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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <feed xml:lang="en-US" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <id>tag:open.umn.edu,2005:/opentextbooks/subjects/physics</id> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu"/> <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks"/> <title>Open Textbook Library - Physics Textbooks</title> <updated>2018-09-07T17:21:40Z</updated> <icon>https://open.umn.edu/assets/common/favicon/favicon-6666d4af5ecb597851b1bd6b4af4d8472feee5ef149656c053063f5c427c993c.ico</icon> <logo>https://open.umn.edu/assets/library/otl_logo-23d864367b91dd38b6ef8eeec20ee0ae733b8f3685c53f178fd4ea06f6a95100.webp</logo> <entry> <id>59</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:40Z</published> <updated>2024-10-28T14:26:49Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/light-and-matter"/> <title>Light and Matter</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about Light and Matter" title="Light and Matter cover image" class="cover " width="245" height="320" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDcsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--66a0814aa7a8d31cb78cc3d3cd98697c8107fb73/0000LandMv1.png" />This is an introductory text intended for a one-year introductory course of the type typically taken by biology majors, or for AP Physics B. Algebra and trig are used, and there are optional calculus-based sections.</content> </entry> <entry> <id>61</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:41Z</published> <updated>2024-08-19T13:19:15Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/college-physics"/> <title>College Physics - 2e</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about College Physics - 2e" title="College Physics - 2e cover image" class="cover " width="202" height="202" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTA5ODMsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--c17d4f0134e3e83baa88b3c1026dac6e9d2bdd1f/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-23%20at%2012.25.10%20PM.png" />College Physics 2e introduces topics conceptually and progresses through clear explanations in the context of career-oriented, practical applications, and meets the scope and sequence of an algebra-based physics course. The narrative of physics and scientific discovery has been even further expanded to focus on including more diverse contributors to the field. Building on the success of the first edition the authors have increased focus on interdisciplinary connections, including enhancements to biological and medical applications. The problem solving approach has been revised to further unify conceptual, analytical, and calculation skills within the learning process, the authors have integrated a wide array of strategies and supports throughout the text for students. View the first edition of College Physics at OpenStax.</content> </entry> <entry> <id>138</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:45Z</published> <updated>2024-01-22T14:51:46Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-i-fall-flow-and-heat"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. I: Fall, Flow, and Heat</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. I: Fall, Flow, and Heat" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. I: Fall, Flow, and Heat cover image" class="cover " width="401" height="565" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTIwLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--d31d89e88c8881c957e22daf29bdb84a7c1d651b/9781447545545.png" />This book is written for anybody who is curious about nature and motion. Curiosity about how people, animals, things, images and space move leads to many adventures. This volume presents the best of them in the domain of everyday life. Carefully observing everyday motion allows us to deduce six essential statements: everyday motion is continuous, conserved, relative, reversible, mirror-invariant – and lazy. Yes, nature is indeed lazy: in every motion, it minimizes change. This text explores how these six results are deduced and how they fit with all those observations that seem to contradict them. In the structure of modern physics, shown in Figure 1, the results on everyday motion form the major part of the starting point at the bottom. The present volume is the first of a six-volume overview of physics. It resulted from a threefold aim I have pursued since 1990: to present motion in a way that is simple, up to date and captivating. In order to be simple, the text focuses on concepts, while keeping mathematics to the necessary minimum. Understanding the concepts of physics is given precedence over using formulae in calculations. The whole text is within the reach of an undergraduate. In order to be up to date, the text is enriched by the many gems – both theoretical and empirical – that are scattered throughout the scientific literature. In order to be captivating, the text tries to startle the reader as much as possible. Read- ing a book on general physics should be like going to a magic show. We watch, we are astonished, we do not believe our eyes, we think, and finally we understand the trick. When we look at nature, we often have the same experience. Indeed, every page presents at least one surprise or provocation for the reader to think about. Numerous interesting challenges are proposed. The motto of the text, die Menschen stärken, die Sachen klären, a famous statement by Hartmut von Hentig on pedagogy, translates as: ‘To fortify people, to clarify things.&#39; Clarifying things – and adhering only to the truth – requires courage, as changing the habits of thought produces fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we grow in strength. And we experience intense and beautiful emotions. All great adventures in life allow this, and exploring motion is one of them. Enjoy it!