Solutions to LE. Irodov’s Problems in General Physics Volume I Mechanics e Heat e Electrodynamics SECOND EDITION ABHAY KUMAR SINGH Director Abhay’s |.1,T. Physics Teaching Centre Patna-6 cBs CBS PUBLISHERS & DISTRIBUTORS 4596/1A, 11 DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI - 110 002 (INDIA)Dedicated to my Teacher Prof. (Dr.) J. Thakur (Department of Physics, Patna University, Patna-4) ISBN : 81-239-0399-5 First Edition : 1995 Reprint : 1997 Second Edition : 1998 Reprint : 2000 Reprint : 2001 Reprint : 2002 Reprint : 2003 Reprint : 2004 Reprint : 2005 Copyright © Author & Publisher All rights reserved. No part of this book may. be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Published by S.K. Jain for CBS Publishers & Distributors, 4596/1A, 11 Darya Ganj, New Delhi - 110 002 (India) Printed at : : India Binding House, Delhi - 110 032FOREWORD Science, in general, and physics, in particular, have evolved out of man’s quest to know beyond unknowns. Matter, radiation and their mutual interactions are basically studied in physics. Essentially, this is an experimental science. By observing appropriate phenomena in nature one arrives at a set of rules which goes to establish some basic fundamental concepts. Entire physics rests on them. Mere knowledge of them is however not enough. Ability to apply them to real day-to-day problems is required. Prof. Irodov’s book contains one such set of numerical exercises spread over a wide spectrum of physical disciplines. Some of the problems of the book long appeared to be notorious to pose serious challenges to students as well as to their teachers. This book by Prof. Singh on the solutions of problems of Irodov’s book, at the outset, seems to remove the sense of awe which at one time prevailed. Traditionally a difficult exercise to solve continues to draw the attention of concerned persons over a sufficiently long time. Once a logical solution for it becomes available, the difficulties associated with its solutions are forgotten very soon. This statement is not only valid for the solutions of simple physical problems but also to various physical phenomena. Nevertheless, Prof. Singh’s attempt to write a book of this magnitude deserves an all out praise. His ways of solving problems are elegant, straight forward, simple and direct. By writing this book he has definitely contributed to the cause of physics education. A word of advice to its users is however necessary. The solution to a particular problem as given in this book is never to be consulted unless an all out effort in solving it independently has been already made. Only by such judicious uses of this book one would be able to reap better benefits out of it. As a teacher who has taught physics and who has been in touch with physics curricula at 11.T., Delhi for over thirty years, I earnestly feel that this book will certainly be of benefit to younger students in their formative years. Dr. Dilip Kumar Roy Professor of Physics Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi New Delhi-110016.