Yoav Ben-Dov

introduction to physics:
history, theories and concepts

A general, non-technical introduction to the basic theories and concepts of physics, and their historical development.

Published as:

Hebrew: Physics - theories and concepts
MOD publications, Tel Aviv 1991

French: Invitaion a la Physique
Collection points-sciences, le Seuil, Paris 1995.

Portuguese: Convite a fisica
Jorge Zahar, Rio de Janeiro 1996.

Spanish:
Andres Bello, Santiago de Chile (forthcoming).

Chapter contents:

1. Ancient Physics I

The pre-Socratic philosophers: The Miletic school, Pythagoras. Greek atomism, Plato's ideas and Aristotle's causes.

2. Ancient Physics II

Medieval cosmology and the Copernican revolution.

3. Mechanics I

Galilean Kinematics.

4. Mechanics II

Newtonian dynamics and conservation principles.

5. Thermodynamics I

Heat and temperature, the caloric theory.

6. Thermodynamics II

energy and entropy, the first and second laws.

7. Atomic theory

Statistical mechanics, Boltzmann's H-theorem.

8. Optics

Vision and light, the particle-wave debate.

9. Electromagnetics

From experimental studies in electricity and magnetism to the concept of field and to Maxwell's equations.

10. Special relativity

The velocity of light, Einstein's moving-magnet thought-experiment and the two postulates, comparison of Einstein's and Lorentz's versions of the theory.

11. General relativity

The principle of equivalence, non-Euclidian geometry and the
geometrical description of gravitation.

12. Quantum mechanics I

The old quantum theory: Plank, Einstein, Bohr and de Broglie.

13. Quantum Mechanics II

The new quantum theory: Heisenberg, Schroedinger and problems of interpretation.

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