Best books on electromagnetism, electricity and magnetism?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for books on electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism, as well as classical mechanics. Participants express interest in both theoretical explanations and historical context regarding the discovery of these concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant is seeking books that clearly explain electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism, along with historical experiments related to these topics.
  • Several participants inquire about the original poster's level of knowledge and mathematical background to tailor recommendations.
  • The original poster indicates a limited understanding of the subject and a basic knowledge of calculus, expressing a desire for accessible and clear explanations in recommended books.
  • There is a suggestion that a foundational understanding of mechanics is necessary before tackling electromagnetism, with a recommendation of Halliday and Resnick as a potential resource.
  • Another participant mentions the availability of free textbooks in a related forum thread, suggesting alternatives for those who may not want to purchase books.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the need for a solid foundation in mechanics before studying electromagnetism, but there is no consensus on specific book recommendations beyond those mentioned.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not resolved which specific classical mechanics or electromagnetism books are best suited for the original poster's needs, and there are varying opinions on the prerequisites for understanding these subjects.

christian0710
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Hi, I'm looking for some great books clearly explaining how electricity, magnetism and electromagnetism Works.
I'm also looking for some books describing how it was discovered and what experiments have been performed in discovering how it Works,.

So Far I've looked at
Electromagnetism: Principles and Applications - Paul Lorrain 1979
Fundamentals of Electricity and Magnetism - Arthur Kipp (1962)
Magnetism: A Very Short Introduction - 2012 Stephen J.

I'm working on learning calculus, and looking for a good book on classical mechanics as well :)

I'd love some help finding some great books on this subject.
 
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What's your level of knowledge on the subject? How much mathematical knowledge do you have?
 
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axmls said:
What's your level of knowledge on the subject? How much mathematical knowledge do you have?

At the moment I have very Little knowledge on the subject, and know a bit of calculus, I just bought some books on calculus. I have close to no understanding of how the experiments Work and what rules/theories could be derived from the experiments that are made.
 
Have you had any mechanics courses--i.e. A first course in calculus-based physics?
 
axmls said:
Have you had any mechanics courses--i.e. A first course in calculus-based physics?
Actually not. I'd love to find a great book on that subject to. I don't know what classical mechanics book or Calculusbased- physics is good to get since there are so many to choose between. I love the books that are clear and asy to understand and give great epxplanations.
 
I recommend that. Any first course in electromagnetism will assume you know about mechanics. We used Halliday and Resnick at my school, so you can check that out, but if you don't want to pay, I'm sure there are some free textbooks out there in the "free physics books" thread on this forum.
 

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