Instant Physics

Giles Sparrow studied Astronomy at University College London. He is the author of over 20 books on popular science for both adults and children. He lives in East London.

Introduction • Ancient ideas • Pythagoras and his followers • Earth and the heavens • Aristotle • Ancient elements • Archimedes (inc. simple machines) • The Aristotelian synthesis • Islamic advances • Medieval physicists • The Copernican Revolution • Galileo's experiments • Kepler's Laws • Descartes • Isaac Newton • Speed, velocity and motion • Mass and weight • Momentum, inertia and vis viva • Friction • Newton's laws of motion • SUVAT equations • Work, energy and power • Kinetic and potential energy • Types of collision • Gravitation and orbits • Putting Newton to work (Lagrangian mechanics) • Harmonic motion (Euler) • Timekeeping • Rigid-body dynamics (angular momentum etc,) • Fictitious forces (centrifugal, coriolis) • The three-body problem • Chaos and complexity • Theories of matter • States of matter • Solids and their properties • Deformation and elasticity • Fluid mechanics • Fluid dynamics (Bernoulli effect etc.) • Ideal gases • Kinetic theory • Chemical elements • The periodic table • Introducing atomic structure • Chemical bonding • Chemical reactions • Ionization • Mass spectrometry • Intermolecular bonds (inc. solutions) • X-ray crystallography • Atomic force microscopy • Light from atoms • Black body radiation • Spectroscopy • Types of wave • Interference (inc. Huygens' principle) • Sound waves • Harmonics • Doppler effect • Electromagnetic waves • Reflection (inc. Maupertuis' principle) • Refraction • Diffraction • Wave scattering • Polarization • Wave modulation • Optical instruments • Telescopes • Microscopes • Interferometry • Holography • Infrared and ultraviolet • Radio and microwaves • X-rays and gamma rays • Waves and particles • Forms of energy • Temperature measurement • Heat transfer • Entropy • Laws of thermodynamics • Heat capacity • Changes of state • Heat engines • Static electricity • Current electricity • Electrical components • Circuits • Magnetism • Magnetic materials • Ampere and Coulomb's laws • Electromagnetic induction • Alternating current • Electric motors • Generators • Piezoelectric effect • Semiconductors • Analogue and digital electronics • Electronic components • Superconductivity • Integrated circuits • Vacuum tubes • Discovering subatomic particles • Atoms - the Bohr model • Nucleons • Isotopes • Fluorescence and phosphorescence • Lasers • Atomic timekeeping • Cerenkov radiation • Nuclear physics • Types of radioactivity • Radioactive decay (series/curves) • Radiometric measurements • Fission energy • Fusion energy • Nuclear power • Nuclear weapons • The quantum revolution • Wave-particle duality • Electron microscopy • Schrodinger wave equation • Quantum mechanics • Copenhagen Interpretation • The uncertainty principle • Schrodinger's cat • Many worlds and other quantum interpretations • Quantum numbers and the Pauli exclusion principle • Spin • Superfluids and superconductors • Quantum degeneracy • Entanglement • Quantum computing • The particle zoo (inc. antimatter) • The Standard Model • Quarks • Leptons (inc. neutrinos) • Detecting particles • Particle accelerators • Fundamental forces (inc. gauge theories) • Quantum electrodynamics • Weak nuclear force • Strong nuclear force (inc. quantum chromodynamics) • The Higgs field • Symmetry • Theories of Everything • String theories and higher dimensions • Origins of relativity • Special relativity • Mass-energy equivalence • Minkowski spacetime • General relativity (inc. field equation solutions) • Gravitational lensing • Gravitational waves • Black holes and other singularities • Virtual particles & Hawking radiation • Wormholes & time machines • The large-scale Universe • The Big Bang theory • Building elements • Dark matter • Dark energy • The Anthropic principle • Glossary and Further Reading.