Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher

by Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands

Overview

Learn how to think like a physicist from a Nobel laureate and "one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century" (New York Review of Books) with these six classic and beloved lessons
 
It was Richard Feynman's outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics. From 1961 to 1963, Feynman delivered a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. Six Easy Pieces, taken from these famous Lectures on Physics, represent the most accessible material from the series.
 
In these classic lessons, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the relationship of physics to other topics. With his dazzling and inimitable wit, Feynman presents each discussion with a minimum of jargon. Filled with wonderful examples and clever illustrations, Six Easy Pieces is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of physics by one of the most admired and accessible physicists of modern times.
 
"If one book was all that could be passed on to the next generation of scientists it would undoubtedly have to be Six Easy Pieces."- John Gribbin, New Scientist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465025275
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	03/22/2011
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	35,284
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1160L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988) was the Richard Chace Tolman Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He was awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for his work on the development of quantum field theory. He was also one of the most famous and beloved figures of the twentieth century, both in physics and in the public arena.

Table of Contents

Publisher's Note vii

Introduction Paul Davies ix

Special Preface xix

Feynman's Preface xxv

1 Atoms in Motion 1

Introduction 1

Matter is made of atoms 4

Atomic processes 10

Chemical reactions 15

2 Basic Physics 23

Introduction 23

Physics before 1920 27

Quantum physics 33

Nuclei and particles 38

3 The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences 47

Introduction 47

Chemistry 48

Biology 49

Astronomy 59

Geology 61

Psychology 63

How did it get that way? 64

4 Conservation of Energy 69

What is energy? 69

Gravitational potential energy 72

Kinetic energy 80

Other forms of energy 81

5 The Theory of Gravitation 89

Planetary motions 89

Kepler's laws 90

Development of dynamics 92

Newton's law of gravitation 94

Universal gravitation 98

Cavendish's experiment 104

What is gravity? 107

Gravity and relativity 112

6 Quantum Behavior 115

Atomic mechanics 115

An experiment with bullets 117

An experiment with waves 120

An experiment with electrons 122

The interference of electron waves 124

Watching the electrons 127

First principles of quantum mechanics 133

The uncertainty principle 136

Index 139

Editorial Reviews

"One of the greatest minds of the twentieth century"—New York Review of Books

"The essence of physics and Feynman. No jargon, just ideas, excitement, and the straight dope. And real answers, like 'we don't know.'"—Stephen Wolfram

"The most original mind of his generation."—Freeman Dyson

"If one book was all that could be passed on to the next generation of scientists it would undoubtedly have to be Six Easy Pieces."—John Gribbin, New Scientist

From the Publisher

Nobelist Feynman was a beloved character who brought physics to the public through TV and books. These two little volumes, selections from his seminal Lectures on Physics, explain the core theories of classical physics. (LJ 12/94)

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