Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

The handy physics answer book, Paul W. Zitzewitz

eng

Completely updated to tackle the big issues such as gravity, magnetism, sound, and what really happens in the Large Hadron Collider, this engaging look at physics also spells out why cats always land on their feet, why people appear to have red eyes in photographs, and the real danger of looking at an eclipse

Includes bibliographical references

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

The handy physics answer book

electronic resource eBook

bibliographydictionaries

Paul W. Zitzewitz

The handy ... answer book

About the Author -- Photo Creditsr -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- SYMBOLS -- GLOSSARY -- THE BASICS -- What is Physics? -- Measurement -- Careers in Physics -- Famous Physicists -- The Nobel Prize -- MOTION AND ITS CAUSES -- What is Motion? -- Force and Newton's Laws of Motion -- MOMENTUM AND ENERGY -- Momentum -- Energy -- STATICS -- Center of Gravity -- Statics -- Bridges and Other "Static" Structures -- FLUIDS -- What is a Fluid? -- Water Pressure -- Blood Pressure -- Atmospheric Pressure -- Sinking and Floating: Buoyancy -- Fluid Dynamics: Hydraulics and Pneumatics -- Aerodynamics -- The Sound Barrier -- Supersonic Flight -- THERMAL PHYSICS -- What is Thermal Physics -- Thermal Energy -- Temperature and Its Measurement -- Absolute Zero -- States of Matter -- Heat -- Thermodynamics -- WAVES -- What is a Wave? -- Water Waves -- Electromagnetic Waves -- Communicating with Electromagnetic Waves -- Putting Information on Electromagnetic Waves -- Microwaves -- The Principle of Superposition -- Resonance -- Impedance -- The Doppler Effect -- Radar -- NEXRAD Doppler Radar -- Radio Astronomy -- SOUND -- What is Sound? -- Speed of Sound -- Hearing -- Ultrasonics and Infrasonics -- Intensity of Sound -- Acoustics -- Musical Acoustics -- Noise Pollution -- LIGHT -- What is Optics -- The Speed of Light -- Polarization of Light -- Opaque, Transparent, and Translucent Materials -- Shadows -- Reflection -- Mirrors -- Refraction -- Lenses -- Fiber Optics -- Diffraction and Interference -- Color -- Rainbows -- Eyesight -- Cameras -- Telescopes -- ELECTRICITY -- What is Electrostatics? -- Leyden Jars and Capacitors -- Van de Graaf Generators -- Lightning -- Safety Precautions -- Current Electricity -- Resistance -- Superconductors -- Ohm's Law -- Electric Power and Its Uses -- Circuits -- AC/DC -- Series/Parallel Circuits -- Electrical Outlets -- MAGNETISM -- What is Magnetism? -- Electromagnetism -- Electromagnetic Technology -- Magnetic Fields in Space -- WHAT IS THE WORLD MADE OF? -- What is matter? -- What happened to Democritus's and Aristotle's ideas? -- How did chemistry contribute to the acceptance of atoms? -- Who really discovered oxygen? -- Who introduced the modern chemical symbols? -- How did Dalton represent atoms? -- Are atoms indivisible? -- How was the "electrical atom" - the electron - discovered? -- What is the charge and mass of an electron? -- What is the structure of the atom? -- Are there problems with Rutherford's model? -- In what ways do atoms emit and absorb light? -- What is a spectrum and what are continuous and line spectra? -- How can the emission and absorption of light by atoms be explained? -- Is light a wave or a particle? -- Does light interact with an atom as a wave or a particle? -- Are emission and absorption the only ways light interacts with an atom? -- AT THE HEART OF THE ATOM -- What makes up the nucleus? -- Do all elements have a fixed number of protons and neutrons? -- How do the numbers of protons and neutrons in nuclei compare? -- What holds a nucleus together? -- How were the details of the strong force determined? -- What rays do radioactive materials emit? -- What contributions did Marie and Pierre Curie make? -- What is a half life? -- How is radioactive decay used to determine dates? -- Are there uses for alpha decay? -- How did the study of beta decay result in the discovery of a new particle? -- What nuclear force is responsible for beta decay? -- What is the origin of gamma rays? -- What is antimatter? -- How is antimatter used in medicine? -- What elements beyond uranium have been discovered? -- What is the Island of Stability? -- What is nuclear fission? -- How was nuclear fission discovered? -- Did physicists recognize the military uses of fission? -- UNANSWERED QUESTIONS -- Beyond the Proton and Neutron -- Entanglement, Teleportation, and Quantum Computing -- The Structure and End of the Universe

Physics answer book