Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light: An Excursion to the Wave-Particle Duality and the Special Theory of Relativity

Ralph Baierlein

Cambridge University Press, 1992 - Science - 329 pages

This engaging text takes the reader along the trail of light from Newton's particles to Einstein's relativity. Like the best detective stories, it presents clues and encourages the reader to draw conclusions before the answers are revealed. The first seven chapters cover the behavior of light, Newton's particle theory, waves and an electromagnetic wave theory of light, the photon, and wave-particle duality. Baierlein goes on to develop the special theory of relativity, showing how time dilation and length contraction are consequences of the two simple principles underlying the theory. An extensive chapter derives the equation E = mc2 clearly from first principles and then explores its consequences.

Contents

• Newtons particle theory: 33
• A wave theory of light: 59
• Interference: 80
• Electromagnetic waves: 106
• The photon: 141
• The waveparticle duality: 161
• Does the speed of light depend on the motion of: 176
• The principles of the Special Theory of Relativity: 183
• The Lorentz transformations: 285
• Space and time: 302
• Appendix A Energy: 310
• More about Emc˛: 319
• Index: 326

About the author

RALPH BAIERLEIN received his PhD from Princeton University; his thirty seven years of classroom teaching were spent at Harvard and at Wesleyan University, Connecticut. He has published papers in astrophysics, cosmology and relativity theory. For eight years he served as book review editor of the American Journal of Physics, and has written many papers related to the teaching of physics. In 1996 he was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light: An Excursion to the Wave-Particle Duality and the Special Theory of Relativity; Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light : an Excursion to the Wave-particle Duality and the Special Theory of Relativity, Ralph Baierlein
• Author: Ralph Baierlein
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1992
• ISBN: 0521423236, 9780521423236
• Length: 329 pages
• Subjects: Science / Physics / Condensed Matter; Science / Physics / General; Science / Physics / Optics & Light; Science / Physics / Relativity