Physics: Reference

Here is a thorough revision of a classic desktop reference, bringing readers 3,900 entries--200 new to this edition--that define the terms of this fast-changing field with clarity and without jargon. Daintith provides coverage of all areas of physics and many related fields, including astronomy, astrophysics, and physical chemistry. He offers expanded information on applied physics, statistical distributions, polymers, and nanoscience, and includes ten feature articles on such key topics as crystal defects, magnetic resonance imaging, and the solar system. Here, too, are detailed appendices on SI units and the electromagnetic spectrum, a timeline of key dates in physics, a list Nobel Prize winners, and much more. And, as with all Oxford subject dictionaries, this one features a companion web page, that is regularly updated, with a wealth of extra information and links to other sites. Featuring more than 120 diagrams, graphs, and tables, this is a superb resource for students, teachers, and professional physicists.

Physics is a challenging yet rewarding science for students in high school and college. A comprehensive one-volume encyclopedia of physics, Encyclopedia of Physics presents a broad overview of the field at a level and in a format suitable for students and general readers. Focused on pure physics - which deals with the most fundamental aspects of nature such as light, sound, movement, and force - its scope of coverage is wide and significant, including entries on concepts, terms, effects, laws, principles, theories, experiments, observations, people, institutions, organizations, issues, laboratories, and other subjects. Complementing the coverage of pure physics topics, concise, general entries discuss interdisciplinary subjects, such as applied physics, astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, geophysics, and medical physics. Biographical entries present personal profiles of important physicists, past and present, and list their accomplishments. Details about their achievements are presented in separate, cross-referenced entries. While the emphasis is on the present state of physics, the science's historical background and development are explained, as appropriate, to give perspective on current issues in physics. With more than 600 entries, 11 prose essays on particularly interesting topics in physics, and more than 180 black-and-white photographs and line illustrations, this is an ideal reference to this core area of science.