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Special Relativity (The M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series) [Paperback]

A.P. French (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 17, 1968 0393097935 978-0393097931

The M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series is the result of a program of careful study, planning, and development that began in 1960.

The education Research Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (formerly the Science Teaching Center) was established to study the process of instruction, aids thereto, and the learning process itself, with special reference to science teaching at the university level. Generous support from the National Science Foundation and from the Kettering, Shell, Victoria, W. T. Grant, and Bing Foundations provided the means for assembling and maintaining an experienced staff to cooperate with members of the Institute's Physics Department in the examination, improvement, and development of physics curriculum materials for students planning a career in the sciences.

After careful analysis of objectives and the problems involved, preliminary versions of textbooks were prepared, tested through classroom use at M.I.T. and other institutions, re-evaluated, rewritten, and tried again. Only then were the final manuscripts undertaken.

In general the books in the series will be brief. Most may be covered in a single term or less. Each will be available in either cloth or paper binding. Their brevity and structure (as well as their reasonable price) will make it possible for teachers to select topics and organize courses according to individual needs and preferences.


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Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (August 17, 1968)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0393097935
  • ISBN-13: 978-0393097931
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple introduction to a very complicated subject, July 16, 2002
This review is from: Special Relativity (The M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series) (Paperback)
This book was extremely helpful when I was taking a class on special relativity. The author introduces new concepts and rules in a very logical order, and the examples clearly illustrate the material. The book is written very clearly, especially for such a complicated subject. The problems in the back of every chapter allow you to test yourself and make sure you have grasped the material, since some of them have answers in the back of the book. Overall, a great book to either teach special relativity to yourself, or as a companion for a special relativity class.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive treatment and historical perspective, August 21, 2003
By 
Samuel Lowenstein (New York, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Special Relativity (The M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series) (Paperback)
If you are looking for the fastest way to learn and use special relativity (this is not about general relativity as the previous reviewer says), this is not the best book to use.

After an introductory chapter 1, which quickly previews much of the later material, French systematically analyzes the many observations and contradictions (the Michelson-Morley experiment just one of them), astronomical and laboratory, about the behavior of light that fitted neither an ether-wave model or a particle model. We are thus lead to a deeper appreciation for Einstein's insight and genius in his creation of the special theory of relativity; it was much more than just an extension of the Lorentz-transformations.

French is a master at his subject, and his systematic elucidation will reward the reader with a deep understanding. His problems are very well designed, and he provides answers which is always very helpful in learning.

If you have some time, and would like also to gain historical perspective about what it was like to struggle for a consistent theory in a mass of contradictory observations from the world view of Newtonian mechanics, I highly recommend this book.

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you need to learn special relativity, April 29, 2006
By 
Vahit Sametoglu (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Special Relativity (The M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series) (Paperback)
"Special relativity" is discussed in many classical mechanics, electromagnetism and quantum / modern physics textbooks. You may learn different aspects of this subject from these books.

This book is specifically designed and written for those who want to learn special relativity comprehensively from one single source.

The book starts with the basics of the theories behind special relativity with simple arguments and plain language. In the first 5 chapters, you learn the mechanical fundamentals of special relativity. The examples and end-of-chapter problems are very useful and instructive. Furthermore, the answers to all problems are given in back of the book as well, which enables you to check your answers. Starting from chapter 6, more advanced topics are introduced, like momentum, energy, basic electromagnetism and so forth. Again, the problems should be solved by students in order to gain a thorough comprehension of the subject matter. The diagrams and pictures in the book are also very helpful to understand the concepts.

The bibliography at the end of the book can be used to consult for further discussions, because special relativity has many applications in various areas of physics.

To sum up, this book, all by itself, can be used to learn and understand special relativity very well in a short period of time, because it is concise, simple, effective, pedagogically well-prepared and very suitable for self-study. You do not need any other fancy, expensive book. A.P. French does an excellent job in laying out the principles of special relativity with illustrative examples and problems. It deserves every penny you paid.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
WHAT IS IT that you first think of when you see or hear the word relativity? Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
moving source charge, stationary source charge, stationary test charge, moving test charge, aberration angle, stellar aberration, instantaneous rest frame, magnetic force exerted, different inertial frames, own rest frame, retarded position, relativistic dynamics, time dilation, stationary charges, fringe shift, net charge density, incident proton, stationary particle, ultimate speed, relativistic kinematics, relativity principle
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Albert Einstein, Education Development Center, Van de Graaff, Combining Eqs, Oxford Univ
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