Electromagnetism Cheat Sheet

Electrostatics
Q:
F:
0 :

particle charge [C]

force [N]
vacuum permittivity

= 8.85 1012

C2
Nm2

r :
E:
U:

relative permittivity [1]

electric field [N/C]
electric potential [J/C]

W:

work [J]

Coulombs law

1 Q1 Q2
40 r r2

F =

Electric field of a point charge Q

E=

1 Q
40 r r2

Electric potential around a point charge Q

U=

1 Q
40 r r

Force exerted by an electric field on a point charge Q

F = QE
W = Q(U2 U1 )

Work done by an electric field on a point charge Q

Relationship between electric field intensity and potential

E=

dU
ds

Electric circuits
R:
:
U:
I:

resistance []
resistivity [m]
voltage [V]
current [A]

l:
A:

length of the wire segment [m]

cross-sectional area of the wire [m2 ]

Resistance of a homogeneous wire

Equivalent resistance of resistors connected in series
Equivalent resistance of resistors connected in parallel
Ohms law*
Work done in a DC circuit*
Electrical power in a DC circuit

R=

l
A

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 + . . .
1
Req
= R11 + R21 + R31 + . . .

R=

U
E
, *% =
I
J

U2
W = U It = I Rt =
t
R
2

U2
P = UI = I R =
R
2

Kirchhoffs junction rule

Ij = 0

Kirchhoffs loop rule

Uj = 0

AC circuits
X:
:
L:
C:

reactance []
angular frequency [rad/s]
self-inductance [H]
capacitance [F]

Z:
:

impedance []
phase angle [rad]

Effective (root mean square) voltage and current in an

AC circuit (sinusoidal time-dependence)

Umax
Imax
Urms = , Irms =
2
2

Inductive reactance

XL = L

Capacitive reactance

XC =

1
C

q
Z = R2 + (XL XC )2
s

2
1
1
1
1
=
+

Z
R2
X L XC

Magnitude of impedance in an L-R-C series circuit

Magnitude of impedance in a parallel L-R-C circuit

cos =

Phase angle

R
Z

Moving charges in a magnetic field

q:
B:
v:
:

particle charge [C]

magnetic field [T]
velocity of the particle [m/s]
angle between the magnetic field and
the particles velocity [rad]

r:
m:
f:
I:
M:

helix/circle radius [m]

particle mass [kg]
cyclotron frequency [Hz]
current [A]
torque [Nm]

Force exerted by the magnetic field on a charge

F = qv B
F = qvB sin

Radius of the helix/circle the charge follows

r=

Cyclotron frequency (frequency of the circular motion)

Magnitude of the force exerted by the magnetic field on
a current-carrying straight wire of length l

mv
sin
qB

f=

qB
2m

F = IlB sin

Magnitude of the torque exerted by the magnetic field on

a current-carrying loop of area A

M = IAB sin

Magnetic field around current-carrying wires

H:
B:
r:
0 :

magnetic field strength [A/m]

magnetic field/magnetic flux density [T]
distance from the conductor [m]
magnetic permeability of vacuum [H/m]

r :
I:
N:
l:

relative magnetic permeability [1]

current [A]
number of coils [1]
length of the solenoid [m]
I
Hdl =

Amperes law

Magnetic field of a long straight conductor

H=

0 r I
1 I
,B=
2 r
2 r

Magnetic field along the axis of a long solenoid

H=

IN
IN
, B = 0 r
l
l