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In Praise of Simple Physics: The Science and Mathematics behind Everyday Questions - Paperback | Diverse Reads

In Praise of Simple Physics: The Science and Mathematics behind Everyday Questions

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Fun puzzles that use physics to explore the wonders of everyday life

Physics can explain many of the things that we commonly encounter. It can tell us why the night is dark, what causes the tides, and even how best to catch a baseball. With In Praise of Simple Physics, popular math and science writer Paul Nahin presents a plethora of situations that explore the science and math behind the wonders of everyday life. Roaming through a diverse range of puzzles, he illustrates how physics shows us ways to wring more energy from renewable sources, to measure the gravity in our car garages, to figure out which of three light switches in the basement controls the light bulb in the attic, and much, much more.

How fast can you travel from London to Paris? How do scientists calculate the energy of an atomic bomb explosion? How do you kick a football so it stays in the air and goes a long way downfield? Nahin begins with simpler problems and progresses to more challenging questions, and his entertaining, accessible, and scientifically and mathematically informed explanations are all punctuated by his trademark humor. Readers are presumed to have some background in beginning differential and integral calculus. Whether you simply have a personal interest in physics' influence in the world or you're an engineering and science student who wants to gain more physics know-how, this book has an intriguing scenario for you.

In Praise of Simple Physics proves that if we look carefully at the world around us, physics has answers for the most astonishing day-to-day occurrences.

ISBN-13: 9780691178523

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Publication Date: 09-19-2017

Pages: 272

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.80(d)

Series: Princeton Puzzlers

Paul J. Nahin is professor emeritus of electrical engineering at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of many best-selling popular math books, including Digital Dice, Chases and Escapes, Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula, When Least Is Best, Duelling Idiots and Other Probability Puzzlers, and An Imaginary Tale (all Princeton).

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In Praise of Simple Physics offers a masterful look at how basic principles, combined with clever thinking and fundamental mathematics, lead to satisfying explanations of an extraordinary range of natural phenomena, from the path of a football to why the sky is dark at night. Nahin's humor and accessible examples shine. Celebrate your curiosity and delve into this magnificent book!"—Paul Halpern, author of Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat

"In Praise of Simple Physics is a must-read for anyone curious about how physics shows up in everyday life. Paul Nahin's clear explanations demystify the mathematics behind the physics, and with over two dozen applications, his book is a great introduction to mathematical modeling as well."—Oscar Fernandez, author of Everyday Calculus

"This is a superb book—thoughtful, historical, carefully done, and intensely clever. It was a joy to read."—Christopher G. Tully, Princeton University

"Many books that explore classical physics problems tend to be relentlessly sequential and completely humorless. In this book, Paul Nahin shows a lighter touch and he gives himself the necessary space to tell the mathematical story. The book encourages readers to engage with the less-than-obvious aspects of physics."—Jens Zorn, professor emeritus of physics, University of Michigan

Table of Contents

Foreword by T. M. Helliwell ix

Preface with Challenge Problems xi

1 How’s Your Math? 1

2 The Traffic-Light Dilemma 20

3 Energy from Moving Air 25

4 Dragsters and Space Station Physics 32

5 Merry-Go-Round Physics and the Tides 42

6 Energy from Moving Water 51

7 Vectors and Bad Hair Days 63

8 An Illuminating Problem 67

9 How to Measure Depth with a Stopwatch 74

10 Doing the Preface Problems 79

11 The Physics of Stacking Books 92

12 Communication Satellite Physics 103

13 Walking a Ladder Upright 110

14 Why Is the Sky Dark at Night? 115

15 How Some Things Float (or Don’t) 126

16 A Reciprocating Problem 141

17 How to Catch a Baseball (or Not) 146

18 Tossing Balls and Shooting Bullets Uphill 153

19 Rapid Travel in a Great Circle Transit Tube 163

20 Hurtling Your Body through Space 177

21 The Path of a Punt 194

22 Easy Ways to Measure Gravity in Your Garage 200

23 Epilogue Newton’s Gravity Calculation Mistake 218

Postscript 227

Acknowledgments