Top
Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
Purchase Benefits
Free Shipping On Orders Over $35!
Get Rewarded for Ordering Your Textbooks! Enroll Now
Customer Reviews Read Reviews
Write a Review
Looking to rent a book? Rent Understanding Physics [ISBN: 9780470746387] for the semester, quarter, and short term or search our site for other textbooks by Mansfield, Michael; O'Sullivan, Colm. Renting a textbook can save you up to 90% from the cost of buying.
Michael Mansfield is a professor in the Department of Physics at University College Cork (Ireland). Professor Mansfield was awarded a BSc and a PhD by Imperial College London (UK) and a DSc by the National University of Ireland. He has held research and teaching appointments at universities and research institutes in Italy, Germany, UK, and Ireland. At University College Cork, he heads an atomic and molecular / plasma physics diagnostics research programme. He has published more than 60 research and review papers in this area. He is a member of the Institute of Physics and the Irish Fusion Association.
Colm O'Sullivan is Associate Professor (Emeritus) in the Physics Department, University College Cork, Ireland. He was educated at the National University of Ireland and received his PhD at the Catholic University of America, Washington DC (USA). His research interests include cosmic ray astrophysics and physics Education. Professor O'Sullivan is also involved in the EU Leonardo da Vinci 2 (Community Vocational Training Action Programme). The main objective of the ComLab project is to integrate different tools in science and technology teaching. He is co-author with Michael Mansfield of the textbook Understanding Physics published by Wiley / Praxis (January 1998).
| Preface | |
| Understanding the physical universe | |
| The programme of physics | |
| The building blocks of matter | |
| Matter in bulk | |
| The fundamental interactions | |
| Exploring the physical universe: the scientific method | |
| The role of physics: its scope and applications | |
| Using mathematical tools in physics | |
| Applying the scientific method | |
| The use of variables to represent displacement and time | |
| Representation of data | |
| The use of differentiation in analysis: velocity and acceleration in linear motion | |
| The use of integration in analysis | |
| Maximum and minimum values of physical variables: general linear motion | |
| Angular motion: the radian | |
| The role of mathematics in physics | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| The causes of motion: dynamics | |
| The concept of force | |
| The first law of dynamics (Newton's first law) | |
| The fundamental dynamical principle (Newton's second law) | |
| Systems of units: SI | |
| Time dependent forces: oscillatory motion | |
| Simple harmonic motion | |
| Mechanical work and energy: power | |
| Energy in simple harmonic motion | |
| Dissipative forces: damped harmonic motion | |
| Forced oscillations | |
| Nonlinear dynamics: chaos | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Motion in two and three dimensions | |
| Vector physical quantities | |
| Vector algebra | |
| Velocity and acceleration vectors | |
| Force as a vector quantity: vector form of the laws of dynamics | |
| Constraint forces | |
| Friction | |
| Motion in a circle: centripetal force | |
| Motion in a circle at constant speed | |
| Tangential and radial components of acceleration | |
| Hybrid motion: the simple pendulum | |
| Angular quantities as vectors: the cross product | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Force fields | |
| Newton's law of universal gravitation | |
| Force fields | |
| The concept of flux | |
| Gauss' law for gravitation | |
| Motion in a constant uniform field: projectiles | |
| Mechanical work and energy | |
| Energy in a constant uniform field | |
| Energy in an inverse square law field | |
| Moment of a force: angular momentum | |
| Planetary motion: circular orbits | |
| Planetary motion: elliptical orbits and Kepler's laws | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Many-body interactions | |
| Newton's third law | |
| The principle of conservation of momentum | |
| Mechanical energy of a system of particles | |
| Particle decay | |
| Particle collisions | |
| The centre of mass of a system | |
| The two-body problem: reduced mass | |
| Angular momentum of a system of particles | |
| Conservation principles in physics | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Rigid body dynamics | |
| Rigid bodies | |
| Rigid bodies in equilibrium: statics | |
| Torque | |
| Dynamics of rigid bodies | |
| Measurement of torque: the torsion balance | |
| Rotation of a rigid body about a fixed axis: moment of inertia | |
| Calculation of moments of inertia: the parallel axis theorem | |
| Conservation of angular momentum of rigid bodies | |
| Conservation of mechanical energy in rigid body systems | |
| Work done by a torque: torsional oscillations: rotational power | |
| Gyroscopic motion | |
| Summary: connection between rotational and translational motions | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Relative motion | |
| Applicability of Newton's laws of motion: inertial reference frames | |
| The Galilean transformation | |
