The Experimental and Historical Foundations of Electricity Translated
I wish to share some good news with you.
I published in 2010 the book The Experimental and Historical Foundations of Electricity. This book has now been translated to Russian by a colleague of mine, Arthur Baraov, utilizing my LaTeX files. It has just been published
in Canada by Apeiron Press. The English and Russian versions are freely available in PDF format (6 Mb) at:
http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Electricity.pdf
and
http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Electricity-in-Russian.pdf
The book describes the main experiments and discoveries in the history of electricity. It begins with the amber effect, which is analogous to the usual experiment of attracting small pieces of paper with a plastic comb rubbed in hair. This work explains how to build several instruments: versorium, electric pendulum, electroscope and charge collectors. We discuss electric attraction and repulsion, positive and negative charges, and the ACR mechanism (attraction, communication of electricity, and repulsion). The book analyzes the concepts of conductors and insulators, together with the main differences in the behaviours of these two kinds of substances. All experiments are clearly described and performed with simple, inexpensive materials. These experiments lead to clear concepts, definitions, and laws describing these phenomena. Historical aspects are presented, together with relevant quotations from the main scientists. The book presents an exhaustive analysis of the work of Stephen Gray (1666-1736), the great British scientist who discovered conductors and insulators, together with some of their main properties. A large bibliography is included at the end of the work.
Videos of experiments inspired by this book have been made in Italy by Pietro Cerreta of the organization ScienzaViva:
http://www.scienzaviva.it/Esperimenti_elettrostatica_2014.php
The printed books in English and in Russian can be ordered through Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Experimental-Historical-Foundations-Electricity/dp/0986492639
and
http://www.amazon.com/Experimental-historical-foundations-electricity-Russian/dp/099204569X
Sincerely yours, Andre Assis
—————–
Andre Koch Torres Assis
Email: assis@ifi.unicamp.br
Institute of Physics
University of Campinas
13083-859 Campinas, SP
Brazil
Homepage: http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis