The ancient Greeks believed that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. By a remarkable coincidence (or perhaps not), today we know that there are four states of matter: solids (e.g. earth), liquids (e.g. water), gasses (e.g. air) and plasma (e.g. ionized gas produced by fire). The plasma state is beyond the scope of this book and we will only look at the first three states. Although on the microscopic level all matter is made from atoms or molecules, everyday experience tells us that the three states have very different properties. The aim of this book is to examine some of these properties and the underlying physics.

Clear, precise definitions of scientific terms are crucial to good scientific and technical writing-and to understanding the writings of others. Whether you are a physicist, engineer, mathematician, or technical writer, whether you work in a research, academic, or industrial setting, we all have the occasional need for comprehensible, working definitions of scientific terms.

To meet that need, CRC Press proudly announces publication of the Dictionary of Pure and Applied Physics-the first published volume of CRC's Comprehensive Dictionary of Physics. Authored by eminent scientists from around the world, offers concise, authoritative definitions of more than 3,000 terms covering a range of pure and applied disciplines:

acoustics biophysics
communications electricity electronics
geometrical optics low-temperature physics magnetism medical physics physical optics

The editor has taken care to ensure each entry is as self-contained as possible, to include terms from the frontiers of technology, and to omit obsolete terms that can clutter a search. The result is a lucid, accessible, and convenient reference valuable to both the novice and the seasoned professional.

The ancient Greeks believed that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. By a remarkable coincidence (or perhaps not), today we know that there are four states of matter: solids (e.g. earth), liquids (e.g. water), gasses (e.g. air) and plasma (e.g. ionized gas produced by fire). The plasma state is beyond the scope of this book and we will only look at the first three states. Although on the microscopic level all matter is made from atoms or molecules, everyday experience tells us that the three states have very different properties. The aim of this book is to examine some of these properties and the underlying physics.