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Physics for Nonphysicists

Author : Frank R. Spellman

Publisher : Government Institutes

Page : 282 pages

File Size : 41,7 MB

Release : 2009-06-16

Category : Science

ISBN : 0865871833

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Book Description

Environmental professionals who look beyond their specialties and acquire knowledge in a variety of sciences not only make solving on-the-job problems easier for themselves, but they also increase their employment opportunities. This fifth book in the 'non-specialist' series provides both professionals and students with a clear, concise overview of the most important aspects of physics in a way that anyone, even those who have never taken a formal physics course, can relate to. Starting with the basic principles of measurement, conversion factors, and math operations, the author explores the topics of motion and force, work and energy, gravity, atoms, heat, sound, light and color, and basic electricity. Each chapter examines the jargon, concepts, key concerns, and applications of physics in action and ends with a chapter review test.



Philosophy of Physics

Author : Tim Maudlin

Publisher : Princeton University Press

Page : 199 pages

File Size : 21,26 MB

Release : 2015-05-26

Category : Philosophy

ISBN : 0691165718

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Book Description

Philosophical foundations of the physics of space-time This concise book introduces nonphysicists to the core philosophical issues surrounding the nature and structure of space and time, and is also an ideal resource for physicists interested in the conceptual foundations of space-time theory. Tim Maudlin's broad historical overview examines Aristotelian and Newtonian accounts of space and time, and traces how Galileo's conceptions of relativity and space-time led to Einstein's special and general theories of relativity. Maudlin explains special relativity with enough detail to solve concrete physical problems while presenting general relativity in more qualitative terms. Additional topics include the Twins Paradox, the physical aspects of the Lorentz-FitzGerald contraction, the constancy of the speed of light, time travel, the direction of time, and more. Introduces nonphysicists to the philosophical foundations of space-time theory Provides a broad historical overview, from Aristotle to Einstein Explains special relativity geometrically, emphasizing the intrinsic structure of space-time Covers the Twins Paradox, Galilean relativity, time travel, and more Requires only basic algebra and no formal knowledge of physics



The Little Book of String Theory

Author : Steven S. Gubser

Publisher : Princeton University Press

Page : 183 pages

File Size : 21,83 MB

Release : 2010-02-08

Category : Science

ISBN : 1400834430

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Book Description

The essential beginner's guide to string theory The Little Book of String Theory offers a short, accessible, and entertaining introduction to one of the most talked-about areas of physics today. String theory has been called the "theory of everything." It seeks to describe all the fundamental forces of nature. It encompasses gravity and quantum mechanics in one unifying theory. But it is unproven and fraught with controversy. After reading this book, you'll be able to draw your own conclusions about string theory. Steve Gubser begins by explaining Einstein's famous equation E = mc2, quantum mechanics, and black holes. He then gives readers a crash course in string theory and the core ideas behind it. In plain English and with a minimum of mathematics, Gubser covers strings, branes, string dualities, extra dimensions, curved spacetime, quantum fluctuations, symmetry, and supersymmetry. He describes efforts to link string theory to experimental physics and uses analogies that nonscientists can understand. How does Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu relate to quantum mechanics? What would it be like to fall into a black hole? Why is dancing a waltz similar to contemplating a string duality? Find out in the pages of this book. The Little Book of String Theory is the essential, most up-to-date beginner's guide to this elegant, multidimensional field of physics.



Physics from Symmetry

Author : Jakob Schwichtenberg

Publisher : Springer

Page : 294 pages

File Size : 28,45 MB

Release : 2017-12-01

Category : Science

ISBN : 3319666312

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Book Description

This is a textbook that derives the fundamental theories of physics from symmetry. It starts by introducing, in a completely self-contained way, all mathematical tools needed to use symmetry ideas in physics. Thereafter, these tools are put into action and by using symmetry constraints, the fundamental equations of Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory, Electromagnetism, and Classical Mechanics are derived. As a result, the reader is able to understand the basic assumptions behind, and the connections between the modern theories of physics. The book concludes with first applications of the previously derived equations. Thanks to the input of readers from around the world, this second edition has been purged of typographical errors and also contains several revised sections with improved explanations.



