Explores relativity and quantum mechanics as well as the lives of those individuals who helped advance these fundamental areas of physics.

Provides an overview of particle physics, from basic concepts to particle accelerators, and profiles physicists responsible for advancing the field.

The study of matter is the study of all material things, as well as their ability to transform from one state to another. All matter assumes one of several basic statessolid, liquid, gas, and plasma being the most common. Under varying conditions, each state can be altered to form new substances or adopt new characteristics. This insightful book covers the various structures and elements of different types of matter, while examining the physical and chemical properties that allow for permutation and change.

Discusses the structure of the atom and reveals the ways the parts facilitate both radioactivity and nuclear reactions.

Discusses sound and light, including how the waves travel through different forms of matter, how human senses detect and analyze them, and describes electromagnetic radiation, echolocation, and optics.

Many of the worlds most common processes and interactions are governed by the laws of thermodynamics and mechanics. While the transfer, release, or absorption of heat often accompany chemical reactions or seem inherent to mechanical systems, they are also familiar to anyone who has ever spent time outdoors on a warm day or touched a hot plate. Likewise, any physical bodylarge or small, solid or fluidis subject to a wide range of forces that trigger motion. This detailed compendium explores the foundations and laws of both thermodynamics and mechanics as well as the lives of those individuals who helped advance these fundamental areas of physics.