This well-established and widely adopted book, now in its Sixth Edition, provides a thorough analysis of the subject in an easy-to-read style. It analyzes, systematically and logically, the basic concepts and their applications to enable the students to comprehend the subject with ease. The book begins with a clear exposition of the background topics in chemical equilibrium, kinetics, atomic structure and chemical bonding. Then follows a detailed discussion on the structure of solids, crystal imperfections, phase diagrams, solid-state diffusion and phase transformations. This provides a deep insight into the structural control necessary for optimizing the various properties of materials. The mechanical properties covered include elastic, anelastic and viscoelastic behaviour, plastic deformation, creep and fracture phenomena. The next four chapters are devoted to a detailed description of electrical conduction, superconductivity, semiconductors, and magnetic and dielectric properties. The final chapter on 'Nanomaterials' is an important addition to the sixth edition. It describes the state-of-art developments in this new field. This eminently readable and student-friendly text not only provides a masterly analysis of all the relevant topics, but also makes them comprehensible to the students through the skillful use of well-drawn diagrams, illustrative tables, worked-out examples, and in many other ways. The book is primarily intended for undergraduate students of all branches of engineering (B.E./B.Tech.) and postgraduate students of Physics, Chemistry and Materials Science. KEY FEATURES � All relevant units and constants listed at the beginning of each chapter � A note on SI units and a full table of conversion factors at the beginning � A new chapter on 'Nanomaterials' describing the state-of-art information � Examples with solutions and problems with answers � About 350 multiple choice questions with answers