Michael D. Fayer
Hardcover | Pages: 383 pages Rating: 3.88 | 456 Users | 39 Reviews
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| Title | : | Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World |
| Author | : | Michael D. Fayer |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 383 pages |
| Published | : | June 16th 2010 by AMACOM/American Management Association |
| Categories | : | Science. Nonfiction. Physics. History |
Rendition Conducive To Books Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World
Physics is a complex, even daunting topic, but it is also deeply satisfying--even thrilling. And liberated from its mathematical underpinnings, physics suddenly becomes accessible to anyone with the curiosity and imagination to explore its beauty. Science without math? It's not that unusual. For example, we can understand the concept of gravity without solving a single equation. So for all those who may have pondered what makes blueberries blue and strawberries red; for those who have wondered if sound really travels in waves; and why light behaves so differently from any other phenomenon in the universe, it's all a matter of quantum physics. Absolutely Small presents (and demystifies) the world of quantum science like no book before. It explores scientific concepts--from particles of light, to probability, to states of matter, to what makes greenhouse gases bad--in considerable depth, but using examples from the everyday world. Challenging without being intimidating, accessible but not condescending, Absolutely Small develops the reader's intuition for the very nature of things at their most basic and intriguing levels.Define Books Supposing Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World
| Original Title: | Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World |
| ISBN: | 0814414885 (ISBN13: 9780814414880) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Regarding Books Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World
Ratings: 3.88 From 456 Users | 39 ReviewsCrit Regarding Books Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World
Oh, Dr. Fayer...How in your own world you are. In the foreword to this book, Michael Fayer claims that it is an attempt to remove the technical terminology and math from the discussion, and instead focus on explaining the world around us at a quantum level. Well... he certainly manages to explain, at a quantum level, a wide range of everyday things we take for granted. Yet, he uses technical speak and math to do it. Without using any math or technical terms, I shall now explain to you what'sThe majority of my reads are using the Kindle format but equations and charts are usually too small on a smaller screen to read. Using a laptop works much better but again it doesn't fit in your pocket. Worth the time to read.
**Synopsis:** What gives objects their color? Why does copper conduct electricity, but glass does not? Why is carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas while oxygen and nitrogen are not? These are basic questions about how our world works that cant be answered with the usual explanations. Instead, we must turn to the fascinating field of quantum theory. *Absolutely Small* investigates the counterintuitive world of the tiniest particles on earthphotons, electrons, atoms, and moleculesthat act nothing
This book is not for the scientifically faint of heart. He sticks to his promise of no math, but he really digs into the atomic structure. If you don't remember the difference between a covalent and ionic bond, what a wave function is or the ground state of the hydrogen atom, then I'd suggest moving along. I'm not ashamed to admit there were portions of this book that I flat out skipped. Several chapters went way to far into the weeds for my level of understanding.
I've read a number of popular science books on quantum physics by physics such as Brian Greene, Lisa Randall, and Brian Cox. Absolutely Small is different: it's by a chemist. The book starts with a good overview of quantum physics, the Schrodinger Equation, the Uncertainty Principle, and so, unlike many other books, explores atoms and molecules. It discusses the quantum nature of molecular bonds, and how this influences size, shape, and other properties. It even looks at complex organic
A simple and easy to understand explanation with no math.
This is not a book to listen to unless you have a good understanding of chemistry. The reader references dozens of molecular structures and unless you can visualize those you will struggle to grasp the content. College-level chemistry suggested.
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