The Silicon Web: Physics for the Internet Age (Hardcover)

Introduction: Physics and Its Relation to Computer and Internet Technologies 
Physics, Silicon, and the “Magic” behind the Internet Age  
A Zoomed-In Look inside a Computer       
Timeline of Great Discoveries and Inventions in Physics and Computer and Communication Technologies  
The Methods and Significance of Science       
The Relation of Science and Information Technology   
Social Impacts: Science and Technology      

Mathematics: The Language of Science and Technology    
The Utility of Mathematics in Science and Technology   
Graphs                
Precision and Significant Digits          
Large and Small Numbers and Scientific Notation    
Real-World Example 2.1: Precision of Display Pixels    
Units for Physical Quantities          
Proportionality              
Binary Numbers              
The Concept of Information           
Exponential Growth   
Social Impacts: The Exponential Change of Nearly Everything

Mechanics: Energy Enables Information Technology
From Looms to Computers        
Speed, Acceleration, and Force        
In-Depth Look 3.1: Distance Traveled under Constant Acceleration    
Real-World Example 3.1: Seek Time of a Hard-Drive Head  
In-Depth Look 3.2: Net Force Vectors       
Real-World Example 3.2: Acceleration in Cathode-Ray Tubes
Principles of Mechanics           
Real-World Example 3.3: Force on a Hard-Drive Head    
The Physics of Energy            
Friction and Thermal Energy          
The Constancy of Energy           
Units for Mechanics            
Power                
Real-World Example 3.4: Motion Sensors in Laptops
Social Impacts: Scientific Thought and Methods Have Arguably Changed the Course of Human History More Than Anything Else

Matter and Heat: Cooling Computers is Required by the Physics of Computation
From Steam Engines to Computers
Matter and Atoms
Gases, Liquids, and Solids
In-Depth Look 4.1: Size and Numbers of Atoms
Real-World Example 4.1: Growing Silicon Crystals for Computer Chips
Pressure in a Gas
Pressure in a Liquid
Pumps, Current, and Resistance
Real-World Example 4.2: A Water-Pressure-Operated Computer
Temperature              
The Ideal Gas
Heat and Thermal Energy Transfer
Real-World Example 4.3: Cooling Computer Chips   
Principles of Thermodynamics: Extracting Work from Heat  
Cooling Computers is Required by the Physics of Computation             
Social Impacts: The Industrial Revolution and the Information Revolution    
           
Electricity and Magnetism: The Workhorses of Information Technology
Electricity and Magnetism Are the Basis of Computers and the Internet           
Electric Charge
In-Depth Look 5.1: The Concept of Plus and Minus Electric Charge
Electric Forces: Coulomb’s Law
In-Depth Look 5.2: The Discovery of the Electron
Electric Fields
In-Depth Look 5.3: Electric Field Lines
Electric Current and Conductors
Electrical Energy and Voltage
Real-World Example 5.1: Capacitor Computer Memory
Resistors, Conductors, and Ohm’s Law
Electrical Power 
Magnetism
Electromagnetism            
Real-World Example 5.2: The Telegraph, Precursor to the Internet               
In-Depth Look 5.4: Magnetic Materials and Data Storage
Social Impacts: Innovation and Public Support of Science

Digital Electronics and Computer Logic
The “Reasoning” Abilities of Computers
Concepts of Logic
Electronic Logic Circuits
Logic Operations and Diagrams
Using Logic to Perform Arithmetic
Implementing Logic with Electromagnetic Switches
Supplemental Section: Boolean Search of Databases   
Chapter 7 Waves: Sound, Radio, and Light
Communicating with Sound, Radio, and Light     
Simple Harmonic Motion           
Damped and Complex Harmonic Motion       
Driven Harmonic Motion and Resonance      
In-Depth Look 7.1: Resonance Frequencies     
Real-World Example 7.1: Crystal Oscillators and Microprocessor Clocks            
Waves
Simple Harmonic Waves
Interference of Waves
In-Depth Look 7.2: Standing Waves
Sound Waves
In-Depth Look 7.3: Beats
Wireless Radio Waves
Real-World Example 7.2: AM Radio
Let There Be Light Waves
In-Depth Look 7.4: Light Polarization
Real-World Example 7.3: LCD Screens
Interference of Light            
Social Impacts: Music, Science and Technology     

