Quantum Physics For Dummies
by Steven Holzner
List Price:
Our Price: $9.45
You Save: $10.54 (53%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $8.98 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Steven HolznerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-03
ISBN: 0470381884
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: For Dummies
Book Reviews of Quantum Physics For Dummies
Book Review: Boot strapping your way up the Ladder of quantum complexity
Summary: 5 Stars
The Scenery of Quantum Physics
Electrons zipping around the nucleus of an atom have been observed to exhibit both wave and particle like properties. In classical physics this could and should not happen. Quantum Physics has been summoned up to sort out the full meaning, implications and ways of measuring, this conundrum. In the early investigations of this problem, it was discovered that a quantum field was required to explain how the energy levels of the electrons bound in an atom actually work. (A "quantum field" is something like the conceptual canvas upon which the energy of the atom is played out.) However, another problem immediately arose: the exact position and momentum of a particle could not both be known at the same time so that their energy levels could be computed. A lot of people chipped away at this problem, with both Einstein and Max Planck making sizeable contributions. The upshot was that the actual location of an election could never be known exactly, electrons could be "quantized" and known only probabilistically, which as it turns out, was good enough for almost all circumstances.
About this Book
I have reviewed other "for beginners intros to Quantum Physics texts," but I must say this author has broken the code for how to convey difficult concepts and difficult substance to a lay reader. It is worthwhile examining his technique before getting into the substance of the book. Apparently one of the first tricks is to separate out the complexity of the mathematics into bite sized chunks so that it can first be explained far away from the center of the substantive battle (as is the case with his "cheat sheets" with a whole slew of mathematical equations appearing on the front cover leafs.) All of the much feared scary suspects are there: The Hamiltonians, Schrodinger's Equations in 3D, Spin Operators and Commutators, etc.); but then to only add them into the substance one-by-one after the concepts and experiments have all been clearly explained, and only as the conceptual development later calls for them.
The earlier books tended to introduce (to the extent they did them at all) concepts, mathematics, and experimental results all at the same time, and left it as an exercise for the reader, to sort all the dizzying complexity out. The second trick this author uses, which is even more effective than his act of demystifying the equations by "introducing them far away from the center of action," is to provide a structured overview of the concepts (that has bite to it) without the equations: It is kind of "a scenery, then scene, overview" before jumping into the substance with all four feet -- that is to say with mathematical equations and all: and only then showing how only with the equations at hand the problems being addressed could be solved. The reader feels almost as if he too could have come up with the same results, all on his own.
And finally, and this is obviously a trick mined from none other than Einstein himself (perhaps via Steven Hawkings) is to begin the substance with bottom level foundation principles and build up the theory according to the physical imperatives those principles demand: that is to say, as a result of the context of the experiments which gave rise to the problems of the substance itself. It is here that the understandings introduced will stick to the brain providing a secure logical hinge to guide one's journey deeper and deeper into the inevitable difficulties and complexities to come. It will also serve as the conceptual glue that binds the seemingly complex, but disparate parts together: concepts, experiments, and mathematics all into one logical whole. As Hawkings noted of Einstein, (I am paraphrasing a quote from his book `A Stubbornly Persistent Illusion') "he had the uncanny knack of latching on to a fundamental truth, as a dog might latch onto a bone, following its assumptions to their logical endpoint no matter where they might lead." Such was the case with his consideration of the constancy of the speed of light, which inexorably led step-by-step to the "Special Theory of Relativity." It was similarly true for the difference between the two separate ways of measuring mass and the way he mined the apparently very subtle difference in these two measurements. They too were resolved through Einstein's dogged reasoning, persistence (more so than thorough his rather limited mathematical prowess) into the "General Theory of Relativity."
