Books with author Erik Gregersen

The dynamism of the natural world means that it is constantly changing, sometimes rapidly, sometimes gradually. By mathematically interpreting the continuous change that characterizes so many natural processes, analysis and calculus have become indispensable to bridging the divide between mathematics and the sciences. This comprehensive volume examines the key concepts of calculus, providing students with a robust understanding of integration and differentiation. Biographies of important figures will leave readers with an increased appreciation for the sometimes competing theories that informed the early history of the field.

While the atom is universally acknowledged as the basis for most branches of physics, the study of its constituent particles has illuminated significant new areas of research. The behavior of subatomic particles provides crucial information on the structure and nature of atomic nuclei, which in turn reveal much about energy, matter, and often the origins of the universe. Complete with color diagrams and photographs, this volume elucidates the intricacies of this rapidly developing and always compelling field.

Many of the worlds most common processes and interactions are governed by the laws of thermodynamics and mechanics. While the transfer, release, or absorption of heat often accompany chemical reactions or seem inherent to mechanical systems, they are also familiar to anyone who has ever spent time outdoors on a warm day or touched a hot plate. Likewise, any physical bodylarge or small, solid or fluidis subject to a wide range of forces that trigger motion. This detailed compendium explores the foundations and laws of both thermodynamics and mechanics as well as the lives of those individuals who helped advance these fundamental areas of physics.

Audio and visual cues facilitate some of our most powerful sensory experiences and embed themselves deeply into our memories and subconscious. Sound and light waves interact with our ears and eyesour biological interpreterscreating a textural experience and relationship with the world around us. This well-researched volume explores the science behind acoustics and optics and the broad application they have to everything from listening to music and watching television to ultrasonic and laser technologies that are crucial to the medical field.

From our television sets to the magnets that dot our refrigerators, electricity and magnetism are ever-present in our everyday lives. Even aside from our modern technology, electrical charges can be found throughout naturethe most significant example being Earths magnetic field. This incisive volume includes extensive discussions of electrical and magnetic fields, as well as biographies of the physicists whose work has led to our greater understanding of them.

In an effort to better forecast the future for gains, and combat the potential losses of uncertainty, numerous disciplines have come to rely on the power of statistics and probability. By observing patterns and repeated behaviors, mathematicians have devised calculations to significantly reduce human potential for error. This volume introduces the historical and mathematical basis of statistics and probability as well as their application to everyday situations. Readers will also meet the prominent thinkers who advanced the field and established a numerical basis for prediction.

The sun's warmthwhile enjoyed by the inner planetsloses its strength in the outer solar system, as does our knowledge. The mysterious Jovian planets and dwarf planets, ultra-red matter, and short-period comets will fascinate readers endlessly. As NASAs New Horizon mission will tell us more about Pluto and the Kuiper Belt in 2015, this book lays the foundation in anticipation of our impending new truths. The narrative is supported by gorgeous photographs and fascinating sidebars.

We may think we have an understanding about our planetary neighborsMercury, Venus, and Marsbut despite our proximity, these rocky, silicate-based planets still hold countless mysteries. Through a trove of images and a narrative bursting with detail, this volume imparts what is currently known about this small corner of the Galaxy. Curiosity about Earth and these three neighbors will be satisfied, while readers learn there is much yet to discover. Interesting sidebars allow for deeper comprehension and exploration.

The study of matter is the study of all material things, as well as their ability to transform from one state to another. All matter assumes one of several basic statessolid, liquid, gas, and plasma being the most common. Under varying conditions, each state can be altered to form new substances or adopt new characteristics. This insightful book covers the various structures and elements of different types of matter, while examining the physical and chemical properties that allow for permutation and change.

Common to all matter and its smallest and most fundamental unit, the atom determines the properties of a substance and how it responds to other materials and stimuli. Dividing the atom further reveals several smaller particles whose activity forms the heart of nuclear physics. Readers will discover the structure of the atom as well as the ways in which its electrons, protons, and neutrons facilitate both radioactivity and nuclear reactions, both of which have been crucial to technological advancements since the 20th century.

The oft-referenced E = mc2 may perhaps be one of the worlds most famous equations, but it actually represents only one aspect of the complex branch of physics known as relativity. Together, relativity and quantum mechanics explain both the most cosmic and most elementary relationships and processes of the universe. The profound place that relativity and quantum mechanics occupy in subverting longstanding notions about space, time, matter, and more and the brilliant individuals who advanced study in these fields are the subjects of this volume.