Quantum Physics for Dummies

by Steven Holzner

Book Overview

Your plain-English guide to understanding and working with the micro worldQuantum Physics For Dummies, Revised Edition helps make quantum physics understandable and accessible. From what quantum... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470381884
• ISBN13: 9780470381885
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 318 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The most bang for the buck

Unlike so many of these types of books which teach you how to solve specific problems, but, because they provide no explanation of what you are doing, leave you clueless when you want to understand related topics not discussed in the book, Quantum Physics for Dummies shows you not only how to solve a problem but explains what is going on. It provides just the right balance between problem solving and explanation. When I was a student, physics consisted almost exclusively of teaching you what equation to use to solve for different types of problems without telling you why you were doing this. This book explains the concepts behind the formulae rather than just taking a fill-in-the-blank approach. I wish these things had been explained to me back in the day. The examples and exposition have been carefully thought out to give the reader "the most bang for the buck." It also recognizes that not all readers, especially adults, have the time to read every week. By reviewing equations that the reader may have forgotten, it saves the reader a lot of time and frustration. I would recommend this book both for adults who now regret not having taken more science, or did not have the opportunity to do so, as well as for those currently studying physics. Students who are faced with a poor teacher or textbook will find it not just an extremely useful supplement but a good deal more than that. Because the problems are explained so well, students will be able to face problems with both a better understanding and confidence. Adult readers will not feel that they are being talked down to because the writing is clear, accessible, lucid and to the point. While entertaining, it is entertaining to put the reader at ease, not to make him or her feel that they need a light-hearted approach because the reader is out of his or her league. Rather, they will feel more like they are engaged in a discussion with that professor you wished you had had, but didn't.

Don't let this one get away!

Out of the many guides to physics I have sampled, this one has done the best job of providing me (as a non-scientist) with the information I need. It is very well-written and easy to follow, and packed with information on the foundations and current directions of the quantum physics field. It is a great math refresher, and reading it was like taking a physics class but in book form! I especially liked the way the author demonstrated how to use Java code to solve the Schrodinger wave equation, and also gave a great introduction to quantum chemistry. I strongly recommend to readers that they embark on the exploration through quantum physics that this book offers.

Makes hard concepts easy

This is a great book for making hard concepts easy. The topic is a hard one, but Quantum Physics for Dummies makes it as easy as it can be made. There are numerous worked-out examples, and everything is discussed in detail. The book makes things clear that so many other books leave you totally in the dark about. I used it to help get my through my college course on quantum physics! If you want to learn quantum Physics, this is the book for you.

Outstanding guided tour

Quantum Physics For Dummies provides an outstanding guided tour of the subject. I've been looking for a good book on the subject, and this is it. I especially liked the coverage of quantum wells and harmonic oscillators, which helped me through this difficult material. Highly recommended--very clear and easy to read. If you're looking for a New Age treatment of quantum physics or if you have no background whatsoever in physics or math, this probably isn't the book for you. Quantum physics is, after all, an advanced, specialized field of physics--and you need to be able to walk before you can run. But if you want an excellent introduction to the science of quantum physics, this book is a great place to start.

Quite good for the right audience

Maybe it shouldn't be a "for dummies" book -- but if you've read a few of the laymen's books on QM and are ready for something meatier, but aren't quite ready for a formal text, this is a great place to start. You'll need a basic appreciation of matrix-style math, partial derivatives, and integral calculus (say mid-level engineering math). An appreciation for basic physics is also required: energy, momentum, field potential, etc. If you've got those basics, this is an extremely gentle introduction. Within an hour you'll understand the basics of the wave equation and bra-ket notation. But as with any math-based approach, even an informal one, the book has to be read carefully. Without the basics outlined above, the book is a total bust. At the other extreme, anyone who's completed a college level course in QM will likely learn zip. For someone who's gained a qualitative appreciation for QM and wants to take the next somewhat rigorous step, this is THE book. I'm self taught in most of this, so I can't say whether there are many serious errors/typos -- but I didn't see any glaring ones. There is one incredibly bizarre bit of notation in the first chapter where the author illustrates a simple state vector containing the square roots of 2, 3, 4, etc -- but uses 1/2 exponents that are almost the same size as the numbers, so it looks like 2 1/2, 3 1/2. etc., which didn't make any sense. After a bit of head scratching it clicked -- but aside from this peculiar example, I found the overall presentation to be quite readable. The publisher could really do everyone a big favor by making "search inside" available.