In a similar vein, rather than just "throw together" a dizzying collection of complex equations (as has been done by authors of competing volumes) and wait for the "dust to settle," that is to say, wait for reader to sort them all out - which usually means only a handful of graduate students in Physics will be able to do so -- this author takes the pain to use the "Einstein approach." To wit: to begin on the ground floor with the foundation conundrum of the "wave-particle duality. As he ascends the ladder of complexity, he effectively builds a Quantum Physics edifice. It is on the ground floor that we learn about the physical anomalies of the "Black Body Problem," the "Compton Effect," and the more famous "Split Slot Experiment." They all pointed in the same direction both experimentally and mathematically: that light is (at the same time) both a wave and a particle. Then, comes de Broglie, who generalizes this phenomenon of duality to all matter via the "matter waves" and the collapsible "Wave Function.
From this single foundation assumption and the related experiments that prove the suspicions about them to be true, the author maintains a tight correlation between assumptions, experimental results that prove them, and the mathematical complexity that explains them.
The rest is just Matrix Calculus and Operational Mechanics. Ten Stars for this author and for the "For Dummies" Series of Books.
Summary of Quantum Physics For Dummies
Quantum Physics For Dummies helps make quantum physics understandable and accessible. From what quantum physics can do for the world to understanding hydrogen atoms, readers will get complete coverage of the subject, along with numerous examples to help them tackle the tough equations. Compatible with classroom text books and courses, Quantum Physics For Dummies lets students study at their own paces and helps them prepare for graduate or professional exams. Coverage includes:- The Schrodinger Equation and its Applications
- The Foundations of Quantum Physics
- Vector Notation
- Spin
- Scattering Theory, Angular Momentum, and more
Quantum Theory Books
- Books > Subjects > Science & Math > Physics
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Quantum Theory Books
Quantum Mechanics: A New Introductionby Kenichi Konishi, Giampiero Paffuti
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2009-05-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $104.24
Price in other shops:
Advances in the Casimir Effect (International Series of Monographs on Physics)by Michael Bordag, Galina Leonidovna Klimchitskaya, Umar Mohideen, Vladimir Mikhaylovich Mostepanenko
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2009-08-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $111.00
Price in other shops:
Essential Quantum Mechanicsby Gary Bowman
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-01-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $104.88
Philosophical Foundations of Quantum Field Theory (Clarendon Paperbacks)Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1990-09-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $50.60
Price in other shops:
The Quantum Dot: A Journey into the Future of Microelectronicsby Richard Turton
Oxford University Press; Published: 1996-09-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.95
Price in other shops:
At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexityby Stuart Kauffman
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1995-09-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops:
Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineersby Robert C. Hilborn
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1994-01-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.00
Price in other shops:
Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics (Collected Papers on Quantum Philosophy), 2nd Editionby J. S. Bell
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2004-06-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $124.00
Price in other shops:
Molecular Quantum Mechanicsby Peter Atkins, Ronald Friedman
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2005-02-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $50.49
Price in other shops:
Molecular Quantum Mechanicsby P. W. Atkins, R. S. Friedman
Oxford University Press; Published: 1999-10-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $39.00
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Differential Equations For Dummiesby Steven Holzner
For Dummies; Published: 2008-06-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Physics Workbook For Dummiesby Steve Holzner Ph.D.
For Dummies; Published: 2007-10-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Einstein For Dummiesby Carlos I. Calle
For Dummies; Published: 2005-06-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.48
Price in other shops:
Physics II For Dummiesby Steven Holzner
For Dummies; Published: 2010-07-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.92
Price in other shops:
String Theory For Dummiesby Andrew Zimmerman Jones
For Dummies; Published: 2009-11-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.45
Price in other shops:
Quantum Physics Workbook For Dummiesby Steven Holzner
For Dummies; Published: 2010-01-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.21
Price in other shops:
Physics I For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))by Steven Holzner
For Dummies; Published: 2011-07-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide to Science's Most Puzzling Discoveryby J.P. McEvoy, Oscar Zarate
Totem Books; Published: 2003-10-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.57
Price in other shops:
The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyoneby Kenneth W. Ford
Harvard University Press; Published: 2005-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.81
Price in other shops:
Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide (Beginners Guide (Oneworld))by Alastair I.M. Rae
Oneworld; Published: 2006-01-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.87
Price in other shops: