Zitzewitz P.W. The Handy Physics Answer Book

Second edition, Visible Ink Press, 2011, 450 pages, ISBN: 1578593050Eschewing the usual mathematical explanations for physics phenomena, this approachable reference explains complicated scientific concepts in plain English that everyone can understand. Completely updated to tackle the big issues such as gravity, magnetism, sound, and what really happens in the Large Hadron Collider, this engaging look at physics also spells out why cats always land on their feet, why people appear to have red eyes in photographs, and the real danger of looking at an eclipse. For everyone who ever wondered how a light bulb works or how squirrels avoid electrocution on the power lines, this handbook supplies answers on the physics of everyday life and examines the developments in the exploration of subatomic particles. In addition to the question-and-answer section, an addendum of facts about physicists explains what the Nobel prize is and who has won it, and tells the story of the scientist who was incarcerated for agreeing with Copernicus.
Why don’t skyscrapers sway in the wind? How does a ground-fault interrupter work? What’s the ultimate fate of the universe? Who developed our understanding of the nature of the atom? Physics is full of questions. Some are about the most fundamental ideas on which the universe is based, others involve everyday applications of physics, many are just fun. Most have answers, although those answers may have been different in the past and may be different in the future.