Continuing to take readers on a uniquely accessible journey through physics, Superstrings and Other Things: A Guide to Physics, Third Edition, explains the basic concepts of motion, energy, and gravity, right up to the latest theories about the structure of matter, the origin and structure of the universe, and the beginning of time. Fully updated throughout, this book explores major historical discoveries and the scientists behind them. In addition, this comprehensive text details the breathtaking frontiers of physics being explored today. Offering nonscience students access to the highest peaks of physics, Dr. Calle translates concepts so they can be appreciated by those with willing curiosity and imagination.
Additional content, including a solutions manual for instructors, can be found on the CRC Press website: www.crcpress.com/9781138364882
Features
Provides up-to-date coverage of modern physics,
Offers nonscience students and laymen access to the highest peaks of physics,
Showcases modern applications of physics in our everyday world.
Dr. Carlos I. Calle is a NASA senior research scientist and the founder and director of NASA’s Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center. He holds a doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from Ohio University. Dr. Calle has been working on the physical properties of the lunar and Martian soil and is currently designing and building instrumentation for future planetary exploration missions. As one of the world experts on the electrostatic properties of the lunar and Martian dust, he has been working on methods to keep dust from the spacesuits and equipment being planned for the lunar exploration missions. He is also involved in applying physics solutions to increase the safety of spaceflight. He is the recipient of numerous NASA awards, including the NASA Exceptional Technological Achievement Medal in 2010 and the Spaceflight Awareness Award in 2003 for exceptional contributions to the space program. He has more than 170 scientific publications, 5 books, and several patents.
Author(s): Carlos I. Calle
Edition: 3
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: xx+454
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Author
Part I: Introductory Concepts
Chapter 1 Physics: The Fundamental Science
What is Physics?
The Scientific Method: Learning from Our Mistakes
Physics and Other Sciences
Sizes of Things: Measurement
Fundamental Units
Physics and Mathematics
Questions
References
Part II: The Laws of Mechanics
Chapter 2 The Description of Motion
Understanding Motion
Uniform Motion
Average Speed
Instantaneous Speed
Velocity: Speed and Direction
Vectors
Acceleration
Uniformly Accelerated Motion
Falling Bodies
The Motion of Projectiles
Questions
Reference
Chapter 3 The Laws of Mechanics: Newton’s Laws of Motion
The Concept of Force
The Ancient Idea of Motion
The Birth of Modern Science
Galileo Formulates the Law of Inertia
Newton’s First Law: The Law of Inertia
Newton’s Second Law: The Law of Force
Newton’s Third Law: The Law of Action and Reaction
Questions
References
Chapter 4 Energy
What is Energy?
The Concept of Work
Units of Work and Energy
The Concept of Energy
Energy of Motion
Energy of Position
Elastic Potential Energy
The Work–Energy Theorem
Conservative and Nonconservative Forces
Questions
Reference
Chapter 5 Conservation of Energy and Momentum
Transformation of Energy
The Principle of Conservation of Energy
The Energy of Mass
Efficiency
Power
Impulse and Momentum
Conservation of Momentum
Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
Cannons and Rockets
Questions
Chapter 6 Rotation and the Universal Law of Gravitation
Rotational Motion
Torque and Angular Momentum
Centripetal Acceleration
Satellites
Origins of Our View of the Universe
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
Spacecraft and Orbital Motion
Questions
References
Part III: The Structure of Matter
Chapter 7 Atoms: Building Blocks of the Universe
The Underlying Structure of Matter
The Atomic Hypothesis
Early Concept of the Atom
First Models of the Atom
Waves and Quanta
The Bohr Model of the Atom
Compounds
Questions
References
Chapter 8 The Heart of the Atom: The Nucleus
Raw Material: Protons and Neutrons
The Composition of the Nucleus
The Glue That Keeps the Nucleus Together
Size and Shape of the Nucleus
Nuclear Energy Levels
Questions
References
Chapter 9 Fluids
States of Matter
Density
Pressure