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>155</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:46Z</published> <updated>2024-09-16T13:00:12Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-ii-relativity"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. II: Relativity</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. II: Relativity" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. II: Relativity cover image" class="cover " width="399" height="563" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTMwLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--3b13215342a7058b1de151d113b0743c8385946f/0000AdPhysTwo.png" />This book is written for anybody who is curious about nature and motion. Curiosity about how people, animals, things, images and empty space move leads to many adven- tures. This volume presents the best of them in the domains of relativity and cosmology. In the study of motion – physics – special and general relativity form two important building blocks. Special relativity is the exploration of the energy speed limit c. General relativity is the exploration of the force limit c4/4G. The text shows that in both domains, all equations follow from these two limit values. This simple, intuitive and unusual way of learning relativity should reward the curiosity of every reader – whether student or professional. The present volume is the second of a six-volume overview of physics that arose from a threefold aim that I have pursued since 1990: to present motion in a way that is simple, up to date and captivating. In order to be simple, the text focuses on concepts, while keeping mathematics to the necessary minimum. Understanding the concepts of physics is given precedence over using formulae in calculations. The whole text is within the reach of an undergraduate. In order to be up to date, the text is enriched by the many gems – both theoretical and empirical – that are scattered throughout the scientific literature. In order to be captivating, the text tries to startle the reader as much as possible. Read- ing a book on general physics should be like going to a magic show. We watch, we are astonished, we do not believe our eyes, we think, and finally we understand the trick. When we look at nature, we often have the same experience. Indeed, every page presents at least one surprise or provocation for the reader to think about. Numerous interesting challenges are proposed. The motto of the text, die Menschen stärken, die Sachen klären, a famous statement by Hartmut von Hentig on pedagogy, translates as: ‘To fortify people, to clarify things.&#39; Clar- ifying things – and adhering only to the truth – requires courage, as changing the habits of thought produces fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we grow in strength. And we experience intense and beautiful emotions. All great adventures in life allow this, and exploring motion is one of them. Enjoy it!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>156</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:46Z</published> <updated>2025-01-06T14:00:15Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-iii-light-charges-and-brains"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. III: Light, Charges, and Brains</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. III: Light, Charges, and Brains" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. III: Light, Charges, and Brains cover image" class="cover " width="400" height="562" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTMxLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a7c37305b3aa8282a0e640c32daf43ff7fae6156/0000AdPhysThr.png" />This book is written for anybody who is curious about nature and motion. Curiosity about how people, animals, things, images and space move leads to many adventures. This volume presents the adventures one encounters when exploring everything electric. The story ranges from the weighing of electric current to the use of magnetic fields to heal bone fractures and up to the understanding of the human brain. In the structure of physics, shown in Figure 1, motion due to electricity is the most fascinating aspect of the starting point at the bottom. Indeed, almost everything around us is due to electric processes. The present introduction to electricity, magnetism, light and the brain is the third of a six-volume overview of physics that arose from a threefold aim that I have pursued since 1990: to present motion in a way that is simple, up to date and captivating. In order to be simple, the text focuses on concepts, while keeping mathematics to the necessary minimum. Understanding the concepts of physics is given precedence over using formulae in calculations. The whole text is within the reach of an undergraduate. In order to be up to date, the text is enriched by the many gems – both theoretical and empirical – that are scattered throughout the scientific literature. In order to be captivating, the text tries to startle the reader as much as possible. Read- ing a book on general physics should be like going to a magic show. We watch, we are astonished, we do not believe our eyes, we think, and finally we understand the trick. When we look at nature, we often have the same experience. Indeed, every page presents at least one surprise or provocation for the reader to think about. Numerous interesting challenges are proposed. The motto of the text, die Menschen stärken, die Sachen klären, a famous statement by Hartmut von Hentig on pedagogy, translates as: ‘To fortify people, to clarify things.