Articles & Books From Physics

Thermodynamics For Dummies
The thermodynamics knowledge you need to succeed in class—and in your career Thermodynamics For Dummies, 2nd Edition covers the topics found in a typical undergraduate introductory thermodynamic course (which is an essential course to nearly all engineering degree programs). It also brings the subject to life with exciting content on where (and how!
Astrophysics For Dummies
Discover the undiscovered with this jargon-free introduction to astrophysics Astronomy is the study of what you see in the sky. Physics is the study of how things work. Astrophysics is the study of how things in the sky work, from large objects to tiny particles. Astrophysics For Dummies breaks it all down for you, making this difficult but fascinating topic accessible to anyone.
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
Physics is filled with equations and formulas that deal with angular motion, Carnot engines, fluids, forces, moments of inertia, linear motion, simple harmonic motion, thermodynamics, and work and energy.Here’s a list of some important physics formulas and equations to keep on hand — arranged by topic — so you don’t have to go searching to find them.
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
Physics constants are physical quantities with fixed numerical values. The following list contains the most common physics constants, including Avogadro’s number, Boltzmann’s constant, the mass of electron, the mass of a proton, the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and the gas constant. Avogadro’s
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
When an object moves in a circle, if you know the magnitude of the angular velocity, then you can use physics to calculate the tangential velocity of the object on the curve.At any point on a circle, you can pick two special directions: The direction that points directly away from the center of the circle (along the radius) is called the radial direction, and the direction that’s perpendicular to this is called the tangential direction.
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
In physics, how much torque you exert on an object depends on two things: the force you exert, F; and the lever arm. Also called the moment
arm, the lever arm is the perpendicular distance from the pivot point to the point at which you exert your force and is related to the distance from the axis, r, byis the angle between the force and a line from the axis to the point where the force is applied.
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
In physics, you can examine how much potential and kinetic energy is stored in a spring when you compress or stretch it. The work you do compressing or stretching the spring must go into the energy stored in the spring. That energy is called elastic potential energy and is equal to the force, F, times the distance, s:W = FsAs you stretch or compress a spring, the force varies, but it varies in a linear way (because in Hooke’s law, force is proportional to the displacement).
Article / Updated 03-20-2024
In physics, you can apply Hooke’s law, along with the concept of simple harmonic motion, to find the angular frequency of a mass on a spring. And because you can relate angular frequency and the mass on the spring, you can find the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the mass.Hooke’s law says thatF = –kxwhere F is the force exerted by the spring, k is the spring constant, and x is displacement from equilibrium.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2024
The path to understanding astrophysics is both thought-provoking and brain-stretching. How did the universe come into existence, when will it end, and what role do our familiar planets and stars play in the grand scheme of the cosmos? There are many more questions in astrophysics than there are answers. The goal of this book is to put you in a position where you’re able to better formulate those questions, and know where to go for answers.
Article / Updated 09-14-2023
The multiverse is a theory that suggests our universe is not the only one, and that many universes exist parallel to each other. These distinct universes within the multiverse theory are called parallel universes. A variety of different theories lend themselves to a multiverse viewpoint.Not all physicists really believe that these universes exist.