Matter and Energy

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL Greetings! Physics-the study of matter and energy and how they affect each other-is all around us! Pretty scary thought, eh? Not really. Physics doesn’t have to be frightening at all. There’s little that we do every day that doesn’t involve physics. Here’s a list of some things that use physics: riding skateboards and bicycles, playing video games, watching TV, listening to stereos, baking a cake, cooking an egg, drawing pictures, driving a car, working on your computer, shooting an arrow, playing the piano or guitar, turning on your shower, doing magic tricks, and playing practical jokes. In other words, physics is everywhere, and it can be fun if you look at it with an open mind. I’ve written this series with as light a touch as possible. I’ve put in very little math, and all of the experiments could be done at or near your home for practically no expense. Almost all of the magic tricks are done with stuff you find around the house. When you perform the magic, remember that if you want to fool your friends, you should keep the secret to yourself. If someone wants to know, “How did you do that trick?” you can honestly say, “I did it with science-physics, to be exact.” If you wish to share any secrets with your friends, don’t tell them how the tricks are done; let them read the book. They can buy it or take it out of the library. If you tell them how you do a trick and they don’t have to put any effort into finding out the secret, they won’t respect you or the trick. I hope that you enjoy the books in this series, and all of the experiments, tricks, and betchas that you’ll find inside. NOTE: About the use of the metric system and English system in this book. Although the metric system is easier to use, both systems are used in this series of books. In some experiments and tricks, only metric measurements are used; in others, only the English system. In still others, both are given.