Matter and Motion.
by MAXWELL, J. Clerk
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1878. First American edition. Twelvemo (3 3/4 x 6 inches). 224 pp. Publisher's printed green boards. Some light professional spine repair. A very attractive copy.J. Clerk Maxwell, a Scotsman, was the greatest mathematical physicists since Newton. Maxwell’s first scientific paper appeared when he was just 14, which suggests that he was a tremendous mathematical prodigy. A friend of Maxwell's father was so impressed with it that he presented it to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He moved from one college to the next and was quite productive his entire life. Maxwell was the first to formulate, between 1860 and 1870, the four equations that describe the propagation of the electromagnetic field. " These equations are elegant and symmetrical, for he believed they should mirror the beauty of nature. Building on Michael Faraday’s previous studies, Maxwell was the first to demonstrate that the electric and magnetic fields could be unified into one field and that the energy of the electromagnetic field propagated through empty space as waves. In doing so, he developed a complementary look at the theory of light, which up until then had been predominantly interpreted as if light were made by particles."This primer on physics [Matter and Motion], written in 1877 [sic] by the most eminent physicist of the 19th century, is intended as a brief introduction to Newtonian mechanics for students and educated lay readers. Though by modern standards this small work covers no new ground, it attests to the logical rigor and powers of elucidation of a scientific genius, whose insights into electromagnetism and the chemistry of gases were pivotal to the great discoveries in physics during the 20th century. Einstein described Maxwell's influence on the scientific understanding of the physical universe as "the most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton." Maxwell's ideas also laid the groundwork for Max Planck's subsequent development of the quantum hypothesis" (publisher's blurb).
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Details
- Bookseller
- Nat DesMarais Rare Books, ABAA (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 75016
- Title
- Matter and Motion.
- Author
- MAXWELL, J. Clerk
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- D. Van Nostrand
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1878
Terms of Sale
Nat DesMarais Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Nat DesMarais Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2012
Portland, Oregon
About Nat DesMarais Rare Books, ABAA
Nat DesMarais Rare Books specializes in books on the Sierra Nevada (particularly Yosemite), the Mojave, and California books in general. We also deal in the art of the American West, voyages and travels and nineteenth century literature.
Glossary
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- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....