Quantum Physics for Scientists and Technologists

Author : Paul Sanghera

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 544 pages

File Size : 11,70 MB

Release : 2011-03-08

Category : Computers

ISBN : 0470922699

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Book Description

Quantum Physics for Scientists and Technologists is a self-contained, comprehensive review of this complex branch of science. The book demystifies difficult concepts and views the subject through non-physics fields such as computer science, biology, chemistry, and nanotechnology. It explains key concepts and phenomena in the language of non-physics majors and with simple math, assuming no prior knowledge of the topic. This cohesive book begins with the wavefunction to develop the basic principles of quantum mechanics such as the uncertainty principle and wave-particle duality. Comprehensive coverage of quantum theory is presented, supported by experimental results and explained through applications and examples without the use of abstract and complex mathematical tools or formalisms. From there, the book: Takes the mystery out of the Schrodinger equation, the fundamental equation of quantum physics, by applying it to atoms Shows how quantum mechanics explains the periodic table of elements Introduces the quantum mechanical concept of spin and spin quantum number, along with Pauli's Exclusion Principle regarding the occupation of quantum states Addresses quantum states of molecules in terms of rotation and vibration of diatomic molecules Explores the interface between classical statistical mechanics and quantum statistical mechanics Discusses quantum mechanics as a common thread through different fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology Each chapter features real-world applications of one or more quantum mechanics principles. "Study Checkpoints" and problems with solutions are presented throughout to make difficult concepts easy to understand. In addition, pictures, tables, and diagrams with full explanations are used to present data and further explain difficult concepts. This book is designed as a complete course in quantum mechanics for senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students in non-physics majors. It also applies to courses such as modern physics, physical chemistry and nanotechnology. The material is also accessible to scientists, engineers, and technologists working in the fields of computer science, biology, chemistry, engineering, and nanotechnology.



Quantum Enigma

Author : Bruce Rosenblum

Publisher : Oxford University Press

Page : 300 pages

File Size : 28,22 MB

Release : 2011-08-01

Category : Science

ISBN : 019979295X

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Book Description

In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics, the most successful theory in science and the basis of one-third of our economy. They found, to their embarrassment, that with their theory, physics encounters consciousness. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, emphasizing what is and what is not speculation. Quantum Enigma's description of the experimental quantum facts, and the quantum theory explaining them, is undisputed. Interpreting what it all means, however, is heatedly controversial. But every interpretation of quantum physics involves consciousness. Rosenblum and Kuttner therefore turn to exploring consciousness itself--and encounter quantum mechanics. Free will and anthropic principles become crucial issues, and the connection of consciousness with the cosmos suggested by some leading quantum cosmologists is mind-blowing. Readers are brought to a boundary where the particular expertise of physicists is no longer the only sure guide. They will find, instead, the facts and hints provided by quantum mechanics and the ability to speculate for themselves. In the few decades since the Bell's theorem experiments established the existence of entanglement (Einstein's "spooky action"), interest in the foundations, and the mysteries, of quantum mechanics has accelerated. In recent years, physicists, philosophers, computer engineers, and even biologists have expanded our realization of the significance of quantum phenomena. This second edition includes such advances. The authors have also drawn on many responses from readers and instructors to improve the clarity of the book's explanations.



Beyond Weird

Author : Philip Ball

Publisher : University of Chicago Press

Page : 382 pages

File Size : 24,2 MB

Release : 2018-10-18

Category : Science

ISBN : 022655838X

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Book Description

“Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.” Since Niels Bohr said this many years ago, quantum mechanics has only been getting more shocking. We now realize that it’s not really telling us that “weird” things happen out of sight, on the tiniest level, in the atomic world: rather, everything is quantum. But if quantum mechanics is correct, what seems obvious and right in our everyday world is built on foundations that don’t seem obvious or right at all—or even possible. An exhilarating tour of the contemporary quantum landscape, Beyond Weird is a book about what quantum physics really means—and what it doesn’t. Science writer Philip Ball offers an up-to-date, accessible account of the quest to come to grips with the most fundamental theory of physical reality, and to explain how its counterintuitive principles underpin the world we experience. Over the past decade it has become clear that quantum physics is less a theory about particles and waves, uncertainty and fuzziness, than a theory about information and knowledge—about what can be known, and how we can know it. Discoveries and experiments over the past few decades have called into question the meanings and limits of space and time, cause and effect, and, ultimately, of knowledge itself. The quantum world Ball shows us isn’t a different world. It is our world, and if anything deserves to be called “weird,” it’s us.



