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:
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 1999.
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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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