Great Experiments in Physics: Firsthand Accounts from Galileo to Einstein

by Morris H. Shamos (Editor)

From Galileo's famous experiments in accelerated motion to Einstein's revolutionary theory of relativity, the experiments recorded here trace the evolution of modern physics from its beginnings to the mid-twentieth century. Brought together for the first time in one volume are important source readings on 25 epochal discoveries that changed man's understanding of the physical world. The accounts, written by the physicists who made them,
Isaac The Laws of Motion
Henry The Law of Gravitation
Augustin The Diffraction of Light
Hans Christian Elecromagnetism
Heinrich Electromagnetic
James The Neutron
Niels The Hydrogen Atom,
and 17 more.
Morris H. Shamos, Professor Emeritus of Physics at New York University, has selected and edited the first published accounts of these important experiments and has also added numerous marginal notes that amplify and clarify the original documents. Moreover, the first 19 experiments can be readily re-created by students in a first-year physics course, making the book ideal for classroom and laboratory work as well as individual reference and study.
Finally, Dr. Shamos has provided revealing biographical sketches of the scientists and illuminating references to the political and cultural milieu in which the discoveries are made. The result is a superbly readable presentation — accessible to lay readers — of the crucial theoretical and empirical breakthroughs that altered the course of modern science.

Genres: Science, Physics, History Of Science, History, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1987

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assigned as a textbook, turned out to be very interesting. Gives a lot of insight into the workings of scientific minds and the methodologies some of the great minds used.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautiful book, each chapter is dedicated to one physicist and his scientific discovery. Each chapter starts with a biographic sketch of the scientist, and the context in which the scientific discovery is set, typically involving an experiment. This is followed by a second section with an excerpt of original text in which Shamos introduces clarifying side comments. Profuse original illustrations are included, which are very helpful. I'd say that the Physics level needed to comprehend this book is first-year college.

I read this 1959 book (or some parts, at least) shortly before or during my doctorate. It had been recommended to me by a friend I made then, M.P.S.S.P. (long name, even for a Spaniard!). I have recently gone back to it to read about Millikan's famous oil drop experiment. In doing so, I came to realize that this book, like so many others aiming to be inspirational to young scientists, are not historically rigorous, in that they portray Science as an epic lived by solitary individuals in a quest for truth.

However, many of the scienstists who have been glorified in the past for making key contributions to the advancement of Science owed at least some of their success to the support from other scientists who helped them, but whose name was kept in the shadow, as they were of lower rank. Millikan's experiment, for example, received key input from Harvey A. Fletcher, then a graduate student of Millikan. We should, therefore, probably refer to the Millikan-Fletcher experiment rather than the Millikan experiment. Another fact of old fashionness is the complete lack of any women in this book; e.g. Marie Curie. True there aren't too many other examples of Physics women that could be fit within the scope of the book.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's exactly like you think it would be:
Each chapter has a few pages of historical introduction, followed by (selections from) a landmark scientific paper. There are plenty of editor's notes that explain archaic word usage, or translate the ideas into modern notation.

I liked that I got an idea of what Galileo's Dialogue was like, without having to slog through the whole thing.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating!