The Equations of Materials

This primer describes important equations of materials and the scientists who derived them. It provides an excellent introduction to the subject by making the material accessible and enjoyable. The book is dedicated to a number of propositions:

1. The most important equations are often simple and easily explained

2. The most important equations are often experimental, confirmed time and again

3. The most important equations have been derived by remarkable scientists who lived interesting lives.

Each chapter covers a single equation and materials subject, and is structured in three sections: first, a description of the equation itself
second, a short biography of the scientist after whom it is named
and third, a discussion of some of the ramifications and applications of the equation. The biographical sections intertwine the personal and professional life of the scientist with contemporary political and scientific developments.

Topics included are: Bravais lattices and crystals
Bragg's law and diffraction
the Gibbs phase rule and phases
Boltzmann's equation and thermodynamics
the Arrhenius equation and reactions
the Gibbs-Thomson equation and surfaces
Fick's laws and diffusion
the Scheil equation and solidification
the Avrami equation and phase transformations
Hooke's law and elasticity
the Burgers vector and plasticity
Griffith's equation and fracture
and the Fermi level and electrical properties.

The book is written for students interested in the manufacture, structure, properties and engineering application of materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors and composites. It requires only a working knowledge of school maths, mainly algebra and simple calculus.