Reddit Reddit reviews Understanding Physics (Motion, Sound, and Heat / Light, Magnetism, and Electricity / The Electron, Proton, and Neutron)

We found 18 Reddit comments about Understanding Physics (Motion, Sound, and Heat / Light, Magnetism, and Electricity / The Electron, Proton, and Neutron). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Understanding Physics (Motion, Sound, and Heat / Light, Magnetism, and Electricity / The Electron, Proton, and Neutron)
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18 Reddit comments about Understanding Physics (Motion, Sound, and Heat / Light, Magnetism, and Electricity / The Electron, Proton, and Neutron):

u/bearp · 24 pointsr/science

If you're looking for a very simple intro, try Isaac Asimov's Understanding Physics.

If you want something more in-depth and you're comfortable learning some math as well, try Richard Feynman's Lectures on Physics.

u/Ak-01 · 10 pointsr/askscience

I don't want to be rude but before diving into special or general relativity and astronomy you should probably start from very beginning. I suggest you to get more familiar with the definition of mass, force, motion and energy, Newton's laws and laws of conservation. Don't just try to memorize formulas, try to understand meaning behind them.

This is one of the best books to start in my oppinion https://www.amazon.com/dp/0880292512/

u/professorpan · 8 pointsr/self

I'm always so late to the game.

TL;DR: Seventh Grade science project with basic relativity, caused some fiasco

Around seventh grade I got a hold of Issac Asimov's Understanding Physics. I got really into it especially in relativity. I was a few years ahead in math but nowhere near understanding any calculus or even trigonometry, but I owned algebra and geometry and understood basic physics equations. I started reading Six Easy Pieces, A Brief History of Time, all the books I can find on the topic at the local library. No I wasn't a genius, I was (and still is) just a curious cat. I enjoyed them, though I only understood as much as someone with high school algebra/geometry could. Anywhoo, fast forward to science project -

I decided to do my science project on space-time dilation. It was a subject very few peers knew about at my age but I myself was fascinated by it, so why not!? I mostly covered black holes, light cone, and Lorentz transformation, mostly conceptual discussions. Only the latter two topics contained any math, and that was just the very simple algebraic expressions and some simple geometry. Lacking calculus and a deep understanding, I had very little "Why", and instead had mostly "this is what happens when you do this and here's a drawing and there's an equation". Everything I could understand about relativity without knowing calculus was on that poster.

We got graded before the science fair, and I got a nice fat 0. I was really surprised and talked to the teacher. She said something along the lines of "This isn't science, you made it up." Apparently she hadn't heard of that stuff. I was surprised and I talked to her and the vice principle about it. He suggested I participate in the fair while they look for someone knowledgeable about this area of science, and my science teacher still didn't believe it had any merit.

A week or so later, the VP got some other teacher's professor friend from the local McMaster University to grade it, and I got called to the VP's office. I got an A! My 12-year-old ego exploded.

EDIT: Come to think of it, that VP really liked me or something. Once a bully was shoving me around and I punched him in the chin and left a nice bruise. I didn't get in any trouble, not even a stern talking-to. We were both brought into his office and the whole time he yelled at the other kid, Trevor. A month or so later we got into another scuffle and Trevor got suspended and again I didn't even get a stern talking-to.

u/fermion72 · 6 pointsr/geek

And some of greatest RealSci, too. I wish he had written a similar tome on fundamental chemistry.

u/zzambot · 4 pointsr/italy

oltre ai link sotto che sono istituzionali dell'INFN
direi tutte le cose di quark (soprattutto ci sono dei vecchi cartoni di bruno bozzetto sulla fisica magnifici, chissa' se stanno su youtube)

questo di Asimov non e' male come libro

in italiano qui

e in generale tutto quello scritto da lui. e' un po' datato ma ancora valido

anche i primi tre minuti di weinberg e' molto bello

u/bilabrin · 3 pointsr/books

It is a little known fact that Isaac Asimov wrote more science books than novels. I have read one or two of them and can tell you that the writing is clear and straightforward. He is credited with authoring around 500 books.

Here are a few examples:

Understanding Physics

Asimov's Chronoloy of the World

Atom: Journey Across the Sub-Atomic Cosmos(I Read this in the 90's and due to the speed of advances in this field it's a bit dated but it gave me a solid foundation and taught me the difference between a letpon and a baryon)

u/craftyzombie · 3 pointsr/math
u/1337Lulz · 2 pointsr/books

If you want to start to learn how to actually do physics and not just novelty facts, [This may be the best introduction on physics you will find.] (http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Physics-Volumes-One-Electricity/dp/0880292512/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348642325&sr=1-1&keywords=understanding+physics)
It covers all the basic topics from gravitation, optics, relativity, electromagnetism to particle physics. What they are and how they work and how they came to be known. It goes real light on the math and is very easy to grasp. You can buy a used copy dirt cheap on Amazon. I highly recommend it.

u/WeAreAllBroken · 2 pointsr/Christianity

Asimov points out in Understanding Physics that the Greeks valued reason over experimentation.

