This book is a translation of the 6th to 8th edition of the author's Kleines Lehrbuch der Physik. The circle of readers to which it hopes to appeal and the author's purpose in writing it have been set out in the Preface to the first German edition, published in 1948. The present book consistently follows the principles of the theory of quantities, the beginnings of which date back to James C. Maxwell. This means that in all equations in this book the symbols invariably stand for physical quantities and not for the numerical values of quantities. Only then are the equations gene rally valid and independent of the choice of units used in their evaluation. The units used are always the "metric" units which have been gaining ground increasingly also in the English-speaking countries. A conversion table for some of the more important Anglo-American units is given on page XIV. I would like to record my sincere gratitude to Mr. Ewald Osers for his pains taking work in making this translation and to Mr. P. C. Banbury, Ph. D., of the Department of Physics, University of Reading, England, both for the advice he has given hirn throughout and for devising the problems specially for this edition.

Following the discovery of the Higgs boson, Frank Close has produced this major revision to his classic and compelling introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe.

Enables readers to easily understand the basics of solid state physics Solid State Physics is a successful short textbook that gives a clear and concise introduction to its subject. The presentation is suitable for students who are exposed to this topic for the first time. Each chapter starts with basic principles and gently progresses to more advanced concepts, using easy-to-follow explanations and keeping mathematical formalism to a minimum. This new edition is thoroughly revised, with easier-to-understand descriptions of metallic and covalent bonding, a straightforward proof of Bloch's theorem, a simpler approach to the nearly free electron model, and enhanced pedagogical features, such as more than 100 discussion questions, 70 problems--including problems to train the students’ skills to find computational solutions--and multiple-choice questions at the end of each chapter, with solutions in the book for self-training. Solid State Physics introduces the readers to: Crystal structures and underlying bonding mechanisms The mechanical and vibrational properties of solids Electronic properties in both a classical and a quantum mechanical picture, with a treatment of the electronic phenomena in metals, semiconductors and insulators More advanced subjects, such as magnetism, superconductivity and phenomena emerging for nano-scaled solids For bachelor’s students in physics, materials sciences, engineering sciences, and chemistry, Solid State Physics serves as an introductory textbook, with many helpful supplementary learning resources included throughout the text and available online, to aid in reader comprehension.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.