Fields of Force: The Development of a World View from Faraday to Einstein - Hardcover

Berkson, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470070293 ISBN 13: 9780470070291

Publisher: Halsted Press / John Wiley, 1974

Synopsis

The book reconstructs theoretical frameworks originally used in building up the concept of a field. It shows that the field of Faraday's electricity and the field of Einstein's relativity are distinct; although both make different assumptions about physical reality, Berkson suggests that the assumptions of either conception of the field still remain as plausible today as when first conceived. These separate field theories share at least one significant and testable difference in comparison with Newtonian physics: whereas Newton's action-at-a-distance occurs instantaneously, the field theories predict a propagation delay. Berkson explains that Faraday's prediction of a physically measurable propagation delay (finite velocity) from his own conception of a physical field permeating space is one important difference separating this idea from that of Newton's (infinite velocity).

Edition details

• Publisher: Halsted Press / John Wiley
• Publication date: 1974
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0470070293
• ISBN 13: 9780470070291
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 370