Light and Waves - Steven S. Andrews

Light and Waves

A Conceptual Exploration of Physics
Buch | Softcover
XIX, 520 Seiten
2024 | 2023
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-031-24099-7 (ISBN)
58,84 inkl. MwSt

This book explores light and other types of waves, using this as a window into other aspects of physics. It emphasizes a conceptual understanding, using examples chosen from everyday life and the natural environment. For example, it explains how hummingbird feathers create shimmering colors, how musical instruments produce sound, and how atoms stick together to form molecules. It provides a unique perspective on physics by emphasizing commonalities among different types of waves, including string waves, water waves, sound waves, light waves, the matter waves of quantum mechanics, and the gravitational waves of general relativity. This book is targeted toward college non-science majors, advanced high school students, and adults who are curious about our physical world. It assumes familiarity with algebra but no further mathematics and is classroom-ready with many worked examples, exercises, exploratory puzzles, and appendices to support students from a variety of backgrounds.

Dr. Andrews is a scientist with wide-ranging interests. He started his career in oceanography, earned a PhD in chemistry at Stanford University, and then transitioned into his current field of systems biology. He taught physics at Seattle University for several years, from which this book evolved, and is now a research scientist in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington. He has published over 50 research papers on molecular quantum mechanics, biological simulation methods, information transfer by biological cells, and other topics. He enjoys whitewater kayaking and cross-country skiing, and lives in Seattle with his family.


Preface.- 1 Introduction.- Part I: Waves.- 2 Properties of Waves.- 3 Superposition.- 4 Wave Interactions.- 5 Mechanical Waves.- Part II: Light.- 6 Electromagnetic Waves.- 7 Photons.- 8 Blackbody Radiation.- Part III: Rays.- 9 Shadows and Pinhole Cameras.- 10 Reflection.- 11 Refraction.- 12 Vision.- Appendices.- A Numbers.- B Units.- C Algebra.- D Geometry.- Index.

"'Light and Waves' fills a need to educate non-science majors and laypeople on the joy of optics. This highly recommended book inspires questions, curiosity, excitement and interest in the natural universe. ... this book special is the quality of the questions, the variety of worked problems with answers, the numerous exercises and crucial additional resources." (Barry R. Masters, optica-opn.org, October 26, 2023)

“‘Light and Waves’ fills a need to educate non-science majors and laypeople on the joy of optics. This highly recommended book inspires questions, curiosity, excitement and interest in the natural universe. … this book special is the quality of the questions, the variety of worked problems with answers, the numerous exercises and crucial additional resources.” (Barry R. Masters, optica-opn.org, October 26, 2023)

Erscheinungsdatum
Zusatzinfo XIX, 520 p. 367 illus., 313 illus. in color.
Verlagsort Cham
Sprache englisch
Maße 155 x 235 mm
Themenwelt Naturwissenschaften Physik / Astronomie Optik
Schlagworte calculus-free optics • calculus-free physics • How light and waves work • intro physics textbook • light for non-scientists • light textbook non-majors • physics for non-majors • waves for non-scientists • waves textbook non-majors
ISBN-10 3-031-24099-5 / 3031240995
ISBN-13 978-3-031-24099-7 / 9783031240997
Zustand Neuware
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