Commonly Asked Questions in Physics 1st Edition by Andrew Rex (PDF)

Description

In the 300 years since Newton’s seminal work, physics has explained many things that used to be mysterious. Particularly in the last century, physics has addressed a range of questions, from the smallest fundamental particles to the large-scale structure and history of the entire universe. But there are always more questions.Suitable for a wide audience, Commonly Asked Questions in Physics covers a broad scope of subjects, from classical physics that goes back to the age of Newton to new ideas just formulated in the twenty-first century. The book highlights the core areas of physics that predate the twentieth century, including mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and thermodynamics. It also focuses on modern physics, covering quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, fundamental particles, and relativity.Each chapter explains the numbers and units used to measure things and some chapters include a “Going Deeper” feature that provides more mathematical details for readers who are up to the challenge. The suggested readings at the end of each chapter range from classic textbooks to some of the best books written for the general public, offering readers the option to study the topic in more depth. Physics affects our lives nearly every day—using cell phones, taking x-rays, and much more. Keeping the mathematics at a very basic level, this accessible book addresses many physics questions frequently posed by physics students, scientists in other fields, and the wider public.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐As a science nerd from way back, the recent uptick in interest in all things technical warms my heart. This book largely fans those flames, with a few caveats for non-scientific readers.The book starts with classical mechanics, but covers a wide range of topics – matter and energy, atoms and solar systems, particles and waves (with some discussion of dual-nature implications). The writing is mostly accessible, with some topic headings that were clearly intended to appeal to a lay audience – “What does your blood pressure mean?,” “What makes an atomic bomb work?” (Don’t get your hopes up – the book won’t help you build one.). There are lots of real-world examples used throughout, including everything from curve balls to x-rays.Lay audience notwithstanding, however, the explanations in the text refer to things like polar coordinates and partial differentials, with the assumption that the reader knows what those are, and the formulas use Greek letters freely (for readers who aren’t up on their rho’s and tau’s, it will be helpful to print out a Greek alphabet for reference while reading, if only so you know how to pronounce the equations). As a visual thinker, I do wish there had been more diagrams, or even a video. (Maybe a companion guide viewable on a 3D device?).Looking at the book with an editor’s eye, I was sad to find some typos of the type that a spell-check program would miss (including a figure reference in Chapter 4 that I’m pretty sure was off), and some odd sequencing of topics – in particular, the text discusses quantum mechanics before optics and atoms, which, among other things, meant that diffraction gratings were referred to before they were introduced. There is an index, which helps somewhat, but I wish there had also been a glossary. The chapter on quantum mechanics is one of the harder ones, and I also wound up completely confused at one point while reading it, until I realized that the “K” I was reading in the current equation meant “kinetic energy,” while the previous “K” had meant “Kelvin.” It helps to take frequent contemplation and comprehension breaks.Foibles notwithstanding, I found this to be an interesting and valuable work, and a bit of a brain workout (NTTAWWT).

⭐This book addresses over 250 scientific subjects in ten categories such as classical mechanics, solids and fluids, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics. The author addresses somewhat simple subjects such as what is physics, velocity, force, fluids, and more complex subjects as What is Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, What is the Doppler Effect, and What does quantum mechanics tell us about hydrogen atoms. The book has some illustrations, many details even educated non-scientists do not know, and each section ends with a list of Further Readings.The book is very comprehensive and many people who secure it will want to save it as an excellent source for information when information is desired. However, because it is so comprehensive some people will find it to be too technical. They may also be put off by the formulas the author inserts. But even these people might want to ignore parts they are uninterested in and use the book for the information that satisfies them; this is usually in the beginning of each discussion.

⭐This is the kind of book I like to keep around the house for “incidental” reading – on an end table, in the bathroom, by my bedside. Its fun browsing in it, and it has offered a few surprising tidbits. It would also be a good item to give your kids as a supplement to their Physics texts at school – this offers quick, comprehensible answers to common questions while simultaneously whetting the appetite to do some research of your own.

⭐I thoroughly enjoyed Commonly Asked Questions in Physics, even though I’m a literary writer and not a scientist. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and easy to connect to everyday experience. It defines and explains those frightening-sounding terms like “spacetime” and “quark” that I’ve often heard but never understood, as well as giving information on the more practical things, like Wi-Fi and x-rays. The question and answer format makes it easy to skip around to topics that spark your interest without having to read through page by page. Each of the ten chapters deals with a big subject, with questions around that subject sprinkled through the chapter. You can really jump in and start reading wherever you want without becoming overwhelmed. A great introduction to physics for readers with a non-scientific background.

⭐This book is great. It covers so many different topics — some I didn’t even know where physics related! Before reading this book I did not have a strong understanding of physics, but I did find it interesting and I feel smarter after finishing it. I feel that I can relate more to my favorite show, Big Bang Theory, now 🙂 My favorite topic is “Why is the sky blue” relating to optics and light refraction. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something different. It is very well written. Easy to understand yet still very intelligent content. 5 stars from start to finish!

⭐This book was a lot of fun to read!! It covers a range of topics from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics, with clear explanations that make difficult concepts a lot easier to understand. I particularly liked that this book addresses the physics behind everyday things, such as “Why is the sky blue?”, “How do CD and DVD players work?”, and “How are music and musical harmonies made?” But, for the physics enthusiasts (like me!), it also covers the crazier phenomena of the universe, like black holes, superfluids, gravitational waves, quantum tunneling, neutrino oscillations, dark matter/energy, etc. It’s even explained why Pluto was declassified as a planet. Very cool book.

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