Analog and Digital Communication
Communication Systems: Analog and Digital
Basics of Analog Radio
Basics of Digital Radio            
The Maximum Rate of Transmitting Data
Maximum Data Rate
Frequency Multiplexing and Bandwidth
In-Depth Look 8.1: Signal Reconstruction

Quantum Physics of Atoms and Materials
Atoms, Crystals, and Computers
The Quantum Nature of Electrons and Atoms
The Experiments behind Quantum Theory
In-Depth Look 9.1: Spectrum of Hydrogen Atoms
The Spinning of Electrons
The Principles of Quantum Physics
Building Up the Atoms
Real-World Example 9.1: Fluorescent Lamps
Electrical Properties of Materials
In-Depth Look 9.2: Origin of the Energy Gap in Silicon Crystals
In-Depth Look 9.3: Atomic Nature of Magnetic Domains
Social Impacts: Science, Mysticism, and Pseudo-Science  

Semiconductor Physics: Transistors and Circuits
Silicon, Transistors, and Computers        
Controlling the Conductivity of Silicon       
p-n Junctions and Diodes          
Real-World Example 10.1: A Simple Crystal AM Radio Receiver
Transistors              
CMOS Computer Logic          
In-Depth Look 10.1: Water-Effect Transistors     
Miniaturization, Integrated Circuits, and Photolithography 
In-Depth Look 10.2: Bipolar Transistors     
Social Impacts: Labeling Every Object in the World   
Digital Memory and Computers
Physics, Memory, and Computers        
Sequential Logic for Computer Memory     
Feedback Example #1: NOT Loop       
Feedback Example #2: One-Time Latch       
Static Random-Access Memory        
In-Depth Look 11.1: SRAM with Six Transistors    
Dynamic Random-Access Memory       
Nonvolatile Memory           
In-Depth Look 11.2: Quantum Tunneling     
Magnetic Tape and Hard Disk Memory      
Optical Compact Disk Memory       
Error Immunity of Digital Data        
The Structure of a Computer         
Hierarchy of Computer Memory        
Heat-Imposed Limits of Computers      
Representing Information in Computers using Codes  
Coding Images             
Data Compression            

Photons: Light Detectors and Light Emitting Diodes
Light, Physics, and Technology
The Quantum Nature of Light?Photons
Power and Energy in Light
Absorption of Light by Atoms and Crystals (or “How Einstein Got His Nobel Prize”)
In-Depth Look 12.1: Inability of Constant Voltage to Accelerate Electrons in an Insulator      
Real-World Example 12.1: Semiconductor Light Detectors
Emission of Light by Atoms and Crystals
Real-World Example 12.2: Light-Emitting Diodes
Social Impacts: Lighting the Darkness (Efficiently)

Light and Optical Fibers for the Internet
Light as a Communication Medium
Propagation, Reflection and Transmission of Light
Light in Transparent Media
Refraction of Light at a Boundary
Reflection of Light at a Boundary
Total Internal Reflection
Prisms and Speeds of Different Colored Light
Lenses and Curved Mirrors
Optical Loss in Materials?The Clarity of Optical Fiber
Light Guiding
Optical Fibers
Light Pulses in Optical Fibers
Social Impacts: Total Immersion in a Sea of Information

Light Amplification and Lasers
Atoms and Lasers
The Uniqueness of Laser Light
Absorption and Emission of Light by Atoms
Laser Resonators
In-Depth Look 14.1: Laser Resonator Frequencies
How a Laser Works
The Helium-Neon Laser
In-Depth Look 14.2: Extreme Laser Facts
Variable-Color Semiconductor Lasers
Overcoming Losses in Fiber-Optic Systems
Quantum Physics Description of Lasers
The Semiconductor Diode Laser

Fiber-Optics Communication
Bandwidth and the Physics of Waves
Overview of Fiber-Optical Communication Systems
Modulating a Laser Beam with Data
Wavelength Multiplexing in Optical Communication
The Virtues of Lasers for Optical Communication
Hardware for Wavelength Multiplexing
Laser Beam Routing

Communication Networks and the Internet
The Physics behind the Internet
The Goals of Computer Communication Networks
Noise in Analog and Digital Systems
Challenges in Networking
Broadcasting Networks and Switching Networks
Failure-Resistant Communications
Wireless Mobile Cell Phone Networks
Propagation of Wireless Waves in Terrain
Summary of Scientific Notation and Units
Sources and Credits for Quotes Used with Permission
Glossary