Practice problems in EM and optics

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vvega
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Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by vvega » Sat Sep 05, 2009 6:26 am

Hi everybody,
does anyone know any book with practice problems in electromagnetism and optics which are quite close to the GRE type?

Thank you!

physics_auth
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by physics_auth » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:30 am

vvega wrote:Hi everybody,
does anyone know any book with practice problems in electromagnetism and optics which are quite close to the GRE type?

Thank you!
Why don't you search on your own to find out this? Your kind of question implies that you do not seach a lot ... .

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grae313
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by grae313 » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:42 am

Check the stickied threads in the entire forum devoted to "Problems, Solutions, and Discussion" :roll:

physics_auth
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by physics_auth » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:48 am

grae313 wrote:Check the stickied threads in the entire forum devoted to "Problems, Solutions, and Discussion" :roll:
I am not sure that your suggestion will please him a lot ... if he had already searched, then he wouldn't have asked for help ... .

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grae313
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by grae313 » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:51 am

No ***, that's why I'm telling him where to look...

vvega
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by vvega » Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:02 am

Actually I have already looked for this information in almost all the posts of the PGRE section of the forum. Of course I know many books with problems in EM and optics, but I was wondering if there is anyone here who thinks to have found books with problems in a way similar to the GRE's ones, in particular in the level of "practicity" needed, which may be one of the weak points of a student who has a good theoretical background but not so good practical skills.

physics_auth
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by physics_auth » Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:48 am

vvega wrote: ... which may be one of the weak points of a student who has a good theoretical background but not so good practical skills.
These two things sound contradictory. Good theoretical background "usually" entails good problem-solving skills ... or else your theoretical background is weak. How else to interpret it? Anyway, I think that the answer to your question (about the book) is negative.

vvega
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Re: Practice problems in EM and optics

Post by vvega » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:27 pm

physics_auth wrote: These two things sound contradictory. Good theoretical background "usually" entails good problem-solving skills ... or else your theoretical background is weak. How else to interpret it? Anyway, I think that the answer to your question (about the book) is negative.
Indeed you said "usually". Think to a mathematician who has a strong knowledge in linear PDE's, and think to a physicist who is used to work on schroedinger equation. Probably, the latter will be very quick to answer practical questions about that equation when you give him a potential V, the former will be not. Nevertheless, if you give time to the mathematician he will be able to prove all the statements of the physicist, and the physicist may be not.
Of course this is an extreme example..



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