For example, reason led them to affirm that equal masses must fall at equal rates. But a simple experiment could show that two equally massive pieces of paper fall at different rates if one is crumpled into a ball and the other is not. Such a simple experiment would have led them to the discovery of air resistance, etc. Unfortunately, their scientific framework didn't move them to test their conclusions.

u/xtracto · 2 pointsr/IAmA

Well, I am not Dr. Kaku but I know a really good book called Understanding Physics by the late Isaac Asimov. If you like Asimov's non-fiction writing style (which I like a lot) then it may be for you.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/Physics

"LET THERE BE LIGHT"
Made me realise i need to read everything by Isaac Asimov
Just found out he wrote a physics text book , now added to the list.

u/Kaliss_Darktide · 2 pointsr/atheism

What's your previous science background? Most of this stuff is built upon layers of knowledge like knowing calculus requires an understanding of algebra which requires an understanding of multiplication which requires an understanding of addition.


For example Hubble's observation of a red shift everywhere in the universe is based on an understanding of the doppler effect which requires an understanding of light as a wave. You don't need to know anything about light or doppler to understand what his observation means, it's the first major clue we had about the big bang theory. However without this knowledge it can seem to someone unfamiliar that it's all "based on faith" when in fact it is based on evidence.


>Does one need to know physics to understand astrophysics or cosmology? Or would one be better served learning astronomy? Or Both?

In a very broad sense astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology are all the same thing. Unfortunately astrology became associated with predicting the future based on your birth date when it's literal translation should mean science of the stars like geology means science of the earth and biology means science of life. So scientists had to look for another name so as not to be associated with the psuedo-science that is astrology today.

Are you familiar with the crash course series on youtube? They have series on both physics and astronomy I would recommend.

Astronomy episode 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL

If you are really new to science I'd recommend the newer cosmos series with Neil Degrasse Tyson as a good starting point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos:_A_Spacetime_Odyssey

edit if you want a substantial read

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Physics-Magnetism-Electricity-Electron/dp/0880292512

I read this a while ago it's very good but not an "easy" read.

u/larsgj · 1 pointr/Physics

For starters you can read Asimovs Understanding Physics. It's a concept-describing TEXT book. There's almost no pictures, no math and no pop-culture-references. It's the opposite of Serways classic physics book which I used back in the day. Asimov is a good writer and tells about physics in an understandable way. I bought the book used for one dollar :) Best quality/price book I own.

u/thinkyfish · 1 pointr/Physics

Asimov's Understanding Physics is great for a guided tour.

u/nikofeyn · 1 pointr/Physics

> Sorry to interrupt your internet fight

lol

> did Asimov actually do science educational books along with science fiction?

yep. understanding physics by isaac asimov. it's the only one i have and have read and is excellent, but he also has a new guide to science. then, take a look at the nonfiction section on his wikipedia page. the man was insanely prolific.

u/Epicureanist · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

> There are about 3 things i'd love to do related to science, but everyone requires you to have a PhD or AP classes in all 3 sciences.

Autodidactism. All that is really needed to learn is paper, pencil, and a library membership. If you're really interested in science, head to your local library and study individually.

After a few months of doing that, and learning/studying not for grades or due to pressures of parents/teachers you'll really begin to enjoy it. When you do keep it up, and after that if you enjoy it continue to do so. Eventually when you do sign up for classes you'll breeze through them.

Asimov puts it rather nicely best 4:17

> if books weren't so expensive here, or i found good books on them

Bullshit. All you have to do is look. Libraries give away books all the time; even a short search "used books in Canada," provides a lot of results. You could even buy a kindle $75 and pirate books.

Especially when it comes to philosophy and science books. Many of them are dirt cheap for the valuable information they contain. New books and textbooks are expensive, crappy, and very rarely rival the classics, especially those written by masters of the field.

Seriously, fucking look at this

I got an almost new book that covers physics wonderfully for $1.60

awaiting more excuses...

u/therealprotonk · 1 pointr/bestof

Special relativity, yes. You can get the basics of the Lorentz transformation with some effort. Isaac Asimov's Understanding Physics even contains a good derivation.

General relativity...on the other hand. That's considerably more difficult. Einstein extended Maxwell's field theories--theories which Maxwell himself didn't fully understand and Maxwell was one of the most impressive physicists who ever lived. So it's a rough trip.

u/too_clever_username · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook