I have previously posted about the Space Foundation's free, online, fully developed K-12 science curriculum complete with lesson plans, and Scirus, the most comprehensive science-specific search engine on the Internet.
Now comes Dr. Christoph Schiller's online Physics textbook. The website's welcome page sets the stage for this tremendous resource (which can be downloaded in its entirety or by chapters):
How do objects and images move? Why do animals move? What is motion? How does a rainbow form? Is levitation possible? Do time machines exist? What does 'quantum' mean? What is the maximum force value found in nature? Is 'empty space' really empty? Is the universe a set? Which problems in physics are still unsolved? This site publishes a free physics textbook that tells the story of how it became possible, after 2500 years of exploration, to answer such questions. The book is written to be entertaining, surprising and challenging on every page. With little mathematics, the text explores the most fascinating parts of mechanics, thermodynamics, special and general relativity, electrodynamics, quantum theory and modern attempts at unification. The essence of these fields is summarized in the most simple terms: it is shown how they are based on the notions of minimum entropy, maximum speed, maximum force, minimum change of charge and minimum action.
The speed of the transformation of the traditional textbook is incredible and an important consideration as Spring Branch ISD continues the Visioning Process. For a clear example of this transformation, go to the Wikimedia Foundation's website which now contains over 12,000 free collaborative textbooks. This fact will be an increasingly important consideration for student education, particularly in the area of science education which is so necessary to maintaining US global competitiveness.
These are the summaries of the chapter files and the links to download them.
FRONT MATTER - The reasons for and the fun of studying motion
Complete table of contents, preface and appetizer - ca. 30 pages, 0.8 MB (a summary of the table of contents is also available in a fast HTML version).
FIRST PART - CLASSICAL PHYSICS - How Do Things and Images Move?
Chapter I (sections 2-3) Galilean physics, including the description of all motions of the floor and of the Earth, together with numerous puzzles from everyday life - ca. 130 pages, 6.4 MB.
(Sections 4-5) Global descriptions of motion, including the importance of measuring change and action, discovering symmetries, feeling temperature and knowing about entropy, as well as many puzzles - ca. 92 pages, 3.0 MB.
Chapter II (section 6) Special relativity with all its fun and paradoxes, the experimental data, relativistic photographs and movies, and Einstein's predecessor Olinto de Pretto - ca. 70 pages, 2.0 MB.
Chapter III (section 7) Maximum force: a simple principle encompassing general relativity. The theory of special relativity is based on the existence of a maximum speed in nature, and all its results can be deduced from this principle. In a similar way, general relativity, including the cosmological constant, can be based on the existence of a maximum force (or power) in nature. Its value is given by c^4/4G. This approach makes general relativity accessible to secondary-school students. The conditions for the validity of the limit are specified. It is shown that it is impossible to exceed the limit in nature. It is further shown that the maximum force is reached only on horizons. This connection allows us to deduce all of general relativity from the force (or power) limit value and suggests new tests of the theory - ca. 25 pages, 0.4 MB.
(Sections 8-13) Gravitation and general relativity: motion of the vacuum, maximum force and maximum power, curvature of space-time, black holes, the history of the universe and the reasons we can see the stars - ca. 134 pages, 5.0 MB.
Chapter IV (sections 14-18) Classical electrodynamics, including liquid electricity, light, levitation and puzzles. Includes a summary of classical physics and the future of planet Earth - ca. 108 pages, 3.9 MB.
Intermezzo: The brain, language and the human condition: Why and how humans can talk about nature, including information on memory, lies, sets, surreal numbers and infinity. Includes the linguistic proof that every person is born a physicist and explores the fun of talking with precision, in particular on creation, on the existence of the universe and on apes' views of the anthropic principle - ca. 74 pages, 1.0 MB.
SECOND PART - QUANTUM THEORY - What Is Matter? What Are Interactions?
Chapter V (sections 19-22) Quanta of light of matter. The essence of the quantum world. Shows how to understand quantum theory as a result of the smallest action in nature - ca. 64 pages, 1.3 MB.
Chapter VI (sections 23-24) Permutation of particles: what they have in common with gloves, cups and belts - ca. 22 pages, 0.5 MB.
Chapter VII (sections 25-28) Details of quantum theory and electromagnetism: a down-to-earth approach to probabilities in quantum theory, including the issue of the wavefunction of the universe. Applications of quantum theory to biology, pleasure increase and material science: how the senses work and how we can look through mountains. An introduction to quantum electrodynamics and the quantum theory of gravity, and an explanation of the relation between ships and vacuum energy, between gravity and temperature, as well as a proposal for the ultimate physics exam. - ca. 100 pages, 1.6 MB.
Chapter VIII (sections 29-33) Inside the nucleus: why surgeons like it, how it interacts, why stars shine and why nuclear reactors are so expensive - first version with ca. 46 pages, 4.1 MB.
Chapter IX (not yet) - Stepping stones: advanced quantum theory
Chapter X Quantum physics in a nutshell, including all the open questions of modern physics on one page, a discussion of the anthropic principle and everything that apes and humans have in common - ca. 18 pages, 0.3 MB.
Intermezzo: Bacteria, flies, knots and clouds: what they tell about motion - ca. 22 pages, 2.0 MB.
THIRD PART - MOTION WITHOUT MOTION - What Are Space, Time and Particles?
Chapter XI (section 34) General relativity versus quantum mechanics: Does vacuum differ from matter? No! A discussion of the implications at Planck scales of combining quantum theory and general relativity, with experimental predictions - ca. 38 pages, 0.8 MB
(Section 35) Nature at large scales: Is the universe something or nothing? General points about the answer, information about duality, and a solution to Hilbert's sixth problem - ca. 26 pages, 0.5 MB.
(Section 36) The physics of love - a summary of the first two and a half parts - ca. 12 pages, 0.3 MB.
(Section 37) Physics in limit statements - how to summarize most of modern physics in a handful of statements and explain quantum theory and general relativity to secondary-school students. The statements imply a bound for every physical observable, from acceleration to size; the precise limit values differ from the usual Planck values by a numerical factor. A minimum length implies that measurement precision is limited and that the non-continuity of space-time is an inevitable result of the unification of quantum theory and relativity. A minimum length also implies the non-existence of point particles, the impossibility of describing nature as a set, and the solution of Hilbert's sixth problem. Then, lower and upper limits for all physical quantities in nature are deduced - extending the entropy bound of Bekenstein to all other observables. Among others, the lowest power, the lowest force, the highest acceleration and the highest angular momentum are presented. We also deduce criteria for the correct unified description of nature - ca. 30 pages, 0.5 MB.
(Section 38) The shape of points: arguing that space is not made of points and that elementary particles are not point-like. First hints for an improved description of matter and space-time - ca. 32 pages, 0.5 MB.
Chapter XII (not yet) Extension, strings, quantum gravity and M theory
Chapter XIII (not yet) The top of Motion Mountain
APPENDICES - Reference information useful for mountain ascents and other adventures.
Appendices A-H: 3000 years of mathematical notation. Measurements, units and constants from the French Revolution to the drive for more digits. The various units used in the physical sciences, the official and the unofficial SI prefixes (xenno, weko, vendeko, udeko, Xenta, Wekta, Vendekta, Udekta), and all physical constants necessary for mountain ascents. Particles: how to distinguish them when you see them. Tables of elementary particles, mesons, baryons and many of their composites, including the periodic table of the elements and a table of the elements' use, history and properties. Numbers and spaces: quizzes, fun and information on quaternions, other number systems, algebras, Lie groups and topology. Information sources and websites on motion, solutions to most challenges, as well as the list of tables and figures - ca. 146 pages, 2.2 MB.
Appendices I and J: Name Index and Subject Index - clickable in the full-book file motionmountain.pdf - ca. 64 pages, 2.3 MB.
The new, 22nd edition is now available for download. It has many new topics and figures. Enjoy!
Christoph
Posted by: Christoph Schiller | Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 08:43 AM
A new version is available on the site. Enjoy.
Christoph
Posted by: Christoph Schiller | Sunday, December 02, 2007 at 10:45 PM