{"product_id":"9780801881640","title":"Back-of-the-Envelope Physics","description":"\u003cp\u003ePhysicists use \"back-of-the-envelope\" estimates to check whether or not an idea could possibly be right. In many cases, the approximate solution is all that is needed. This compilation of 101 examples of back-of-the-envelope calculations celebrates a quantitative approach to solving physics problems. Drawing on a lifetime of physics research and nearly three decades as the editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Physics Teacher\u003c\/i\u003e, Clifford Swartz provides simple, approximate solutions to physics problems that span a broad range of topics. What note do you get when you blow across the top of a Coke bottle? Could you lose weight on a diet of ice cubes? How can a fakir lie on a bed of nails without getting hurt? Does draining water in the northern hemisphere really swirl in a different direction than its counterpart below the equator? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn each case, only a few lines of arithmetic and a few natural constants solve a problem to within a few percent. Covering such subjects as astronomy, magnetism, optics, sound, heat, mechanics, waves, and electricity, the book provides a rich source of material for teachers and anyone interested in the physics of everyday life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Johns Hopkins University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47118479655152,"sku":"9780801881640","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780801881640_p0.jpg?v=1769906309","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780801881640","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}