On the calculus of Dirac delta function with some applications in classical electrodynamics

Abstract

The Dirac delta function is a concept that is useful throughout physics as a standard mathematical tool that appears repeatedly in the undergraduate physics curriculum including electrodynamics, optics, and quantum mechanics. Our analysis was guided by an analytical framework focusing on how students activate, construct, execute, and reflec on the Dirac delta function in the context of classical electrodynamics problems solving. The applications of Dirac delta function to fin the charge density associated with a point charge as well as electrostatic point dipole field for more advanced situations to describe the charge density of hydrogen atom were presented.