Books by John S Nkoma

The book introduces university undergraduates to the fascinating world of the science of light. Contemporary physics programmes are under increasing pressure to provide a balance between coverage of several traditional branches of physics and to expose students to emerging research areas. It is therefore important to provide an in depth introduction to some branches of physics, such as optics, to students who may not become professional physicists but will need physics in their chosen professions. Some Universities offer optics as semester courses while others offer it as modules within general physics courses in the degree programme. The book meets the needs of both approaches.Optics has three major branches: Geometrical optics, Physical optics and Quantum optics. Chapter 1 is about the nature of light. Geometrical optics is covered in chapters 2 to 5, Physical optics in chapters 6 to 8, and Quantum optics in chapter 9, and lays a foundation for advanced courses in applied quantum optics.The language of physics is universal, and the book is suited to students globally. However, the book recognises certain peculiarities in Africa, and is written to meet the speci¿c needs of students in African Universities. Some students come from well equipped schools while other students come from less well equipped schools. These two groups of students attending the same course have different needs. The well prepared students need challenge, while the others need to be taught in fair detail. The book has therefore detailed discussions and explanations of dif¿cult-to-grasp topics with the help of simple but clearly drawn and labeled diagrams. The discussions and conclusions are presented pointwise, and key words, de¿nitions, laws, etc., are highlighted. There are a large number of problems and exercises at the end of each chapter.

This book introduces Tanzanian students to the fascinating world of Mechanics - the science of motion and equilibrium. Concepts of mechanics namely vector and scalar quantities, forces, the laws of motion, work, energy, the conservation laws, gravitation, circular, orbital and oscillatory motions cut across not only most branches of physics such as electromagnetism, atomic, molecular, nuclear, astro and space physics, but are also applied to most branches of engineering and technology. This makes mechanics an important component of physics which students must master well at an early stage before branching to various career options. That is why undergraduate programs in sciences at most universities offer mandatory courses on basic mechanics within the ¿rst year of study. This book meets the needs of students and academics at the entry level courses.This book covers three crucial subareas of mechanics namely Kinematics, Newtonian mechanics and Lagrangian mechanics. Chapter 1 covers introductory aspects. Kinematics is discussed in chapter 2. Newton's laws of motion are introduced in chapter 3. Chapter 4 deals with the conservation of linear momentum. Work, energy and power are covered in chapter 5. Circular motion, Gravitation and planetary motion, and oscillations are covered in chapters 6, 7 and 8 respectively. Chapter 9 presents the aspects of rigid body dynamics, and Lagrangian mechanics is introduced in chapter 10, which lays a foundation for advanced courses in mechanics.The language of physics is universal, and the book is suited to students globally. However, the book recognises and addresses the speci¿c needs of students in African Universities. There is a marked heterogeneity in the background of students ranging from those who are well prepared to those who are not so well prepared. The book meets the needs of all students. It presents detailed explanations of dif¿cult-to-grasp topics with the help of simple but clearly drawn and labeled diagrams. The discussions and conclusions are presented point-wise, and key words, de¿nitions, laws, etc., are highlighted. A unique feature of the book is a number of 'Recipes' which give students tailor made guidance to problems solving. Application of the recipe is illustrated by a solved example, followed by a similar exercise for students to practice. There are a large number of problems and exercises at the end of each chapter to further sharpen their skills.

Science and Technology are ubiquitous in the modern world as evidenced by digital lifestyles through mobile phones, computers, digital ¿nancial services, digital music, digital television, online newspapers, digital medical equipment and services including e-services (e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, e-government) and the internet. This book, Introduction to Basic concepts for Engineers and Scientists: Electromagnetic, Quantum, Statistical and Relativistic Concepts. is written with the objective of imparting basic concepts for engineering, physics, chemistry students or indeed other sciences, so that such students get an understanding as to what is behind all these modern advances in science and technology.The basic concepts covered in this book include electromagnetic, quantum, statistical and relativistic concepts, and are covered in 20 chapters. The choice of these concepts is not accidental, but deliberate so as to highlight the importance of these basic science concepts in modern engineering and technology. Electromagnetic concepts, are covered in chapters 1 to 6 with chapters 1 (Maxwell's equations), 2 (Electromagnetic waves at boundaries), 3 (Diffraction and Interference), 4 (Optical ¿ber communications), 5 (Satellite communications) and 6 (Mobile cellular communications). Quantum concepts are covered in chapters 7 to 15 with chapters 7 (Wave-particle duality), 8 (The wave function and solutions of the Schrodinger equation in different systems), 9 (Introduction to the structure of the atom), Introduction to materials science I, II, III and IV, in four chapters: 10 (I: Crystal structure), 11 (II: Phonons), 12 (III: Electrons) and 13 (IV: Magnetic materials), 14 (Semiconductor devices), and 15 (Quantum Optics). Statistical concepts are covered in chapters 16 to 19, with chapters 16 (Introduction to statistical mechanics), 17 (Statistical mechanics distribution functions, covering Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics, Fermi-Dirac statistics and Bose-Einstein statistics), 18 (Transport theory) and 19 (Phase transitions). Finally, chapter 20 (Relativity) where Galilean, Special and General Relativity are discussed.