Time, Space and ThingsThere are some wonderfully bizarre ideas in physics, and it seems a pity to keep them locked up in small boxes, available only to an esoteric coterie of key holders. Brian Ridley's book sets out to survey in simple, nonmathematical terms what physics has to say about the fundamental structure of the universe. He deals with all the basic concepts of modern physics: elementary particles, black holes, gravity, quantum theory, time, mass, relativity and energy; this new edition also includes coverage of more recently emerging ideas, including strings, imaginary time and chaos. Ridley's clear and witty account gives an exciting introduction to the nonspecialist while offering a fresh perspective to scientists themselves. |
Common terms and phrases
absolute acceleration amount atoms baryons basic behaviour billiard ball body Boojum boson called classical clock collision colour Compton wavelength concept conservation decay defined describe disorder distance Earth elec electric charge electromagnetic radiation electromagnetic waves electron elementary particles emitted energy and momentum exist experiment fermions Figure force freedom galaxy gluons gravitational field gravitational mass heads hydrogen hyperons idea increase inertial mass kinetic energy large numbers laws length leptons magnetic matter measure mesons metre moving nature negatively charged neutrinos nucleus objects observe ocity photon Planck's constant position positron potential energy produce properties protons and neutrons quantity quantum field quantum of action quarks radius relative rest-mass energy rotation simple sort space spin star straight line strong interaction symmetry tail temperature ten-toss theory things of physics ticles tosses tram-line tron Universe utopium vacuum velocity of light vibrational virtual wavefunction wavelength weak interaction y-rays zero