| The CM (centre-of-mass) reference frame | |
| Example of a noninertial frame: centrifugal force | |
| Motion in a rotating frame: the Coriolis force | |
| The Foucault pendulum | |
| Practical criteria for inertial frames: the local view | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Special relativity | |
| The velocity of light | |
| The principle of relativity | |
| Consequences of the principle of relativity | |
| The Lorentz transformation | |
| The Fitzgerald-Lorentz contraction | |
| Time dilation | |
| Paradoxes in special relativity | |
| Relativistic transformation of velocity | |
| Momentum in relativistic mechanics | |
| Four-vectors: the energy-momentum 4-vector | |
| Energy-momentum transformations: relativistic energy conservation | |
| Relativistic energy: mass-energy equivalence | |
| Units in relativistic mechanics | |
| Mass-energy equivalence in practice | |
| General relativity | |
| Simultaneity: quantitative analysis of the twin paradox | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Continuum mechanics: mechanical properties of materials | |
| Dynamics of continuous media | |
| Elastic properties of solids | |
| Fluids at rest | |
| Elastic properties of fluids | |
| Pressure in gases | |
| Archimedes' principle | |
| Fluid dynamics | |
| Viscosity | |
| Surface properties of liquids | |
| Boyle's law (Mariotte's law) | |
| A microscopic theory of gases | |
| The mole | |
| Interatomic forces: modifications to the kinetic theory of gases | |
| Microscopic models of condensed matter systems | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Thermal physics | |
| Friction and heating | |
| Temperature scales | |
| Heat capacities of thermal systems | |
| Comparison of specific heat capacities: calorimetry | |
| Thermal conductivity | |
| Convection | |
| Thermal radiation | |
| Thermal expansion | |
| The first law of thermodynamics | |
| Change of phase: latent heat | |
| The equation of state of an ideal gas | |
| Isothermal, isobaric and adiabatic processes: free expansion | |
| The Carnot cycle | |
| Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics | |
| The Helmholtz and Gibbs functions | |
| Microscopic interpretation of temperature | |
| Polyatomic molecules: principle of equipartition of energy | |
| Ideal gas in a gravitational field: the 'law of atmospheres' | |
| Ensemble averages and distribution functions | |
| The distribution of molecular velocities in an ideal gas | |
| Distribution of molecular speeds, momenta and energies | |
| Microscopic interpretation of temperature and heat capacity in solids | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Wave Motion | |
| Characteristics of wave motion | |
| Representation of a wave which is travelling in one dimension | |
| Energy and power in a wave motion | |
| Plane and spherical waves | |
| Huygen's principle: the laws of reflection and refraction | |
| Interference between waves | |
| Interference of waves passing through openings: diffraction | |
| Standing waves | |
| The Doppler effect | |
| The wave equation | |
| Waves along a string | |
| Waves in elastic media: longitudinal waves in a solid rod | |
| Waves in elastic media: sound waves in gases | |
| Superposition of two waves of slightly different frequencies: wave and group velocities | |
| Other waveforms: Fourier analysis | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Introduction to quantum mechanics | |
| Physics at the beginning of the twentieth century | |
| The blackbody radiation problem | |
| The photoelectric effect | |
| The X-ray continuum | |
| The Compton effect: the photon model | |
| The de Broglie hypothesis: electron waves | |
| Interpretation of wave-particle duality | |
| The Heisenberg uncertainty principle | |
| The wavefunction: expectation values | |
| The Schrödinger (wave mechanical) method | |
| The free particle | |
| The time-independent Shrödinger equation: eigenfunctions and eigenvalues | |
| The infinite square potential well | |
| The potential step | |
| Other potential wells and barriers | |
| The simple harmonic oscillator | |
| Further implications of quantum mechanics | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Electric currents | |
| Electric currents | |
| Force between currents | |
| The unit of electric current | |
| Heating effect revisited: electrical resistance | |
| Strength of a power supply: emf | |
| Resistance of a circuit | |
| Potential difference | |
| Effect of internal resistance | |
| Comparison of emfs: the potentiometer | |
| Multiloop circuits | |
| Kirchhoff's rules | |
| Comparison of resistances: the Wheatstone bridge | |
| Power supplies connected in parallel | |
| Resistivity | |
| Variation of resistance with temperature | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Electric fields | |
| The electric charge model | |
| Interpretation of electric current in terms of charge | |
| Electric fields: electric field strength | |
| Force between point charges: Coulomb's law | |
| Electric flux and electric flux density | |
| Electric fields due to systems of point charges | |
| Gauss' law for electrostatics | |
| Potential difference in electric fields: electric potential | |
| Acceleration of charged particles | |
| Dielectric materials | |
| Capacitors | |
