Concepts in Thermal Physics [Paperback]

Stephen Blundell (Author), Katherine Blundell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198567707 | ISBN-13: 978-0198567707 | Publication Date: October 12, 2006

An understanding of thermal physics is crucial to much of modern physics, chemistry and engineering. This book provides a modern introduction to the main principles that are foundational to thermal physics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The key concepts are carefully presented in a clear way, and new ideas are illustrated with copious worked examples as well as a description of the historical background to their discovery. Applications are presented to subjects as diverse as stellar astrophysics, information and communication theory, condensed matter physics and climate change. Each chapter concludes with detailed exercises.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With so many results derived from so few assumptions, it is important that the presentation be clear and logical. Concepts in Thermal Physics by Stephen J. Blundell and Katherine M. Blundell fulfills that need admirably, and their textbook will be very useful for an undergraduate course in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics."--Physics Today

About the Author

Professor Stephen J. Blundell
Department of Physics
Clarendon Laboratory
University of Oxford
Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3PU Stephen Blundell did his undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at Peterhouse, Cambridge and his Ph. D. in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. He moved to the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford to take up an SERC research fellowship, followed by a Junior Research Fellowship at Merton College, where he began research in organic magnets and superconductors using muon-spin rotation. In 1997 he was appointed to a University Lectureship in the Physics Department and a Tutorial Fellowship at Mansfield College, Oxford, and was subsequently promoted to Reader and then Professor. He was a joint winner of the Daiwa-Adrian Prize in 1999 for his work on organic magnets.

Dr Katherine Blundell
Department of Astrophysics
Keble Road
Oxford
OX1 3RH Katherine Blundell did her undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at New Hall College, Cambridge and her Ph. D. in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. She moved to Oxford University Astrophysics department, holding a Junior Research Fellowship at Balliol College, an 1851 Research Fellowship, before taking up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Her research concentrates on radio galaxies and quasars. In 2005 she won a Leverhulme prize for her research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198567707
• ISBN-13: 978-0198567707
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best textbook I ever had (so far), November 19, 2008

By 

Bekah (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Concepts in Thermal Physics (Paperback)

I love this book. Its funny, clear, exciting, and a good read.

The concepts actually make sense. And it is all cut up into sizable little chapters, with important concepts summarized at the end of each chapter.

This is the best textbook I've ever had.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Statistical Thermodynamics, April 29, 2008

By 

Abid (Beltsville, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concepts in Thermal Physics (Paperback)

The advantage of the text is that its an easy read. The chapters are short, the mathematics is elementary (multi-variable calculus is the supremum of what one should know) and the concepts are readily available to one willing to stop and think (as opposed to one who wishes to be fed directly).
However, there are points where the author discusses topics repeatedly at an almost childish level. Moreover, there exists many errors within the text. Though most are minor and sort of obvious, they are rather annoying. The end of chapter problems are mostly mathematical manipulations. There are of course problems that test one's conceptual understanding of the material; however, the subject is mathematical in nature and the concepts are relatively babyish.
Reading through chapters 1-30, my opinion of the text is that its a great buy if one wishes to see the subject through a mathematical lens (which is hopefully the case).

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for understanding concepts, August 24, 2011

By 

Dan "Proud Parent" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Concepts in Thermal Physics (Paperback)

I would rate this one of the better undergraduate physics books. Why? Because it most effectively teaches and stresses the important physics behind thermodynamics; this is something that most textbooks don't do. Once the physics are learnt and deeply understood, going up to higher level books is easy. Having said that, the book could be improved by the authors having given more (at least 2x as many) questions as they have in the current book.