Atmospheric Pressure
Pressure in a Liquid
Buoyancy
Surface Tension and Capillarity
Fluids in Motion
The Human Cardiovascular System
Questions
Reference
Part IV: Thermodynamics
Chapter 10 Heat and Temperature
Heat as a Form of Energy
Measuring Temperature
Temperature and Heat
Heat Capacity
Heat of Fusion and Heat of Vaporization
Evaporation and Boiling
Humidity
Thermal Expansion
The Unusual Expansion of Water
Questions
References
Chapter 11 The Laws of Thermodynamics
The Four Laws of Thermodynamics
The Ideal Gas Law
The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
The First Law of Thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
The Third Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy and the Origin of the Universe
Entropy and the Arrow of Time
Questions
Reference
Part V: Electricity and Magnetism
Chapter 12 Electricity
Electromagnetism
Electric Charge
Coulomb’s Law
The Electric Field
The Fundamental Charge
Electric Potential
Storing Electrical Energy
Questions
References
Chapter 13 Applied Electricity
Conductors and Insulators
Electric Current and Batteries
Ohm’s Law
Simple Electric Circuits
Resistor Combinations
Electrical Energy and Power
Semiconductors
Superconductors
Questions
Chapter 14 Electromagnetism
The Discovery of Magnets
The Magnetic Field
Electric Currents and Magnetism
A Moving Charge in a Magnetic Field
Particle Accelerators
Magnetism of the Earth
The Source of Magnetism
Faraday’s Law of Induction
Motors and Generators
Maxwell’s Equations
Questions
References
Part VI: Waves
Chapter 15 Wave Motion
The Nature of Waves
Properties of Waves
Diffraction
The Principle of Superposition
Constructive and Destructive Interference
Standing Waves
Resonance and Chaos
Water Waves
Seismic Waves
Questions
Chapter 16 Sound
The Nature of Sound
The Speed of Sound
Intensity of Sound Waves
The Ear
The Sound of Music
Musical Instruments
The Doppler Effect
Shock Waves
Ultrasound
Questions
Chapter 17 Optics
Waves of Light
Reflection of Light
Reflection from Mirrors
Curved Mirrors
Refraction of Light
Lenses
Total Internal Reflection
Fiber Optics
Optical Instruments
The Camera
The Telescope
The Human Eye
Questions
Reference
Chapter 18 The Nature of Light
The Wave Nature of Light
The Speed of Light
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Color
Spectra: The Signature of Atoms
Young’s Experiment
Polarization
Lasers
Holography
Questions
References
Part VII: Modern Physics
Chapter 19 The Special Theory of Relativity
Galilean Relativity
The Michelson–Morley Experiment
Einstein’s Postulates
Time Dilation
Simultaneity
Length Contraction
Addition of Velocities
E = mc[sup(2)]
Questions
References
Chapter 20 The General Theory of Relativity
The Principle of Equivalence
Warped Space-Time Continuum
The Bending of Light
The Perihelion of Mercury
The Gravitational Time Dilation
Black Holes
Questions
References
Chapter 21 The Early Atomic Theory
The Physics of the Atom
Black Body Radiation
The Photoelectric Effect
The Bohr Model of the Atom Revisited
De Broglie’s Waves
Quantum Mechanics
Questions
Chapter 22 Quantum Mechanics
The Beginnings of Quantum Mechanics
The New Mechanics of the Atom
Wave Mechanics
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
The New Physics
Questions
References
Chapter 23 Nuclear Physics
Beyond the Atom
Radioactivity
Alpha Decay
Beta Decay
Gamma Decay
Half-Life
Nuclear Reactions
Nuclear Energy: Fission and Fusion
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear Fusion
Applications of Nuclear Physics
Radioactive Dating
Biological Effects of Radioactivity
Questions
Chapter 24 Elementary Particles
Antimatter
The Fundamental Forces
Exchange Forces
Pions
Particle Classification: Hadrons and Leptons
Conservation Laws
Strange Particles
Quarks
Particles with Charm
Three Generations
Questions
References
Chapter 25 Unifying Physics
Symmetry
Global and Local Symmetries
The Brout–Englert–Higgs Mechanism
The Electroweak Unification
The Color Force
The Standard Model
An Attempt at a Third Unification
Questions
Reference
Chapter 26 Superstrings
The Hierarchy Problem
Supersymmetry
Superstrings
M-Theory
Hidden Dimensions
Questions
Chapter 27 The Origin of the Universe
The Origin of the Universe
The First Moments of the Universe
Dark Matter
Dark Energy
The Multiverse
A Cyclic Universe
Questions
Appendix A: Powers of Ten
Appendix B: The Elements
Appendix C: Nobel Prize Winners in Physics
Appendix D: Physics Timeline
Glossary
Index
