Theoretical Concepts in Physics: An Alternative View of Theoretical Reasoning in Physics

589 Pages·2003·17.63 MB·English

by  Malcolm S. Longair

TheroeticlC aonceptsi nP hsyisc
AnA ltertniavVeie wo fT heoeritclaR eansniogi nP hysics
Ah igohrliyng oivanneaidlln ,t eagprparttotoeah dce hor reeatsiiopcnnyha islsniT .gch is
boiolkl utmhisenue abcfjtotr emt s hp ee rsoprfee cpathliy avspseir cascb tyrsi erescae.hd
scnist.etiI istis n ttebonae ds eudp ptltoeh fimeney aneltoa afrun sn dercgoruairdnsu ea te
phiycassna ds stuhmtaehrtsee ahdasesor gm reao usfnp i vpeyhirs.scB isymt eyao nafs
sieerossfe vceasnst eeu std,haie u tchovonerty hesex ciotrfee mrsecaenhnatd d io svcery,
highltihigenh tctteisulntaglgrleg ut laoet stu anidne rossfto aomntfedh m ieont dsg i fficult
concipenhp iytcTsssh c.ea ssteeu csdo imptrhoiers ioegNf ie now'ssntl aowgf r atviiotna,
Maxe'wsle lqouanltsiai,rna enndo n-rml eicnheaaandndyi nciasctm sh,e rmmioacdnsyd n a
statpiyhssstit,ihco cera iolgtf ih cneos n ocqfeu patsn ptlear c,eti litaavyai,ng de nreerlaal­
tiavnicdto ys gmyTo.hla eop pritoshas eca ahmts eh iatnthh ei gahclcylfi areisdmtie tdi on,
buttht eeh xabtsee cno mprleevtaienmsldaey nnd ye t woi pcisn terdo.d uc
LON gradiuenacl tteerpdoh nyfisorcimt c hUsen ivoeSfrAtsn idtriyen w s
MALe0 L M GA IR
169.3H ec omphliPesht i.etnDdhR . ea dAisot ryGo rnoooutmfphC ea veLnadrbiaostho ry,
UnivoeCfra smibtriy1in 6d 97Fg.re o,16m 9t8 1o 6 9h9ew a asR oySacotliEy ex change
Vistitoth Loeer b eIdnesvtM iotswuc.Hto ehe ab,sen ae ne xchvainstgitoeth U oeSRr S
SpaRceresc eIhan sotnsi itsbxuus tueeeqo nccta nsasin hodah sev liidts pirneosgsfo rships
aitn stainotdbeu srtveastt horroituehgUsehS oAFur.to 1 8m9t0 1o 9 90h,eh e tlhjdieo n t
poosAfts st roRnooyfmaoSelrocr t lRaengPdir,euo ossfors Af s tryoo tfnh Uoenm iversity
oEfd biunragnDhdi roetfch tReoo yrOa belsr v,aE tdoirnHybeuw raDgseh p.Hu etoayfd
thCea veLnadbioswrhia sttephocl rri eyas pofnrots htieeb aioclpfhiyh itsnyfiog rcm 1s 99 1
t1o99 a7n hdab senH e eoatfdhC ea veLnadbiossrhia 1nt99co7Her.ei ya s l aPs roeo sfisaolr
FelolCfolr wHae a Clalm,ib d.rPg reeosfLsoonrhg aarsie rcm eainavywera dd,i s ncluding
thfierB srti tAawanrfnrdoti hcDeaie smsinoaLfte rianoainnnt dghE en riocLhfeim i fenn t
Febr1u89a6Ir.Dny e m cbe1e9r90h ,ed elitvhsereeeri oseRf do yIanls tCihtruitsitomna s
LcetufrroY euosnP ge oopntl eesl ieoovtnnih t eoi 'pchT oer iogofiu unrns is 'veH.eewr as
madaCe B iEtn h 2e0 M0i0el nlnhiounmlo iuPsrretsoos .fLrs o nsgp ariirrms'earercayh
intaerrieten hs fiete solh fdgis he nearsgtyyrs oaipncahdss tyrsoicpcomhasoollgH yeh. a s
wrintutmeebnro kooasun osdv 2 e5jru0 or anractlloi ehnsi r ssere cawho rk.

