The Physics of Everyday Things: The Extraordinary Science Behind an Ordinary Day

Science writer and physicist Kakalios (physics, Univ. of Minnesota; The Physics of Superheroes) writes an entertaining journey through an "average" day, explaining how physics works to power everyday things. The narrative begins by explaining how an oscillating pendulum is the basis of both a vintage alarm clock and the digital timer in an electric coffeemaker. Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a different device that the author encounters daily: a high-speed elevator, an E-ZPass, a car door lock and key fob, LED lights, USB drives, and more. The clever format, following a person through a typical day (which includes air travel, hotel stays, and a business presentation), brings order to the mammoth topic of physics and makes it accessible to readers unfamiliar with how gravity affects ordinary objects. The book ends with a whimsical discussion of the physics of flying cars and why we don't have them yet (and won't anytime soon).