Motion Mountain - The Adventure of Physics

1394 Pages·2007·56.9 MB·English

by  Christoph Schiller

Christoph Schiller
MOTION MOUNTAIN
the adventure of physics
www.motionmountain.net

ChristophSchiller
otion Mountain
M
The Adventure of Physics
availablefreeofchargeat
www.motionmountain.net
Editiovicesima.
Proprietasscriptoris©ChristophoriSchiller
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proomnibussempergratuituseratetmanet.
Twentiethrevision.
Copyright©1997–2007byChristophSchiller,
betweenthesecondyearofthe26tholympiad
andthefourthyearofthe28tholympiad.
Allrightsreserved.Commercialreproduction,commercial
distribution,andcommercialuse,inwholeorinpart,isnot
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Youarenotallowedtochargemoneyforanything
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andtostoreanddistributeelectronicallyinunmodifiedform.
ToEsther
τῷἐµοὶδαὶµονι
DieMenschenstärken,dieSachenklären.
Contents
Preface 20
Anappetizer 23
First Part : Classical Physics – How Do Things and Images Move?
Chapter I Galilean Motion 28
1. Whyshouldwecareaboutmotion? 28
2. Galileanphysics–motionineverydaylife 42
3. Globaldescriptionsofmotion–thesimplicityofcomplexity 175
4. Fromthelimitationsofphysicstothelimitsofmotion 271
Chapter II Special Relativity 283
5. Maximumspeed,observersatrest,andmotionoflight 283
M
o
Chapter III Gravitation and Relativity 357 tio
n
6. Maximumforce–generalrelativityinonestatement 357 Mo
u
7. Thenewideasonspace,timeandgravity 385 ntain
8. Motioningeneralrelativity–bentlightandwobblingvacuum 405 –
Th
9. Whycanweseethestars?–Motionintheuniverse 445 e
A
d
10. Blackholes–fallingforever 484 ven
11. Doesspacedifferfromtime? 499 ture
o
12. Generalrelativityintenpoints–asummaryforthelayman 505 fP
h
Chapter IV Classical Electrodynamics 525 ysics
1134.. LWiqhuaitdiselleigchtrti?city,invisiblefieldsandmaximumspeed 552658 available
15. Chargesarediscrete–thelimitsofclassicalelectrodynamics 607 free
o
16. Electromagneticeffects 610 fch
17. Classicalphysicsinanutshell–oneandahalfstepsoutofthree 628 arg
e
at
Intermezzo The Brain, Language and the Human Condition 647 ww
w
.m
o
tio
n
Second Part : Quantum Theory – What Is Matter? What Are Interac- mo
u
n
tions? tain
.n
et
Chapter V Quanta of Light and Matter 720 Co
p
18. Minimumaction–quantumtheoryforpoets 720 yrig
h
t
19. Light–thestrangeconsequencesofthequantumofaction 735 ©
C
h
20. Motionofmatter–beyondclassicalphysics 753 risto
21. Coloursandotherinteractionsbetweenlightandmatter 771 ph
Sch
Chapter VI Permutation of Particles 791 iller
22. Areparticleslikegloves? 791 No
23. Rotationsandstatistics–visualizingspin 800 vem
b
er
1
Chapter VII Details of Quantum Theory and Electromagnetism 813 99
7
24. Superpositionsandprobabilities–quantumtheorywithoutideology 813 –Jan
u
25. Appliedquantummechanics–life,pleasureandthemeanstoachievethem 836 ary
2
26. Quantumelectrodynamics–theoriginofvirtualreality 876 00
7
27. Quantummechanicswithgravitation–thefirstapproach 890
Chapter VIII Inside the Nucleus 919
28. Thestructureofthenucleus–thedensestclouds 919
29. Thestrongnuclearinteractionandthebirthofmatter 943
30. Theweaknuclearinteractionandthehandednessofnature 959
31. Thestandardmodelofelementaryparticlephysics–asseenontelevision 964
32. Grandunification–asimpledream 964
Chapter IX Advanced Quantum Theory (not yet available) 971
Chapter X Quantum Physics in a Nutshell 973
Intermezzo Bacteria, Flies and Knots 991
Third Part : Motion Without Motion – What Are Space, Time and
Particles?
