Author Description

A conversational approach to what physics is, and why it's interesting. Part of the best-selling '...for Beginners' series that brings to life the wide world of physics. Rather than explaining details about how to do physics, this book focusses on explaining what different branches of physics are about, how we know about them, and what mysteries remain for budding physicists to uncover. It doesn't shy away from the hard stuff, tackling black holes, quantum mechanics and even Einstein's theories of relativity.Chapters in this book include:- What is physics?- Asking questions?- Physics is everywhere- What do physicists do?Forces & motionWhat makes things move, what makes things stop, and why some things move faster and easier than others.WavesHow sounds travel, how light works, and the mysterious connection between electricity and magnetism.The speed of light and the shape of the universeAlbert Einstein came up with two of the most significant theories in modern physics: special relativity, which explores the speed of light, and general relativity, which unpacks the shape of the universe. But what actually ARE these theories? Nuclear and particle physicsIntroducing the very smallest things physicists have discovered, and seeing what happens when they try to break those things apart into even smaller pieces.Quantum mechanicsThe smallest particles don't seem to follow the same rules as bigger things. So what rules do they follow, and why don't they seem to make sense?SpaceWhat is out there, beyond the Earth? And where exactly did it all come from?Unsolved mysteriesThere are plenty of things physicists don't understand about how things work, whether on Earth or out in space. Discover some of the mysteries that YOU might help to solve one day.