This text advances from the basic laws of electricity and magnetism to classical electromagnetism in a quantum world. Suitable for first-year graduate students in physics who have taken an undergraduate course in electromagnetism, it focuses on core concepts and related aspects of math and physics. Progressing from the basic laws of electricity and magnetism and their unification by Maxwell an…
Classical electromagnetism - one of the fundamental pillars of physics - is an important topic for all types of physicists from the theoretical to the applied. The subject is widely recognized to be one of the most challenging areas of the physics curriculum, both for students to learn and for lecturers to teach. Although textbooks on electromagnetism are plentiful, hardly any are written in th…
All matter is composed of molecules which are made up of a combination of atoms. Atoms have a nucleus with electrons orbiting around it. The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons (not shown). Most atoms have an equal number of electrons and protons. Electrons have a negative charge (-). Protons have a positive charge (+). Neutrons are neutral. The negative charge of the electrons is balan…
Over the last 220 years, society has evolved a universal belief that electricity is ‘safe’ for humanity and the planet. Scientist and journalist Arthur Firstenberg disrupts this conviction by telling the story of electricity in a way it has never been told before?from an environmental point of view?by detailing the effects that this fundamental societal building block has had on our health …
All matter is made up of countless tiny particles whizzing around. These particles are extremely dense; matter is mostly empty space. Matter seems continuous because the particles are so small, and they move incredibly fast. Even people of ancient times suspected that matter is made of invisible particles. They deduced this from observing things like water, rocks, and metals. These substances a…
Known as the father of modern electricity, Nikola Tesla’s work transformed the world. Devoted to discovery, the scientist and engineer registered more than 700 patents in his lifetime, from X-ray to radar, to the Tesla Coil, radio, and remote control. This illustrated biography follows the development of Tesla’s key theories and inventions, shining a light on an eccentric man who, ultimatel…