Magnetism: From Lodestone to Polar Wandering

Description

In writing this short book on magnetism I have tried to keep in view threemainclasses ofreaders: firstly, those who wish to follow the progress of science but do not have the specialist’s interest in mathematical details; secondly, the reader with a scientific or technical background, not necessarily in physics or engineering, who desires a broad survey ofthe present extent of our knowledge of magnetic phenomena, and, finally, students at various levels, from the higher forms of secondary schools (the continental ‘gymnasium’) to the university undergraduate classes, who wish to probe a little beyond their syllabus. The book is essentially non-mathematical and only at a few places is a knowledge of elementary algebra or trigonometry assumed. While all the chapters of the book deal with a single aspect of physics I have attempted to write them so that each one can be read independently of the others. The subject is approached from the standpoint which is now well established in modem studies of electromagnetism, namely, that of taking the Biot-Savart law as fundamental. Numerical data is sparingly given in the book and generally compared with some familiar magnitude which one can ‘feel’, e.g. the electric resistivity of iron.