Customer Reviews

Schaum's Outline of Electromagnetics

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book does what my class book (Hayt) doesn't--give a plethera of worked problems. I sit in class and watch my prof prove theorems, read Hyat's book that discusses the "why", and had difficulties pulling it all together. I NEEDED EXAMPLE PROBS! Schaum's proved extremely beneficial to me and I will probably not take any more EE courses without it as a supplement. If you need to look at detailed example problems to study and do your homework, this book is a no brainer if you want to pass this difficult topic.

This is an excellent source of problems if you are an undergraduate electrical engineering student enrolled in a class concerned with electromagnetics, which is probably one of the toughest courses you'll face as an undergraduate. Although the selection of problems is excellent, there is something to be desired with the explanation sections of most chapters. The author makes numerous references in equations to vectors that he fails to identify either verbally, or with a diagram. Also, I thought there were insufficient diagrams to adequately convey the concepts being presented.

I also thought it was odd that the first chapter was dedicated to such an elementary concept as vector analysis when there are much more complex mathematical concepts such as multivariable calculus and partial differential equations being used throughout the book that are not given an explanation. If you are studying electromagnetics, the best textbook out there is "Engineering Electromagnetics" by Nathan Ida. Ida explains absolutely everything about electromagnetics, and the problems in this Schaum's outline complement both the material and the problems in that book very well. The last few chapters in this Schaum's are on antennas and waveguides. It is a nice overview, but it is a somewhat shallow treatment.

A good supplement for that material is a 1968 Schaum's outline that is now out of print - "Schaum's Outline on the Theory and Problems of Transmission Lines" (ISBN 0070107475). It contains complete treatments of impedance and admittance matching topics, Smith chart fundamentals, plus many good worked examples and practice problems. The only drawback of this older outline is that the techniques used don't incorporate more of the modern numerical methods that are now more prevalent.

Schaum's Outlines are generally a little bit better in explaining theory on the subject the book is about. In this book, that might be lacking. So, by all means, this book is NOT a substitute for a textbook...BUT it has tons of worked problems and that really helps in a class like this one. For me, this book was very helpful. I still give it a thumbs up for that reason.

Electromagnetism is a hard subject for many people, including myself. Schaums Outline of Electromagnetics, by Edminister, is an outstanding collection of problems and solutions more even when a companion in Electromagnetics using Mathcad, the leading technical calculation software. The big advantage of the interactive Outline is its use of LiveMath. You can change the starting parameters of a problem and watch as graphs are calculated in front your eyes.

The student will find this is an exciting tool for exploring the universal laws governing electromagnetic waves and for gaining intuition about how various parameters affect the solution to problems.

Finally, I am sure that the educator in physics and engineering will find a comprehensive selection of laboratory and homework exercises in Mathcad, with plenty of room for creativity and expansion.

I purchased this outline as a supplement for a class text Fundamentals of Electromagnetics, By Karl Lonngren. The information is a significant help and the instructor actually recommended this outline as he uses some of the problems as assignments. This is a great study aid. The only difference between the outline and the text are some of the variables are different and the chapters don't line up perfectly. I am happy with the purchase though. It's always great to see several different examples worked out so you can recognize what's going on.

I find this book useful in reviewing the concepts learned in class. The step-by-step solved problems help give additional practice for exams. A must-have tool for succeeding in electromagnetics!!!

It is a nice book if you need help with your exercises, but not if you need to LEARN the fundamentals of Electromagnetics.

This is a good source of examples for helping you get a start on your homework problems. Also, lots of good reference info.

The teacher chose a really sucky book for the course and this one helped out A LOT!

It appears that the author assumes readers will already have a good understanding of calculus, vectors, and a somewhat advanced knowledge of electrostatics and electromagnetism! Readers without this background will likely struggle with the material!

I have a reasonable background (to tertiary level) in mathematics and electrical engineering, but I still found this book difficult to follow in many parts!

The reviews of theory at the beginning of chapters, are a bit too brief and therefore difficult to understand!

Many solved calculations leave out intermediate steps, which makes it difficult to follow. The calculations should include all steps in their derivation and solutions, so that there would be no misunderstanding on how the solutions are determined.

Therefore, this edition is NOT recommended for most people. This book is apparently only suitable for people who have a thorough knowledge of electrostatics, electromagnetics, calculus, and vectors.

To make this book more practical and attractive to others, the material needs to be rewritten and expanded!