Principles of Physics

This textbook presents a basic undergraduate course in physics covering all essential aspects of mechanics, mechanical properties of matter, thermal properties of matter, elementary thermodynamics, electrodynamics, electricity, magnetism, light, optics and sound. It includes simple mathematical approaches to each physical principle, with carefully selected examples and exercises supporting each chapter.

This second edition of a widely popular textbook – boasting close to 6 million downloads – adds many new exercises and solutions, a new summary for each chapter, boxed features separating the examples from the text, and highlights fundamental physical outcomes and rules. The appendices provide a quick and helpful point of reference for all fundamental conversion factors and basic formulas, as well as rules for differentiation and integration, helping students to understand the elementary mathematical steps used for solving the examples and exercises. Visually impressive and full of real-word examples with step-by-step solutions, this textbook is an indispensable tool for both instructors and students seeking direct access to a broad spectrum of physics.

Prof. Hafez A. Radi obtained his B.Sc. degree in Special Physics with distinction and highest class honors from Ain-Shams University in June 1967. He also obtained M. Sc. degree in theoretical atomic Physics from the same university in 1970. Then he moved to Kuwait University as a demonstrator and got his Ph. D. degree in theoretical Atomic Physics from the same University in 1974. He was promoted to Associate Professor Rank in 1979 and full Professor Rank in 1984. He visited the International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy (from June to August, 1975). For the last 44 years he has been working with research scientists in Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. On leave of absence from Department of Physics, Kuwait University, he spent his Sabbatical leave (from January 1981 to January 1982) and visited the Lab 15 times (each for a period of about two month). As a visiting professor, he also spent two research months (starting from June 1979) in Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916, USA. After the Gulf war in 1990, he moved to King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU), Madinah Branch, SA (1990 - 2004) and Taibah University. He has been the Chairman of Physics and Mathematics Department at KAAU for one year. He moved to MSA University in Egypt in 2005 and appointed as the head of physics department from 2007 to 2012 and then as the head of the General Systems Engineering Department from 2012 to present. He published many articles as a leading author in distinguished international Journals such as Physical Review Letters, Physical Review A, Physical Review C, Journal of Physics (Atoms and Molecules), etc. He taught many undergraduate and Graduate courses in Physics, Mathematical Physics, and applications of Physics. He attended many international Conferences in Atomic and Nuclear Physics.

Prof. em. John O. Rasmussen, born 1926; B.S. California Institute of Technology (1948); Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (1952); M.A. (hon) Yale (1969); Visiting Research Professor, Nobel Institute for Physics, Stockholm (1953); N.S.F. Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen (1961-62); E.O. Lawrence Award (1967); Professor and Associate Director, Heavy Ion Accelerator Laboratory, Yale University (1969-72); Honorary Professor Fudan University, Shanghai (1984); J.S. Guggenheim Fellow (1972); von Humboldt Senior Fellowship, Munich (1991); A.C.S. Award for Nuclear Applications in Chemistry (1976); Fellow AAAS, Member ACS, APS, FAS; Faculty Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He published 386 articles in distinguished international Journals such as Physical Review Letters, Physical Review C etc. with more than 4668 citations.