&#39; Clar- ifying things – and adhering only to the truth – requires courage, as changing the habits of thought produces fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we grow in strength. And we experience intense and beautiful emotions. All great adventures in life allow this, and exploring motion is one of them. Enjoy it!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>157</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:46Z</published> <updated>2024-07-01T13:00:20Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-iv-the-quantum-of-change"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. IV: The Quantum of Change</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. IV: The Quantum of Change" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. IV: The Quantum of Change cover image" class="cover " width="402" height="567" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTMyLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--cc48ffd5edd7d89a71d652e1764357e55ff722b2/9781447560371.png" />This book is written for anybody who is curious about nature and motion. Have you ever asked: Why do people, animals, things, images and space move? The answer leads to many adventures; this volume presents those due to the discovery that there is a smallest change value in nature. This smallest change value, the quantum of action, leads to what is called quantum physics. In the structure of modern physics, quantum physics covers three points; this volume covers the introduction to the point in the lower right: the foundations of quantum theory. The present introduction to quantum physics arose from a threefold aim I have pursued since 1990: to present the basics of motion in a way that is simple, up to date and captivating. In order to be simple, the text focuses on concepts, while keeping mathematics to the necessary minimum. Understanding the concepts of physics is given precedence over using formulae in calculations. The whole text is within the reach of an undergraduate. In order to be up to date, the text is enriched by the many gems – both theoretical and empirical – that are scattered throughout the scientific literature. In order to be captivating, the text tries to startle the reader as much as possible. Read- ing a book on general physics should be like going to a magic show. We watch, we are astonished, we do not believe our eyes, we think, and finally we understand the trick. When we look at nature, we often have the same experience. Indeed, every page presents at least one surprise or provocation for the reader to think about. Numerous interesting challenges are proposed. The motto of the text, die Menschen stärken, die Sachen klären, a famous statement by Hartmut von Hentig on pedagogy, translates as: ‘To fortify people, to clarify things.&#39; Clarifying things – and adhering only to the truth – requires courage, as changing the habits of thought produces fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we grow in strength. And we experience intense and beautiful emotions. All great adventures in life allow this, and exploring motion is one of them. Enjoy it!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>158</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:46Z</published> <updated>2024-03-25T13:00:26Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-v-motion-inside-matter-pleasure-technology-and-stars"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. V: Motion Inside Matter - Pleasure, Technology, and Stars</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. V: Motion Inside Matter - Pleasure, Technology, and Stars" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. V: Motion Inside Matter - Pleasure, Technology, and Stars cover image" class="cover " width="400" height="563" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTMzLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--510ce8514b535808a43f4aba6c1df6dec70db354/0000AdPhysFiv.png" />This book is written for anybody who is curious about nature and motion. Curiosity about how bodies, images and empty space move leads to many adventures. This volume presents the best adventures about the motion inside people, inside animals, and inside any other type of matter – from the largest stars to the smallest nuclei. Motion inside bodies – dead or alive – is described by quantum theory. Quantum theory describes all motion with the quantum of action h, the smallest change observed in nature. Building on this basic idea, the text first shows how to describe life, death and pleasure. Then, the text explains the observations of chemistry, materials science, astrophysics and particle physics. In the structure of physics, these topics correspond to the three ‘quantum&#39; points in Figure 1. The story of motion inside living and non-living matter, from the coldest gases to the hottest stars, is told here in a way that is simple, up to date and captivating. In order to be simple, the text focuses on concepts, while keeping mathematics to the necessary minimum. Understanding the concepts of physics is given precedence over using formulae in calculations. The whole text is within the reach of an undergraduate. In order to be up to date, the text is enriched by the many gems – both theoretical and empirical – that are scattered throughout the scientific literature. In order to be captivating, the text tries to startle the reader as much as possible. Read- ing a book on physics should be like going to a magic show. We watch, we are astonished, we do not believe our eyes, we think, and finally we understand the trick. When we look at nature, we often have the same experience. Indeed, every page presents at least one sur- prise that makes the reader think. Also numerous interesting challenges are proposed. The motto of the text, die Menschen stärken, die Sachen klären, a famous statement by Hartmut von Hentig on pedagogy, translates as: ‘To fortify people, to clarify things.