The Electromagnetic Field

By Albert Shadowitz

Book Overview

This outstanding volume, designed for junior and senior undergraduates in physics or electrical engineering, is an unusually comprehensive treatment of the subject. The book begins with the basis of electric and magnetic fields and builds up to electromagnetic theory, followed by a number of related and subsidiary topics, including relativity. Chapter 1 gives a detailed treatment of the del operator with many examples. Chapters 2-7 cover magnetostatics and electrostatics, including Coulomb's law, electrostatic and magnetostatic curl in a vacuum, Gauss's law, electrostatic and magnetostatic divergence in a vacuum, and electrostatics and magnetostatics in matter. Chapter 8 is devoted to three special methods for solving various problems in electrostatics. Chapter 9 deals with metallic conduction, and chapter 10 is concerned with ferromagnetism. Chapter 11 discusses the basic phenomena associated with variations in time. Then chapter 12 treats electric circuits. After chapters on special relativity and the connection between electricity and magnetism, the last five chapters deal with waves of various kinds: plane waves, transmission lines, reflection and refraction, guided waves, and radiation. In each section of each chapter, there are several worked-out examples, illustrating practical applications of the preceding theory. In addition, each section concludes with a collection of 15 to 20 problems, resulting in a total of over 900 problems in the text, conveniently grouped by subject. Answers for the odd-numbered problems are provided at the back of the book. Professor Shadowitz (Fairleigh Dickinson University) is well known for his often novel perspective and his ability to bridge the world of the theoretical physicist and the practical electrical engineer. This well-written text, esteemed in the field for its original and interesting material, offers an excellent exhibition of his uncommon pedagogical skills.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486656608
• ISBN13: 9780486656601
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 768 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Electromagnetics Explained

"The Electromagnetic Field" is the best book on electromagnetics I have read. Shadowitz treats electrostatics and magneostatics in parallel which makes it easier to digest the information. Included also are two chapters on special relativity, an introduction to tensors and electrodynamics, and of course Maxwell's Equations. Answers to the odd number problems are in the back of the book which is extremely helpful for someone trying to learn this on their own. There is also a chapter on radiation which is one of the best introductions on the subject I have found. I would recommend if one can find it "Basic Electromagnetic Theory" by Demetrius Paris and F. Kenneth Hurd. It is a good supplemental text although not absolutely necessary. Also check out MIT Professor Walter Lewin's video lectures, they are very informative and fun. This book is very insightful and for the price it cannot be beat.

Cheap but good

You can't possibly get more for your money than this book. Don't let the price fool you - this is a well written book on electromagnetics.

Outstanding example of good pedagogy

Most EM texts out there are overpriced and underwritten. They use color drawings and shiny, glossy pages to make up for lack of content. Shadowitz's book is the exact opposite: it's a dover edition, which means it's cheap and doesn't look as good. But this is one of those cases in which you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.Shadowitz is everything a serious student would like: it covers 1st/2nd year electromagnetism with great detail. It covers many topics, from basic electrostatics and vector analysis, to radiation theory and special relativity. The explanations are always kept clear. A physical context is always provided. Many solved examples are scattered throughout the text. The problems are instructive and odd-numbered ones have solutions at the end of the book. I simply cannot feel sorry that not all books are as good as this one. Although with most Dover books you get what you pay for (which isn't much), this book is an exception. Even if you're studying advanced EM and are using, say, Jackson's text, Shadowitz's text makes a great companion.I have a few minor quibbles with the book, mainly its use of SI units, but Shadowitz provides appendices which explain how to convert between the various systems.

Great Reference Manual at Minimum

I am a graduate student in Physics and have found this to be a wonderful reference manual to the "Jackson" graduate text. Shadowitz offers great explanations for sometimes complicated mathematical terms. Additionally, he gives valuable, indepth examples for tensors and makes no illogical or complicated jumps in his derivations of other mathematical formulae.

Great exposition of material and overabundant detail.

Book goes beyond classical text(state theory, give minimal amount of related examples, move on, etc..) Author is an educator(not just an instructor) and the strengths of the book are in the extent to which he attempts(and succeeds) to illuminate the subject so that every facet of it is clearly revealed. Well Done!