Interactive software for undergraduate electromagnetics

To demonstrate the relationship between physical reality and the equations used in electromagnetics, the authors have created interactive software using Mathematica with its notebook capability. The software is composed of different notebooks, each covering a specific topic, which are collectively called EM Notebooks. The notebooks are used in a workstation laboratory of 12 NeXT computers in conjunction with two required junior-level courses in electromagnetics. Each notebook consists of text, equations, and graphics. The equations are Mathematica commands that are used to evaluate electromagnetic formulas found in a typical undergraduate electromagnetics textbook. Equation parameters can be changed by a student permitting examination of an unlimited number of examples. In addition, much of the graphics can be animated. The animations provide a pedagogic tool unavailable in traditional textbooks. EM Notebooks must be used on a computer that runs Mathematica with the notebook facility