M
o
tio
n
M
Chapter XI General Relativity Versus Quantum Theory 1018 o
u
n
33. Doesmatterdifferfromvacuum? 1020 tain
34. Natureatlargescales–istheuniversesomethingornothing? 1053 –Th
e
35. Thephysicsoflove–asummaryofthefirsttwo-and-a-halfparts 1076 A
d
36. Maximumforceandminimumdistance–physicsinlimitstatements 1088 ven
tu
37. Theshapeofpoints–extensioninnature 1119 re
o
f
38. Stringtheory–awebofdualities 1146 P
h
Chapter XII Unification (not yet available) 1153 ysics
Chapter XIII The Top of the Mountain (not yet available) 1155 availab
le
free
o
f
Fourth Part : Appendices ch
arg
e
at
Appendix A Notation and Conventions 1158 ww
w
.m
Appendix B Units, Measurements and Constants 1170 otio
n
m
Appendix C Particle Properties 1190 o
u
n
Appendix D Numbers and Spaces 1210 tain.n
et
Appendix E Sources of Information on Motion 1244 C
o
p
Appendix F Challenge Hints and Solutions 1250 yrigh
t
©
Appendix G List of Illustrations 1306 Ch
risto
Appendix H List of Tables 1323 ph
Sch
Appendix I Name Index 1326 iller
N
o
Appendix J Subject Index 1352 vem
b
er
1
9
9
7
–Jan
u
ary
2
0
0
7
Detailed Contents
20 Preface
23 Anappetizer
First Part : Classical Physics
How Do Things and Images Move?
28 Chapter I Galilean Motion
28 1. Whyshouldwecareaboutmotion?
Does motion exist? 30 • How should we talk about motion? 32 • What are the
typesof motion? 33 • Perception, permanenceandchange 36 • Does theworld
needstates? 39 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesaboutmotion 40 M
o
42 2. Galileanphysics–motionineverydaylife tio
n
M
Whatisvelocity? 43 • Whatistime? 44 • Whydoclocksgoclockwise? 48 • Does o
u
n
timeflow? 49 • Whatisspace? 49 • Arespaceandtimeabsoluteorrelative? 53 • tain
Size–whyareaexists,butvolumedoesnot 53 • Whatisstraight? 56 • Ahollow –Th
Earth? 57 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesabouteverydayspaceandtime 58 eA
d
65 Howtodescribemotion–kinematics ven
tu
Throwingandshooting 67 • Whatisrest? 68 • Objectsandpointparticles 71 • re
o
Legsandwheels 74 fP
h
75 Objectsandimages ysics
Mserovtaiotinonan–decnoenrtgayct8577••IsWvehloatciitsymabassso?lu7te7?•–IThsmetohtieoonryetoefrenvaelr?y8d3ay•reMlaotirveitoyn8c7on•- availab
le
Rotation 89 • Rollingwheels 93 • Howdowewalk? 93 • IstheEarthrotating? 95 free
• How does the Earthrotate? 100 • Does the Earthmove? 102 • Is rotation rel- of
ative? 105 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesabouteverydaymotion 106 • Legsor charg
e
wheels?–Again 116 at
w
118 Dynamicsduetogravitation w
w
Propertiesofgravitation 121 • Dynamics–howdothingsmoveinvariousdimen- .mo
sions? 125 • Gravitationinthesky 125 • TheMoon 127 • Orbits 129 • Tides 131 tion
m
• Canlightfall? 135 • Whatismass?–Again 136 • Curiositiesandfunchallenges ou
n
aboutgravitation 137 tain
.n
149 Whatisclassicalmechanics? et
C
Shouldoneuseforce? 149 • Completestates–initialconditions 155 • Dosurprises o
p
exist?Isthefuturedetermined? 156 • Astrangesummaryaboutmotion 160 yrig
h
t
161 Bibliography ©
C
h
175 3. Globaldescriptionsofmotion–thesimplicityofcomplexity risto
178 Measuringchangewithaction ph
Theprincipleofleastaction 181 • Whyismotionsooftenbounded? 185 • Curios- Sch
itiesandfunchallengesaboutLagrangians 188 illerN
o
191 Motionandsymmetry vem
b
Whycanwethinkandtalk? 191 • Viewpoints 192 • Symmetriesandgroups 194 er
1
• Representations 194 • Symmetries,motionandGalileanphysics 197 • Reprodu- 99
7
cibility, conservation andNoether’stheorem 200 • Curiositiesandfunchallenges –Jan
