Why cats land on their feet, and 76 other paradoxes and puzzles in physics / Mark Levi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Levi, Mark, 1951-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Miscellanea.

Science.

Physics--Miscellanea.

Physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (205 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Ever wonder why cats land on their feet? Or what holds a spinning top upright? Or whether it is possible to feel the Earth's rotation in an airplane? Why Cats Land on Their Feet is a compendium of paradoxes and puzzles that readers can solve using their own physical intuition. And the surprising answers to virtually all of these astonishing paradoxes can be arrived at with no formal knowledge of physics. Mark Levi introduces each physical problem, sometimes gives a hint or two, and then fully explains the solution. Here readers can test their critical-thinking skills against a whole assortment of puzzles and paradoxes involving floating and diving, sailing and gliding, gymnastics, bike riding, outer space, throwing a ball from a moving car, centrifugal force, gyroscopic motion, and, of course, falling cats. Want to figure out how to open a wine bottle with a book? Or how to compute the square root of a number using a tennis shoe and a watch? Why Cats Land on Their Feet shows you how, and all that's required is a familiarity with basic high-school mathematics. This lively collection also features an appendix that explains all physical concepts used in the book, from Newton's laws to the fundamental theorem of calculus.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1. Fun with Physical Paradoxes, Puzzles, and Problems

2. Outer Space Paradoxes

3. Paradoxes with Spinning Water

4. Floating and Diving Paradoxes

5. Flows and Jets

6. Moving Experiences: Bikes, Gymnastics, Rockets

7. Paradoxes with the Coriolis Force

8. Centrifugal Paradoxes

9. Gyroscopic Paradoxes

10. Some Hot Stuff and Cool Things

11. Two Perpetual Motion Machines

12. Sailing and Gliding

13. The Flipping Cat and the Spinning Earth

14. Miscellaneous

Appendix

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613589729

9781280494499

1280494492

9781400841721

1400841720

OCLC:

845243765