导语

  

内容提要

  

    詹姆斯·C.麦克斯韦(James clerk Maxwell，1831—1879)，英国物理学家、数学家，经典电动力学的创始人，统计物理学的奠基人之一。
    麦克斯韦在1873年出版的科学名著《电磁学通论》，系统、全面、完美地阐述了电磁场理论，被尊为继牛顿《自然哲学的数学原理》之后的一部最重要的物理学经典。《电磁学通论》共4篇，分为两卷。第一卷内容包括：绪论、静电学和动电学；第二卷内容包括：磁学和电磁学。
    麦克斯韦被普遍认为是对物理学的发展最有影响的物理学家之一。没有电磁学就没有现代电工学，也就不可能有现代文明。
    本书是第一卷。

    詹姆斯·克拉克·麦克斯韦(James Clerk Maxwell，1831—1879)，英国物理学家、数学家，主要从事电磁理论、分子物理学、统计物理学、光学、力学、弹性理论等方面的研究。尤其是他建立的电磁场理论，将电学、磁学、光学统一起来，成为19世纪物理学发展的最光辉成果，是科学史上最伟大的综合之一。
    麦克斯韦预言了电磁波的存在，他的理论预见后来得到了充分的实验验证。造福人类的无线电技术，就是以电磁场理论为基础发展起来的。麦克斯韦大约于1855年开始研究电磁学，在前人成就的基础上，对整个电磁现象进行了系统、全面的研究，凭借他高深的数学造诣和丰富的想象力接连发表了电磁场理论的三篇重要论文：《论法拉第的力线》《论物理的力线》《电磁场的动力学理论》，对前人和他自己的工作进行了综合概括，将电磁场理论用简洁、对称、完美的数学形式表示出来，经后人整理和改写，成为经典电动力学主要基础的麦克斯韦方程组。1865年在他预言电磁波存在的同时，提出电磁波只可能是横波，推导出电磁波的传播速度等于光速；并得出结论，光是电磁波的一种形式，揭示了光现象和电磁现象之间的联系。麦克斯韦在热力学与统计物理学方面也做出了重要贡献，他是气体动理[学理]论的创始人之一。
    麦克斯韦被普遍认为是对物理学的发展最有影响的物理学家之一。没有电磁学就没有现代电工学，也就不可能有现代文明。

PRELIMINARY.
   ON THE MEASUREMENT OF QUANTITIES.
  1". The expression of a quantity consists of two factors, the numerical value, and the name of the concrete unit
  2. Dimensions of derived units
  3-5. The three fundamental units Length, Time and Mass
  6. Derived units
  7. Physical continuity and discontinuity
  8. Discontinuity of a function of more than one variable
  9. Periodic and multiple functions
  10. Relation of physical quantities to directions in space
  11. Meaning of the words Scalar and Vector
  12. Division of physical vectors into two classes, Forces and Fluxes
  13. Relation between corresponding vectors of the two classes
  14. Line-integration appropriate to forces, surface-integration to fluxes
  15. Longitudinal and rotational vectors
  16. Line-integrals and potentials
  17. Hamilton's expression for the relation between a force and its potential
  18. Cyclic regions and geometry of position
  19. The potential in an acyclic region is single valued
  20. System of values of the potential in a cyclic region
  21. Surface-integrals
  22. Surfaces, tubes, and lines of flow
  23. Right-handed and left-handed relations in space
  24. Transformation of a line-integral into a surface-integral
  25. Effect of Hamilton's operation □ on a vector function
  26. Nature of the operation
PART I.
  ELECTROSTATICS.
  CHAPTER I.
  DESCRIPTION OF PHENOMENA.
  27. Electrification by friction. Electrification is of two kinds, to which the names of Vitreous and Resinous, or Positive and Negative, have been given..
  28. Electrification by induction
  29. Electrification by conduction. Conductors and insulators
  30. In electrification by friction the quantity of the positive electrification is equal to that of the negative electrification
  31. To charge a vessel with a quantity of electricity equal and opposite to that of an excited body
  32. To discharge a conductor completely into a metallic vessel
  33. Test of electrification by gold-leaf electroscope
  34. Electrification, considered as a measurable quantity, may be called Electricity
  35. Electricity may be treated as a physical quantity
  36. Theory of Two fluids
  37. Theory of One fluid
  38. Measurement of the force between electrified bodies
  39. Relation between this force and the quantities of electricity
  40. Variation of the force with the distance
  41-42. Definition of the electrostatic unit of electricity. -- Its dimensions
  43. Proof of the law of electric force
  44. Electric field
  45. Electric potential
  46. Equipotential surfaces. Example of their use in reasoning about electricity
  47. Lines of force
  48. Electric tension
  49. Electromotive force
  50. Capacity of a conductor
  51. Properties of bodies. -- Resistance
  52. Specific Inductive capacity of a dielectric
  53. 'Absorption' of electricity
……
PART Ⅱ ELECTROKINEMATICS