Everyday Physics: Unusual Insights Into Familiar Things

This is a physics book like you've never seen before: accessible and fun - perfect for anyone, young or old, who has a healthy dose of curiosity.

• How can you tell where a sound is coming from?
• What is the human energy equivalent of a vacuum cleaner?
• How does GPS work?
• Why do eggs explode in the microwave?
• Is there a vacuum inside double-glazed windows
• Can you get less wet by cycling faster?

Hundreds of full-colour photos and diagrams make the explanations super easy to follow. There are lots of home experiments, too, most of which can be done using simple items from the kitchen. For example, by using a glass full of water, a few drops of milk and a torch, you can show why the sky is blue and why the setting sun is red. If you want to dig a bit deeper, there are extra resources in the shaded boxes throughout.

You can read Everyday Physics in whatever order you want, dipping in and out of the different sections. Based on Herman's Everyday physics lecture series, it combines deep physical insights with back-of-the-envelope calculations, relating abstract physics concepts to the real world, often in a surprising way.

It's perfect for all ages: parents, grandparents, college students and anyone with a healthy interest in the world around them.

This book will bring the magic of physics to your everyday life. Once you discover the beauty of science, ordinary things will become extraordinary.

Prof Jo Hermans is Emeritus Professor of Physics at Leiden University in the Netherlands. In addition to his academic research and teaching, he is active in promoting science to the general public. His books have been translated worldwide. He is a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.