| Capacitors in series and in parallel | |
| Charge and discharge of a capacitor through a resistor | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Magnetic fields | |
| Magnetism | |
| The work of Ampère, Biot and Savart | |
| Magnetic pole strength | |
| Magnetic field strength | |
| Ampère's law | |
| The Biot-Savart law | |
| Applications of the Biot-Savart law | |
| Magnetic flux and magnetic flux density | |
| Magnetic fields due to systems of poles | |
| Forces between magnets | |
| Forces between currents and magnets | |
| The permeability of vacuum | |
| Current loop in a magnetic field | |
| Magnetic dipoles and magnetic materials | |
| Moving coil meters and electric motors | |
| Magnetic fields due to moving charges | |
| Force on an electric charge in a magnetic field | |
| Magnetic dipole moments of charged particles in closed orbits | |
| Electric and magnetic fields in moving reference frames | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Electromagnetic induction: time-varying emfs | |
| The principle of electromagnetic induction | |
| Simple applications of electromagnetic induction | |
| Self-inductance | |
| The series L-R circuit | |
| Discharge of a capacitor through an inductor and resistor | |
| Time-varying emfs: mutual inductance: transformers | |
| Alternating current (a.c.) | |
| Alternating current transformers | |
| Resistance, capacitance and inductance in a.c. circuits | |
| The series L-C-R circuit: phasor diagrams | |
| Power in an a.c. circuit | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Maxwell's equations: electromagnetic radiation | |
| Reconsideration of the laws of electromagnetism: Maxwell's equations | |
| Plane electromagnetic waves | |
| Experimental observation of electromagnetic radiation | |
| The electromagnetic spectrum | |
| Polarisation of electromagnetic waves | |
| Energy, momentum and angular momentum in electromagnetic waves | |
| Reflection of electromagnetic waves at an interface between nonconducting media | |
| Electromagnetic waves in a conducting medium | |
| The photon model revisited | |
| Invariance of electromagnetism under the Lorentz transformation | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Optics | |
| Electromagnetic nature of light | |
| Coherence: the laser | |
| Diffraction at a single slit | |
| Two slit interference and diffraction: Young's double slit experiment | |
| Multiple slit interference: the diffraction grating | |
| Diffraction of X-rays: Bragg scattering | |
| The ray model: geometrical optics | |
| Reflection of light | |
| Image formation by spherical mirrors | |
| Refraction of light | |
| Refraction at successive plane interfaces | |
| Image formation by spherical lenses | |
| Image formation of extended objects: magnification | |
| Dispersion of light | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Atomic physics | |
| Atomic models | |
| The spectrum of hydrogen: the Rydberg formula | |
| The Bohr postulates | |
| The Bohr theory of the hydrogen atom | |
| The quantum mechanical (Schrödinger) solution of the one-electron atom | |
| The radial solutions of the lowest energy state of hydrogen | |
| Interpretation of the one-electron atom eigenfunctions | |
| Intensities of spectral lines: selection rules | |
| Quantisation of angular momentum | |
| Magnetic effects in one-electron atoms: the Zeeman effect | |
| The Stern-Gerlach experiment: electron spin | |
| The spin-orbit interaction | |
| Identical particles in quantum mechanics: the Pauli exclusion principle | |
| The periodic table: multielectron atoms | |
| The theory of multielectron atoms | |
| Further uses of the solutions of the one-electron atom | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Electrons in solids: quantum statistics | |
| Bonding in molecules and solids | |
| The classical free electron model of solids | |
| The quantum mechanical free electron model of solids: Fermi energy | |
| The electron energy distribution at 0 K | |
| Electron energy distributions at T > 0 K | |
| Specific heat and conductivity in the quantum free electron model | |
| The band theory of solids | |
| Semiconductors | |
| Junctions in conductors and semiconductors: p-n junctions | |
| The transistor | |
| The Hall effect | |
| Quantum statistics: systems of bosons | |
| Superconductivity | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Nuclear physics, particle physics and astrophysics | |
| Properties of atomic nuclei | |
| Nuclear binding energies | |
| Nuclear models | |
| Radioactivity | |
| a-, b- and g-decay | |
| Detection of radiation: units of radioactivity | |
| Nuclear reactions | |
| Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion | |
| Fission reactors | |
| Thermonuclear fusion | |
| Subnuclear particles | |
| The quark model | |
| The physics of stars | |
| The origin of the Universe | |
| Worked examples | |
| Problems | |
| Answers to problems | |
| Mathematical rules and formulas | |
| Some fundamental physical constants | |
| Some astrophysical and geophysical data | |
| Bibliography | |
| Index | |
| Inside front cover: Summary of notations used in text | |
| Inside back cover: The periodic table | |
| Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
Need Help? Copyright © 1999-2025
