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Book synopsis

Physicists use "back-of-the-envelope" estimates to check whether or not an idea could possibly be right. In many cases, the approximate solution is all that is needed. This compilation of 101 examples of back-of-the-envelope calculations celebrates a quantitative approach to solving physics problems. Drawing on a lifetime of physics research and nearly three decades as the editor of The Physics Teacher, Clifford Swartz provides simple, approximate solutions to physics problems that span a broad range of topics. What note do you get when you blow across the top of a Coke bottle? Could you lose weight on a diet of ice cubes? How can a fakir lie on a bed of nails without getting hurt? Does draining water in the northern hemisphere really swirl in a different direction than its counterpart below the equator? In each case, only a few lines of arithmetic and a few natural constants solve a problem to within a few percent. Covering such subjects as astronomy, magnetism, optics, sound, heat, mechanics, waves, and electricity, the book provides a rich source of material for teachers and anyone interested in the physics of everyday life.

Book details

Book category Books in English Mathematics & science Physics

• Full title: Back-of-the-Envelope Physics
• Author: Clifford Swartz
• Language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176
• EAN: 9780801872631
• ISBN: 0801872634
• ID: 04163149
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Weight: 234 g
• Dimensions: 216 × 137 × 13 mm
• Date of publishing: 25. July 2003

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