u
aboutmotionsymmetry 205 ary
2
205 Simplemotionsofextendedbodies–oscillationsandwaves 00
7
10 contents
Waves and their motion 208 • Why can we talk to each other? – Huygens’ prin-
ciple 212 • Signals 214 • Solitarywavesandsolitons 215 • Curiosities andfun
challengesaboutwavesandextendedbodies 217
222 Doextendedbodiesexist?
Mountains and fractals 223 • Cana chocolate bar last forever? 224 • How high
can animals jump? 225 • Felling trees 226 • The sound of silence 227 • Little
hardballs 227 • Themotionoffluids 230 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesabout
fluids 231 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesaboutsolids 237
240 Whatcanmoveinnature?
241 Howdoobjectsgetwarm?
242 Temperature
Entropy 244 • Flowof entropy 246 • Doisolatedsystems exist? 247 • Why do
balloons take up space? – The end of continuity 247 • Brownian motion 249 •
Entropyandparticles 251 • Theminimumentropyofnature–thequantumofin-
formation 252 • Whycan’twerememberthefuture? 254 • Iseverythingmadeof
M
particles? 254 • Whystonescanbeneithersmoothnorfractal,normadeoflittle o
tio
hardballs 256 • Curiositiesandfunchallengesaboutheat 257 n
M
o
263 Self-organizationandchaos un
Curiositiesandfunchallengesaboutself-organization 269 tain
–
271 4. Fromthelimitationsofphysicstothelimitsofmotion Th
e
A
Researchtopicsinclassicaldynamics 271 • Whatiscontact? 271 • Precisionand dven
accuracy 272 • Canallofnaturebedescribedinabook?272 • Whyismeasurement tu
re
possible? 273 • Ismotionunlimited? 273 of
P
h
275 Bibliography ysics
283 Chapter II Special Relativity availab
283 5. Maximumspeed,observersatrest,andmotionoflight lefree
Canoneplaytennisusingalaserpulseastheballandmirrorsasrackets? 288 • Spe- o
f
cialrelativityinafewlines 291 • AccelerationoflightandtheDopplereffect 292 charg
• The difference between light and sound 295 • Can one shoot faster than one’s eat
shadow? 295 • The composition of velocities 297 • Observers and the principle ww
w
ofspecialrelativity 298 • Whatisspace-time? 302 • Canwetraveltothepast?– .m
o
Timeandcausality 303 tion
m
305 Curiositiesofspecialrelativity ou
n
Faster than light: how far can we travel? 305 • Synchronization and time travel – tain
.n
canamotherstayyoungerthanherowndaughter? 305 • Lengthcontraction 308 et
• Relativisticfilms–aberrationandDopplereffect 310 • Whichisthebestseatina Co
p
bus? 313 • Howfastcanonewalk? 313 • Isthespeedofshadowgreaterthanthe yrig
h
t
speedoflight? 314 • Paralleltoparallelisnotparallel–Thomasrotation 317 • A ©
C
never-endingstory–temperatureandrelativity 318 hristo
318 Relativisticmechanics ph
Mass in relativity 318 • Why relativistic snooker is more difficult 320 • Mass is Sch
concentratedenergy 321 • Collisions,virtualobjectsandtachyons 323 • Systems iller
N
o
of particles – no centre of mass 325 • Why is most motion so slow? 325 • The vem
historyofthemass–energyequivalenceformulaofDePrettoandEinstein 326 • 4- ber
1
vectors 327 • 4-momentum 330 • 4-force 331 • Rotationinrelativity 332 • Wave 99
7
motion 333 • Theactionofafreeparticle–howdothingsmove? 334 • Conformal –Jan
u
transformations–whyisthespeedoflightconstant? 335 ary
2
337 Acceleratingobservers 00
7