Physics : Concepts and Connections

Emphasizes modern physics in a philosophical, cultural as well as scientific context. Atoms and the structure of matter. Speed, velocity, and acceleration. The connections between force, mass and acceleration. Energy efficiency and electric power. The second law of thermodynamics. Entropy. The automobile and the steam-electric generating plant. General relativity and cosmology — the large-scale geometry, density, and fate of the universe, along with the inflationary theory's predictions and the search for the (possibly) missing mass in the universe. The search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Quantum theory — the electron double-slit experiment, and the evidence for Bell's interconnectedness principle.