Matter and Motion

What is motion? What is force? How does energy behave? In this landmark work, James Clerk Maxwell—one of the greatest physicists of the nineteenth century—takes you to the bedrock of physical reality. With extraordinary clarity, he explains the fundamental concepts that govern everything from the swing of a pendulum to the orbit of a planet: kinematics, the laws of motion, gravitation, the conservation and transfer of energy, and the constitution of matter itself. This modern-English edition removes the obstacles of archaic grammar and period style while preserving Maxwell's precise reasoning and quiet elegance. Whether you are a student, a curious reader, or someone returning to the classics, this volume offers a direct encounter with one of the most lucid scientific minds ever to write. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.