Understanding the Properties of Matter: 2nd Edition takes a unique phenomenological approach to the presentation of matter, materials, and solid-state physics. After an overview of basic ideas and a reminder of the importance of measurement, the author considers in turn gases, solids, liquids, and phase changes. For each topic, the focus is on "what happens." After a preliminary examination of data on the properties of matter, the author raises, then addresses a series of questions concerning the data. It is only in answering these questions that he adopts the theoretical approach to the properties of matter. This approach can reawaken in readers the fascination for the subject that inspired some of the greatest physicists of our age. Examples and extensive exercises reinforce the concepts. A supporting Web site furnishes for free download a plethora of additional materials, including: " Supplementary chapters on the band theory of solids and the magnetic properties of solids " Copies of all the data talbes used in the book, in PDF and spreadsheet formats " Enlarged copies of all figures " A simple molecular dynamics simulation " Animations uillustrating important featrues of key equations " Answers to the end-of-chapter exercises Understanding the Properties of Matter is an entertaining and innovative text accessible at the undergraduate level.

This book has been written for the students of B.Sc Physics of Various Indian Universities.

The ancient Greeks believed that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. By a remarkable coincidence (or perhaps not), today we know that there are four states of matter: solids (e.g. earth), liquids (e.g. water), gasses (e.g. air) and plasma (e.g. ionized gas produced by fire). The plasma state is beyond the scope of this book and we will only look at the first three states. Although on the microscopic level all matter is made from atoms or molecules, everyday experience tells us that the three states have very different properties. The aim of this book is to examine some of these properties and the underlying physics.

Defines matter and discusses its three states: solid, liquid and gas.

The book is a comprehensive work on Properties of Matter which introduces the students to the fundamentals of the subject. It adopts a unique 'ab initio' approach to the presentation of matter- solids, liquids and gasses- with extensive usage of Calculus throughout the book. For each topic, the focus is on optimum blend of theory as well as practical application. Examples and extensive exercises solved with the logarithms reinforce the concepts and stimulate the desire among users to test how far they have grasped and imbibed the basic principles. It primarily caters to the undergraduate courses offered in Indian universities.

Using the narrative voice of a student attending a science camp, this book delves into the properties of matter while engaging the readers in the process of scientific inquiry.

This is a new release of the original 1935 edition.