Taking the Quantum Leap

Author : Fred A. Wolf

Publisher : Harper Collins

Page : 375 pages

File Size : 19,47 MB

Release : 2010-10-19

Category : Science

ISBN : 0062036394

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Book Description

World renowned physicist Fred Alan Wolf explains the scientific concepts of quantum mechanics in accessible language for nonscientists. Winner of the National Book Award Taking the Quantum Leap entertainingly traces the history of physics from the observations of the early Greeks through the discoveries of Galileo and Newton to the dazzling theories of such scientists as Planck, Einstein, Bohr, and Bohm. This humanized view of science opens up the mind-stretching visions of how quantum mechanics, God, human thought, and will are related, and provides profound implications for our understanding of the nature of reality and our relationship to the cosmos. “The prose, indeed, is exhilarating, and exhibits a passion to explain—humorously . . . Wolf provides commendable explanations of visions and revisions of atomic models; he is fin, in particular, on the Uncertainty Principle . . . Enjoy the book for its bravura.” —Kirkus Reviews



Quantum Sense and Nonsense

Author : Jean Bricmont

Publisher : Springer

Page : 289 pages

File Size : 26,36 MB

Release : 2017-10-27

Category : Science

ISBN : 3319652710

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Book Description

Permeated by the author's delightful humor, this little book explains, with nearly no mathematics, the main conceptual issues associated with quantum mechanics: The issue of determinism. Does quantum mechanics signify the end of a deterministic word-view? The role of the human subject or of the "observer" in science. Since Copernicus, science has increasingly tended to dethrone Man from his formerly held special position in the Universe. But quantum mechanics, with its emphasis on the notion of observation, may once more have given a central role to the human subject. The issue of locality. Does quantum mechanics imply that instantaneous actions at a distance exist in Nature? In these pages the author offers a variety of views and answers - bad as well as good - to these questions. The reader will be both entertained and enlightened by Jean Bricmont's clear and incisive arguments.



No-Nonsense Quantum Mechanics

Author : Jakob Schwichtenberg

Publisher : No-Nonsense Books

Page : 262 pages

File Size : 46,55 MB

Release : 2018-10-30

Category : Science

ISBN :

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Book Description

Learning Quantum Mechanics doesn’t have to be hard What if there was a way to learn Quantum Mechanics without all the usual fluff and mystification? What if there were a book that allowed you to see the whole picture and not just tiny parts of it? Thoughts like this are the reason that No-Nonsense Quantum Mechanics now exists. What will you learn from this book? Get to know the fundamental quantum features — grasp how different nature works at the level of elementary particles.Learn how to describe Quantum Mechanics mathematically — understand the origin and meaning of the most important quantum equations: the Schrödinger equation + the canonical commutation relations.Master the most important quantum systems — read step-by-step calculations and understand the general algorithm we use to describe them.Get an understanding you can be proud of — learn why there are alternative frameworks to describe Quantum Mechanics and how they are connected to the standard wave description. No-Nonsense Quantum Mechanics is the most student-friendly book on Quantum Mechanics ever written. Here’s why. First of all, it's is nothing like a formal university lecture. Instead, it’s like a casual conservation with a more experienced student. This also means that nothing is assumed to be “obvious” or “easy to see”.Each chapter, each section, and each page focusses solely on the goal to help you understand. Nothing is introduced without a thorough motivation and it is always clear where each equation comes from.The book contains no fluff since unnecessary content quickly leads to confusion. Instead, it ruthlessly focusses on the fundamentals and makes sure you’ll understand them in detail. The primary focus on the readers’ needs is also visible in dozens of small features that you won’t find in any other textbook In total, the book contains more than 100 illustrations that help you understand the most important concepts in visually. In each chapter, you’ll find fully annotated equations and calculations are done carefully step-by-step. This makes it much easier to understand what’s going on in.Whenever a concept is used that was already introduced previously there is a short sidenote that reminds you where it was first introduced and often recites the main points. In addition, there are summaries at the beginning of each chapter that make sure you won’t get lost.