ramping up in difficulty
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Hi
Summary
I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.
My initial findings of the book.
In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'
Summary descriptions of the later chapters.
I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.
My view of latter parts of the book.
The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.
Personal.
I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.
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Can't avoid it, it's my set book.
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Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject. You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.
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Lucid textbook on a difficult subject
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The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject. Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts. The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book. The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics. All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun! Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.
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Average undergraduate level text
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Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.
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good, but not on its own
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I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.
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