Books in the Student Physics Series series

The following four chapters provide solutions of Maxwell's equations for the propagation of electro magnetic waves in free space, in dielectrics, across interfaces and in conductors respectively.

On the one hand the classical explanation is in terms of classical concepts: electric charge q, electric and magnetic fields (E and B) and electric currents. Although this text is primarily concerned with classical explanations in a logical, self-consistent sequence, they are related to microscopic (quantum) explanations at each stage.

At the present time, even though superseded on the very small scale by quantum theory and on the very large scale by the theory of relativity, the mechanics of Newton is perfectly adequate for treating a wide spectrum of problems from the * '"etic theory of gases to the motion of space vehicles.