Quantum physics of matter

The accompanying books are intended for self-study and therefore provide a greater degree of support than most other textbooks

Each section is available in a format that is easy to print in a standard A4 format.

The Open University course S207 The Physical World includes a variety of learning materials apart from the texts, most notably multimedia and videos. Each of these media has an important role to play in the overall strategy of the course. They are essential for Open University students and will be referred to at various points in the text. However if you are not studying with the Open University, and do not have access to these additional media, the books can be read in isolation: they provide a coherent introduction to physics, independent of other resources.

The production of The Physical World was made possible by generous contributions of time and effort from many individuals at a variety of institutions. We gratefully acknowledge these contributions and thank all the contributors.
All those who have been involved with the production of The Physical World hope that it will deepen your understanding of our remarkable Universe and its laws. We also hope that you will enjoy learning about physics, its applications and its cultural significance.