101 quantum questions : what you need to know about the world you can't see
Ford, Kenneth William, 1926-2012
Book
Ken Ford's mission is to help us understand the "great ideas" of quantum physics--ideas such as wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, superposition, and conservation. These fundamental concepts provide the structure for 101 Quantum Questions, an authoritative yet engaging book for the general reader in which every question and answer brings out one or more basic features of the mysterious world of the quantum--the physics of the very small. Nuclear researcher and master teacher, Ford covers everything from quarks, quantum jumps, and what causes stars to shine, to practical applications ranging from lasers and superconductors to light-emitting diodes. Ford's lively answers are enriched by Paul Hewitt's drawings, numerous photos of physicists, and anecdotes, many from Ford's own experience.
Main title:
101 quantum questions : what you need to know about the world you can't see / Kenneth W. Ford.
Author:
Imprint:
Cambridge, Mass. ; London : Harvard University Press, 2012.
Collation:
xi, 291 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Notes:
Originally published: 2011.
Contents:
Partial contents: Machine generated contents note: I.The Subatomic World -- 1.What is a quantum, anyway? -- 2.Where do the laws of quantum physics hold sway? -- 3.What is the correspondence principle? -- 4.How big is an atom? -- 5.What is inside an atom? -- 6.Why is solid matter solid if it is mostly empty space? -- 7.How big is an electron? Is there anything inside it? -- II.Digging Deeper -- 8.How big is a nucleus? What is inside it? -- 9.How big are protons and neutrons? What is inside them? -- 10.What is Planck's constant and what is its significance? -- 11.What is a photon? -- 12.What is the photoelectric effect? -- 13.What particles are believed to be fundamental? What particles are composite? -- 14.What is the standard model? -- III.The Small and the Swift -- 15.What are some quantum scales of distance? -- 16.How far can one particle "reach out" to influence another one? -- 17.How fast do particles move? -- 18.What are some quantum scales of time? -- 19.What is the meaning of E = mc2?
ISBN:
0674066073 (pbk)9780674066076 (pbk)
Dewey class:
530.12
Language:
English
BRN:
2150
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library at the Dock | -Science and Nature | SCIENCE 530.12 FORD | Available |