&#39; Clar- ifying things – and adhering only to the truth – requires courage, as changing the habits of thought produces fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we grow in strength. And we experience intense and beautiful emotions. All great adventures in life allow this, and exploring motion is one of them. Enjoy it!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>159</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:46Z</published> <updated>2024-01-22T14:51:46Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-adventure-of-physics-vol-vi-the-strand-model-a-speculation-on-unification"/> <title>The Adventure of Physics - Vol. VI: The Strand Model - A Speculation on Unification</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about The Adventure of Physics - Vol. VI: The Strand Model - A Speculation on Unification" title="The Adventure of Physics - Vol. VI: The Strand Model - A Speculation on Unification cover image" class="cover " width="398" height="566" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTM0LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--860cf39723ea0398367aafce8cdd4c4ac7fd7447/0000AdPhysSix.png" />This book is written for anybody who is intensely curious about nature and motion. Have you ever asked: Why do people, animals, things, images and empty space move? The answer leads to many adventures, and this book presents one of the best of them: the search for a precise, unified and final description of all motion. The wish to describe all motion is a large endeavour. Fortunately, this large endeavour can be structured in the simple diagram shown in Figure 1. The final and unified descrip- tion of motion, the topic of this book, corresponds to the highest point in the diagram. Searching for this final and unified description is an old quest. In the following, I briefly summarize its history and then present an intriguing, though speculative solution to the riddle. The search for the final, unified description of motion is a story of many surprises. For example, twentieth-century research has shown that there is a smallest distance in nature. Research has also shown that matter cannot be distinguished from empty space at those small distances. A last surprise dates from this century: particles and space are best described as made of strands, instead of little spheres or points. The present text explains how to reach these unexpected conclusions. In particular, quantum field theory, the standard model of particle physics, general relativity and cosmology are shown to follow from strands. The three gauge interactions, the three particle generations and the three dimensions of space turn out to be due to strands. In fact, all the open questions of twentieth-century physics about the foundations of motion, all the millennium issues, can be solved with the help of strands. The strand model, as presented in this text, is an unexpected result from a threefold aim that I have pursued since 1990, in the five previous volumes of this series: to present the basics of motion in a way that is up to date, captivating and simple. In retrospect, the aim for maximum simplicity has been central in deducing this speculation. While the previous volumes introduced, in an entertaining way, the established parts of physics, this volume presents, in the same entertaining and playful way, a speculation about uni- fication. Nothing in this volume is established knowledge – yet. The text is the original presentation of the topic. The search for a final theory is one of the great adventures of life: it leads to the limits of thought. The search overthrows our thinking habits about nature. A change in think- ing habits can produce fear, often hidden by anger. But by overcoming our fears we gain strength and serenity. Changing thinking habits thus requires courage, but it also pro- duces intense and beautiful emotions. Enjoy them!</content> </entry> <entry> <id>378</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:58Z</published> <updated>2024-08-19T13:38:47Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/university-physics-volume-1"/> <title>University Physics Volume 1</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about University Physics Volume 1" title="University Physics Volume 1 cover image" class="cover " width="622" height="615" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzEzLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--f0b64f9aeb734456438c319426824ea3e4d2310c/9781938168277.png" />University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. This textbook emphasizes connections between between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result.</content> </entry> <entry> <id>379</id> <published>2018-09-07T17:21:58Z</published> <updated>2024-01-22T14:51:56Z</updated> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/university-physics-volume-2"/> <title>University Physics Volume 2</title> <content type="html"><img alt="Read more about University Physics Volume 2" title="University Physics Volume 2 cover image" class="cover " width="549" height="547" data-controller="common--cover" data-placeholder="/assets/common/placeholder-f8e123f91b7e13ad321132c609842fdd40121f691ee7db391b88763bc42be6a0.webp" src="/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzE0LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--983edb653eb94e476c4dff8dbfc60653e73470ad/9781938168161.png" />University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. Volume 2 covers thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and Volume 3 covers optics and modern physics. This textbook emphasizes connections between between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result.</content> </entry> <link rel="next">https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/physics?page=2</link> </feed>