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This book provides a chronological introduction to the electromagnetic theory of light, using selected extracts from classic texts such as Gilbert´s De Magnete, Franklin´s Experiments and Observations on Electricity , and Huygens´ Treatise on Light. Particular attention is given to the works of Faraday, Maxwell and Heaviside, scientists who unified the formerly separate disciplines of electricity, magnetism and light. Their electromagnetic theory-developed during the 19th century-would lead to the invention of modern radar, electrical power grids, and telecommunication networks.

Each chapter of this book begins with a short introduction followed by a reading selection. Carefully crafted study questions draw out key points in the text and focus the reader´s attention on the author´s methods, analysis and conclusions. Numerical and laboratory exercises at the end of each chapter test the reader´s ability to understand and apply key concepts from the text.

Electricity, Magnetism and Light is the third of four volumes in A Student´s Guide through the Great Physics Texts . This book grew out of a four-semester undergraduate physics curriculum designed to encourage a critical and circumspect approach to natural science while at the same time preparing students for advanced coursework in physics.

This book is particularly suitable as a college-level textbook for students of the natural sciences, history or philosophy. It can also serve as a textbook for advanced high-school or home-schooled students, or as a thematically-organized source-book for scholars and motivated lay-readers. In studying the classic scientific texts included herein, the reader will be drawn toward a lifetime of contemplation.

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Iron, Loadstones and Terrestrial Magnetism.- The Life and Death of a Magnet.- Conservation of Electrical Charge.- Muschenbroek´s Wonderful Bottle.- Thunder and Lightning.- Coulomb´s Law.- The Dawn of Electro-Magnetism.- Electric Currents, Magnetic Forces.- Work and Weight.- Kinetic and Potential Energy.- Conservation of Energy.- Geometric Optics.- The Wave Theory of Light.- Huygens´ Principle.- Reflection of Light Waves.- Opacity, Transparency and Snell´s Law.- Atmospheric Refraction.- The Particle Theory of Light.- Passive Laws and Active Principles.- Measuring Light´s Wavelength.- Films, Bubbles and Rainbows.- Producing and Detecting Polarization.- Crystal Symmetry and Light Rotation.- Light Scattering.- Induction of Electrical Currents.- Arago´s Mysterious Wheel.- Faraday´s Law.- The Magnetic Field.- Paramagnetism and Diamagnetism.- Action-at-a-Distance.- Maxwell´s Equations.- Propagating Electromagnetic Fields.- Circuits, Antennae and Radiation.- The Michelson-Morley Experiment.

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Dr. Kerry K. Kuehn is Professor in the Department of Physics at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is a member of the American Physical Society and is also an Advisory Council member for NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and Fidelitas (WLC Honors Program).

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