The Physics Book

A vibrant mix of creative typography, graphics, and accessible text to explore the most famous and important ideas and people in physics.

How do magnets generate electricity? What is antimatter? Is time travel possible?

Discover the answers to these and over 90 other big questions that explore the most important laws, theories, and breakthrough moments in our understanding of physics—from the earliest civilisations to the 21st century.

Written in clear English, The Physics Book is packed with short, pithy explanations that cut through technical language, step-by-step diagrams that untangle knotty theories, memorable quotes, and witty illustrations that play with our understanding of physics.

This diverse and inclusive account of physics includes Pythagoras's observations on music, Galileo's experiments with spheres, and Isaac Newton's theories of gravity and the laws of motion, unlocking Albert Einstein's insights into relativity, how the accidental discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation confirmed the Big Bang theory, and the reasons most of the Universe is "missing". Showing how each idea and breakthrough came about, entries examine the history and wider developments in areas such as energy and matter, electricity and magnetism, and quantum, nuclear, and particle physics.

Continuing the "Big Ideas" series' trademark combination of authoritative, clear text and bold graphics, The Physics Book uses an innovative visual approach to make the subject accessible to everyone, whether you’re an avid student or just curious about maths. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how physicists formulated—and proved—these abstract concepts, this is the perfect book for you.