Back-of-the-Envelope Physics
- Book Review,
by Clifford E. Swartz
From Book News, Inc.
This book offers more than 100 interesting intermediate to advanced physics problems yielding numerical answers, and often revealing solutions within an order-of-magnitude using little or no data. The title of this book refers to the habit of many physicists to calculate a first approximation to the solution of a problem on a piece of scrap paper. With a couple of lines of arithmetic readers will learn to show that all atoms have about the same radius, that the pressure on an ice skate does not melt the ice, and that the energy provided by batteries is outrageously expensive compared with electricity from the wall.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Review
"For the well-grounded physics enthusiast."-- Choice
Review
"The book is fun to read. I look forward to mining it for examples with which to spice up my lectures."--Don S. Lemons, author of Introduction to Stochastic Processes in Physics
Book Description
Physicists use "back-of-the-envelope" estimates to check whether or not an idea could possibly be right. In many cases, the approximate solution is all that is needed. This compilation of 101 examples of back-of-the-envelope calculations celebrates a quantitative approach to solving physics problems. Drawing on a lifetime of physics research and nearly three decades as the editor of The Physics Teacher, Clifford Swartz provides simple, approximate solutions to physics problems that span a broad range of topics. What note do you get when you blow across the top of a Coke bottle? Could you lose weight on a diet of ice cubes? How can a fakir lie on a bed of nails without getting hurt? Does draining water in the northern hemisphere really swirl in a different direction than its counterpart below the equator? In each case, only a few lines of arithmetic and a few natural constants solve a problem to within a few percent. Covering such subjects as astronomy, magnetism, optics, sound, heat, mechanics, waves, and electricity, the book provides a rich source of material for teachers and anyone interested in the physics of everyday life.
About the Author
Clifford Swartz is a professor emeritus of physics at State University of New York, Stony Brook. He was the editor of The Physics Teacher for twenty-nine years and has written numerous physics texts for students from kindergarten to graduate level. He was the recipient, in 1987, of the Oersted Medal, the most prestigious award of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
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