Theoretical Concepts
in hysics
An Alternative View of
Theoretical Reasoning in Physics
MALCOLM S. LONGAIR
CAMB RID GE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
PTUhBPLeIi SBHtEutDBi Ygl TT,HdE ri PuRnEmSpSS iYSNnDtIgrCtCAeToaeEOn mtF bT,Hr E iUNdIVgEKeRiS,In TgYOU Fdn CoAiMmtB ReIDdG E
CTAhMEBeRdI DiGnEU bNBIuuVrEiRgSlIhCdT YPai RmnESbgSr ,Ci Bd22g RUe,U K
40W es2t0 Stthr NeeewYto r,k N,Y 1 00114-211U,S A
47W7i lmlsitaoRwonaP do,Mr etl rbnoVeuI,3C 02 7A,u stralia
RuidzeA lar1c,32o 08n1 M4a drSipda,i n
DocHko useW,a tTrehorenCf ta,pT eo w8n0 10S,o uAtrfhi ca
http:./c/awdmwgbwer.iorg
MalcLoolnmg 1a89i42r,0 03
©
Thbioso ikisc n o pyrSiugbhjtteos.c t ta teuxtcoerpyt ion
antdto h per oviosrfie olnecsvol alenctlt iicveean gsrienegm ents,
nor eprodoufac nptyai mroatnty a pklea wciet hout
thwer itpteernm iosfs iCoanm UbnriivdegPrers eistsy.
Fiprusbte ldi1 8s94h
Secoednidpt uiboln2i 0s0h3ed
Prinittneh de Uniteadtt h UKeni invgedProrsmeCi satsmy,b ridge
1j;peafceTsi mNeeswR omaMnT1 /01p3ta nFdr utigSysetre BmT EX28 ][
TB
Ac atalroegcfuoorert dh biosoi kas vaiflroambt lhBeer itLiisbhr ary
Liabryro fC ongrCeastsa loignPu uibnlgi dcaattai on
LonagiMr.,S 1.49,-1
Theorceotniccieapnplh t yssa inac lst:e rvniaeotwfti hveeoc rarelet aisoipnnih nygs ics
1
MalcSoL.lo mn g-a[2inredd ] ..
p. cm.
Inclbuidbelsi ogrreerafepnhacineicdsna dle x
ISNB 5028121 626I S-NB0 2515827X8( paperback)
1M.a thempahtyisciIaTc.lis t.l e.
QC2.06L42 00533 .01-1d c22007230612
ISB0N5 28121 626h ardback
ISB0N5 125 827X8p aperback
For
Deboarh

Contents
Pfraecaena dc leod1gns0et wmle paxgve
1 1
Introduction
1.An1 expfrlot ahrneea atdieorn 1
12.H otwh biosco akam beo ut 4
13. wAa rtntoih rneeg a der 5
14.T hnea toupfrh eya sntidhc eso prheytsiiccasl
6
15.T hien fluoeofnu ecrne v ironment 7
Thpel oatfnhb eo ok 9
1.6
17. oAolpgainewdso rodefsn rcaoguement 10
18.R eefrences 10
13
CaseS tudIy Theo rigionfNs e wtonl'asw osf m otioann do fg ravity
11.R eefrence 14
2 15
FromP tolemtyoK eple-rt heC opernicraenv olution
21.A nchiiesntto ry 15
2.T2hC eo perrenvioclaunt ion 18
23.T cyho -Btrhlaeooh rUfedr aniborg 21
2.J4o haKnenpaelnhsede vr ae hnalrym onies 25
2.R5ee frences 32
3 34
Galilaenod tnhaet uroeft hep hysicsacli ences
3.I1nt roduction 34
32.G aillaeasone xrpielpnheynstailc ist 34
33.G aill'teseo lpeidscic socoveries 40
34.T htero iGfala li- ltehhoee oatfrh mtea tter 42
35.T hter oiGfaa ll ileo 47
3.G6a lrileltaeiavni ty 48
37.R eflections 50
3.R8ee frences 52
Vll
viii Conetnts
4 53
Newtoann dt hel awo fg ravity
41.I ntroduction 53
4.L2i nco1l46n21s- h6ire 53
4.C3a mb1r66i15d- ge 54
4.L4i onlhcni1sr66e-5 7 54
4.C5a mb1r66i-7d69g e 60
4.N6e wtthaoeln chemist 62
4.T7hi en teropafrn ecttiaeeatxnnitttdosh n e scriptures6 5
4.L8o n1d96o-6n71 27 67
4.R9ee frences 68
AppetnCodh ia4xpN :to etorenc s o sneiccat nicdoe nnostr rbailt s 68
A4.E1q uaftroci nooisnccest ions 68
A4.K2pe lsle araw'nspd nl eatmaortyi on 72
A4.R3u thsecraftotredr ing 74
77
CaseS tudy Maxwelle'qsu ations
II
5 79
Theo rigoifn Maxweelqlu'as tions
5.H1o iwt b eaglaln 79
52. MicFhaare-almd aatyhc ewsmi attmhiaotuthtei mcas 82
5.H3o Mwa xlwdlee rtiheveqe uda frtot iheoecln tesr omfiaeglnde tic8 8
54. HeinHreiratcntzhdhd eiv secoroefyl reocmtawganveetsi c 98
5.R5e flections 100
5.R6ee frences 120
AppetnCodh iax5pU :ts eenrno lotlvne e sc ftioerl ds 130
A5.T1h dei gveentrcheea onrSdete most k'he orem 130
A5.R2e sruellttatosth deeid ve entrchgee orem 130
A5.R3e sulttSost eor'stke hleaotreedm 150
A5.V4ce tfoirwe ilstdephsc piraolp erties 150
A5.V5ce toopre riavnta orcrioosor udssi ynsatteem s 160
A5.V6ce toopre raandtdio srpsre erlsaitoino ns 180
A5.H7o twro e tlhadffetie er eexnsptsrn ifesroo t hmea gnfieetplirdcos d uced
byc urrents 190
6 141
How tor ewrittheeh istoorfye lectromagnetism
61. Introduction 141
6.M2a xe'wleslq uaatassi eoovtfne sce tqoura tions 151
6.G3a u'tssh seioenrcl etemr omagnetism 151
6.T4i me-infildedeascps oe ennrsdvefianetstoli ffdvro eec 171
6.B5on udacroyn diienetl citornosm agnetism 171
6.A6m p'elsra ew 121
6.F7a r'alsda awy 121
6.T8hs et sofora yr 122