Synopses & Reviews
Your plain-English guide to advanced physicsDoes just thinking about magnetism make your head spin? Thanks to this book, you don't have to be Einstein to understand physics. It walks you through the essentials and gives you easy-to-understand and digestible information on this often-intimidating course. From sound and light waves to electric potential and electric energy, this no-nonsense guide makes this fascinating topic accessible to everyone.
Physics II 101 — get a crash course on the main topics covered in a typical Physics II course and brush up on basic skills, like making conversions and working with scientific notation
Get charged up — understand the role of electricity and magnetism in Physics II, from AC circuits to permanent magnets to magnetic fields
Ride the wave — learn how light waves interact and interfere with each other and how they bounce off things, pass through glass, and do all sorts of cool stuff
Go exploring — take a look at the theory of special relativity and learn what Einstein (among other physicists) had to say about it
Open the book and find:
A look at electric fields, voltage, and charge
The effects of resistors, inductors, and capacitors
Everything you need to know about magnetism
How light interacts with lenses and mirrors
The scoop on sound, light, and other waves
A look at special relativity
The relationship between energy and matter
The structure of atoms
The nuts and bolts of radioactivity
Learn to:
Grasp physics terminology
Get a handle on quantum and nuclear physics
Understand waves, forces, and fields
Make sense of electric potential and energy
Review
"There is very little else to say - this book does exactly what it says on the cover. The text is well presented with informative illustrations, examples and guiding points for the reader. The information was informative and understandable for the reviewer who has not encountered these topics in this depth for several years." (Reviews, December 2010)
Synopsis
Physics II For Dummies covers the essentials of an advanced physics course clearly and concisely. It walks students through important key concepts including: Mechanical Waves and Sound Forces and Fields Electric Potential and Electric Energy Electric Current and Direct-Current Circuits Magnetic Flux and Faraday's Law of Induction Alternating Currents Electromagnetic Waves Geometric Optics Optical Instruments Interference and Diffraction Relativity, Atoms, Photons, and Electrons Molecules and Solids Nuclear and High-Energy Physics
Synopsis
A plain-English guide to advanced physics
Does just thinking about the laws of motion make your head spin? Does studying electricity short your circuits? Physics II For Dummies walks you through the essentials and gives you easy-to-understand and digestible guidance on this often intimidating course.
Thanks to this book, you don?t have to be Einstein to understand physics. As you learn about mechanical waves and sound, forces and fields, electric potential and electric energy, and much more, you?ll appreciate the For Dummies law: The easier we make it, the faster you?ll understand it!
- An extension of the successful Physics I For Dummies
- Covers topics in a straightforward and effective manner
- Explains concepts and terms in a fast and easy-to-understand way
Whether you?re currently enrolled in an undergraduate-level Physics II course or just want a refresher on the fundamentals of advanced physics, this no-nonsense guide makes this fascinating topic accessible to everyone.
About the Author
Steven Holzner, PhD, taught physics at Cornell University for more than a decade. He is the author of Physics For Dummies, Physics Workbook For Dummies, Quantum Physics For Dummies, and Quantum Physics Workbook For Dummies.
Table of Contents
Introduction.Part I: Understanding Physics Fundamentals.
Chapter 1: Understanding Your World: Physics II, the Sequel.
Chapter 2: Gearing Up for Physics II.
Part II: Doing Some Field Work: Electricity and Magnetism.
Chapter 3: Getting All Charged Up with Electricity.
Chapter 4: The Attraction of Magnetism.
Chapter 5: Alternating Current and Voltage.
Part III: Catching On to Waves: The Sound and Light Kinds.
Chapter 6: Exploring Waves.
Chapter 7: Now Hear This: The Word on Sound.
Chapter 8: Seeing the Light: When Electricity and Magnetism Combine.
Chapter 9: Bending and Focusing Light: Refraction and Lenses.
Chapter 10: Bouncing Light Waves: Refl ection and Mirrors.
Chapter 11: Shedding Light on Light Wave Interference and Diffraction.
Part IV: Modern Physics.
Chapter 12: Heeding What Einstein Said: Special Relativity.
Chapter 13: Understanding Energy and Matter as Both Particles and Waves.
Chapter 14: Getting the Little Picture: The Structure of Atoms.
Chapter 15: Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 16: Ten Physics Experiments That Changed the World.
Chapter 17: Ten Online Problem-Solving Tools.
Index.