Unlike quantum mechanics or thermal physics for example , there is a fairly general consensus with respect to the teaching of electrodynamics; the subjects to be included, and even their order of presentation, are not particularly controversial, and textbooks differ mainly in style and tone. My approach is perhaps less formal than most; I think this makes difficult ideas more interesting and accessible.
For this new edition I have made a large number of small changes, in the interests of clarity and grace. In a few places I have corrected serious errors. I have added some problems and examples and removed a few that were not effective.
And I have included more references to the accessible literature particularly the American Journal of Physics. I realize, of course, that most readers will not have the time or inclination to consult these resources, but I think it is worthwhile anyway, if only to emphasize that electrodynamics, notwithstanding its venerable age, is very much alive, and intriguing new discoveries are being made all the time.
I hope that occasionally a problem will pique your curiosity, and you will be inspired to look up the reference—some of them are real gems.
I realize that unwary readers are tempted to interpret r as r—it certainly makes the integrals easier! As in previous editions, I distinguish two kinds of problems. Some have a specific pedagogical purpose, and should be worked immediately after reading the section to which they pertain; these I have placed at the pertinent point within the chapter. Longer problems, or those of a more general nature, will be found at the end of each chapter.
When I teach the subject, I assign some of these, and work a few of them in class. Unusually challenging problems are flagged by an exclamation point! Many readers have asked that the answers to problems be provided at the back of the book; unfortunately, just as many are strenuously opposed. I have compromised, supplying answers when this seems particularly appropriate.
A complete solution manual is available to instructors from the publisher; go to the Pearson web site to order a copy. I have benefitted from the comments of many colleagues. Practically everything I know about electrodynamics—certainly about teaching electrodynamics—I owe to.
For objects that are both very fast and very small as is common in modern particle physics , a mechanics that combines relativity and quantum principles is in order; this relativistic quantum mechanics is known as quantum field theory—it was worked out in the thirties and forties, but even today it cannot claim to be a completely satisfactory system.
In this book, save for the last chapter, we shall work exclusively in the domain of classical mechanics, although electrodynamics extends with unique simplicity to the other three realms. In fact, the theory is in most respects automat ically consistent with special relativity, for which it was, historically, the main stimulus. Four Kinds of Forces Mechanics tells us how a system will behave when subjected to a given force. There are just four basic forces known presently to physics: I list them in the order of decreasing strength:.
The brevity of this list may surprise you. Where is friction? Where are the chemical forces that bind molecules together? Where is the force of impact between two colliding billiard balls? Publication date Topics Electrodynamics.
Publisher Prentice Hall Collection. Books to Borrow. Introduction to Electrodynamics is a textbook by the physicist David J. Generally regarded as a standard undergraduate text on the subject, [1] it began as lecture notes that have been perfected over time.
This book uses SI units the mks convention exclusively. Griffiths said he was able to reduce the price of his textbook on quantum mechanics simply by changing the publisher, from Pearson to Cambridge University Press. See the ISBN in the box to the right. The front cover has a picture of the handwritten Poisson's equations for electricity and magnetism on a chalkboard.
The first inner cover contains vector identities, vector derivatives in Cartesian, spherical, and cylindrical coordinates, and the fundamental theorems of vector calculus. The second inner cover contains the basic equations of electrodynamics, the accepted values of some fundamental constants, and the transformation equations for spherical and cylindrical coordinates.
Paul D. Scholten, a professor at Miami University Ohio , opined that the first edition of this book offers a streamlined, though not always in-depth, coverage of the fundamental physics of electrodynamics. Special topics such as superconductivity or plasma physics are not mentioned. Breaking with tradition, Griffiths did not give solutions to all the odd-numbered questions in the book. Another unique feature of the first edition is the informal, even emotional, tone.
The author sometimes referred to the reader directly. Physics received the primary focus. Equations are derived, explained, and the common misconception are addressed.
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