

[Gary Turner <turner@MORNINGSIDE.EDU>]

On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 14:00:16 -0700, Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>
wrote:

[snipped section on discussion of forces on a current ring in a magnetic
field.  A comment was made about the energy not changing in a uniform
field so there can be no unbalanced force - see "comprehending
electric/magnetic interactions"]

> OK -- I had a serious Sr. moment:   Since the potential is constant the
> gradient is zero.   Is this above the level of  Turner's class?
Sounds about the right level to me.  We do discuss the link between forces
and potentials in electric and gravity fields.  I haven't previously
introduced the potential of a magnetic field specifically, b/c we usually
cover magnetic fields in passing and electromagnetism at the end of the
semester when time gets more desperate.  Seems obvious now, perhaps I
should introduce this in Gen Phys.

Hmmm, any comments?

The reason I struggle with this material is because all of my E&M has been
very problem-oriented with the tough math stressed.  I've never taken a
course where we worked on the concepts in E&M quite the same way we work
on concepts in Gen Phys.
I would like to give students a chance to develop these concepts.  Is Gen
Phys the right place?