Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Introduction to Measurement 7
1 Measurement of Length and Error 8
2 Experiment:Measure the Length with a Ruler 12
Reading Materials:The International System of Units 13
Some Objects'Distance and Length 15
Little Experiment:Measure the Stature with a Self-made Tapeline 16
Chapter 2 Simple Motion 18
1 Mechanical Motion 19
2 Velocity and Average Velocity 23
3 Experiment:Calculating Average Velocity 27
4 Compute Distance and Time 28
Reading Material:Do You Know Who Is Faster and Who Is Slower? 31
Little Experiment:Measure Your Own Walking Velocity 32
Chapter 3 Sound 35
1 Production and Propagation of Sound 36
2 Pitch,Loudness and Musical Quality 40
3 The Harm and the Control of Noise 44
Reading Material:Not That of the God,but of the Architects 47
Little Experiment:Sound Cannot Travel in a Vacuum 49
Chapter 4 Heat 51
1 Thermometer 52
2 Experiment:Measure Water Temperature by Using a Thermometer 56
3 Melting and Solidification 58
4 Vaporization 62
5 Experiment:Observe the Boiling Water 64
6 Liquefaction 67
7 Sublimation and Condensation 69
Reading Material:Principle of a Refrigerator 71
Little Experiment:Heat up Water with a Paper Pot 72
Chapter 5 Reflection of Light 75
1 Rectilinear Propagation of Light 77
2 Reflection of Light 79
3 Plane Mirror 82
4 Spherical Mirror 85
5 Illumination 88
Reading Material:The Solar Mirror at the Building of HSBC 92
Little Experiments:Make a Pinhole Camera 93
Make a Periscope 93
Chapter 6 Refraction of Light 97
1 Refraction of Light 98
2 Lens 101
3 Camera 104
4 Slide Projector and Magnifier 108
5 Mystery of Colors 112
Reading Materials:Mirage 115
Film 116
Little Experiments:Self-make Source of Parallel Light 118
Mold an Ice Lens 119
Observe an Object's Color 119
Chapter 7 Mass and Density 123
1 Mass 124
2 Experiment:Measure the Mass of Solid and Liquid with a Balance 127
3 Density 128
4 Experiment:Measure the Density of Solid and Liquid with a Balance and a Measuring Cylinder 130
5 Applications of the Property of Density 132
Reading Materials:Origin of Kilogram,the Unit of Mass 136
Great Discovery in Subtle Difference 137
Little Experiments:Self-make a Small Balance 137
Self-make a Measuring Cylinder 138
Chapter 8 Force 141
1 What Is Force 142
2 To Measure Force 144
3 Diagrammatic Representation of Force 147
4 Gravity 150
5 Composition of Two Forces on the Same Line 153
6 Composition of Two Forces with an Angle 156
Reading Material:Weightless State 157
Little Experiment:Make an Elastic Dynamometer 158
Chapter 9 Force and Motion 161
1 Newton's First Law 162
2 Inertia and the Phenomenon of Inertia 163
3 Equilibrium of Two Forces 166
4 Frictional Force 170
Reading Materials:A Story of Newton 173
After an Automobile Brakes 174
Little Experiments:Lift Rice with a Chopstick 175
A Trick in Finding Center of Gravity 176
Chapter 10 Pressure and Hydraulic Pressure 178
1 Pressure Force and Pressure 179
2 Experiment:Investigate the Hydraulic Pressure 184
3 Calculate Hydraulic Pressure 187
4 Connected Vessels and Ship Locks 190
Reading Material:Exploitation of the Ocean 192
Little Experiment:How Much Is Your Pressure on the Ground 194
Chapter 11 Atmospheric Pressure 197
1 Atmospheric Pressure 198
2 Change of Atmospheric Pressure 202
3 Bucket Pump and Centrifugal Pump 205
4 Relationship between Atmospheric Pressure and Volume 208
Reading Material:History of the Discovery of Atmospheric Pressure 210
Little Experiment:Observe How Atmospheric Pressure Varies with Altitude 212
Chapter 12 Buoyancy Force 214
1 Buoyancy Force 215
2 Archimedes Principle 218
3 Applications of Buoyancy Force 222
4 Relationship between Hydrodynamic Pressure and Flow Velocity 226
Reading Materials:A Story of Archimedes 228
A Brief History of the Balloon 229
Little Experiments:Self-make a Submarine Model 231
Self-make a Density Gauge 231
Chapter 13 Simple Mechanics 234
1 Lever 235
2 Applications of Levers 238
3 Pulley 241
4 Wheel and Axle 245
Reading Material:Levers in Ancient China 246
Little Experiments:Study the Structure of a Bicycle 247
A Candle Seesaw 248
Chapter 14 Work 251
1 Work 252
2 Principle of Work 255
3 Mechanical Efficiency 257
4 Experiment:Measure the Mechanical Efficiency of a Pulley Block 259
5 Power 261
Reading Materials:The Incline Plane 264
Power on a Nameplate 265
Little Experiment:Compare Whose Power Is Greater 266
Physics Activities and Popular Science Lectures 269
1 Physics Activities 270
2 Popular Physics Lectures 278
Appendix:Physical Quantities and Their Units in the Book 279
Some Terms in the Book with Chinese Translation 280