Excerpts

PREFACE In writing this book, I had the goal of providing an introduction to physics for those students who are particularly interested in the human body. On the basis of my many years of teaching physics to premedical, physical therapy and occupational therapy students, I set these guidelines: The text would cover a limited number of distinct physics topics rather than providing an encyclopedic survey of the field of physics. These topics would be illustrated (examples and problems) with reference to specific functions and characteristics of the human body. The material would be covered in greater depth than is typical of an introductory text. This provides an opportunity to demonstrate the roles that physics. and mathematical analysis play in understanding the body. The examples and problems would span a range from straightforward applications of basic physics principles to those requiring significant analysis. My students have, during the past five years, used the notes on which the text is based as a standalone text for a one-semester course. Much of the present content is based on their questions, criticisms, and suggestions. For example: The discussion of each topic is built around a series of steps on which the analysis is based. Both the SI and USA (English) systems of units are used in the book. Although the SI system is the legal system in this country and is the most commonly used system in the sciences, it is not widely used outside of those fields. Therefore, most students are much more familiar with the USA system, and this familiarity is addressed by inclusion of the USA system. The various tables indicate sources of the data in the bibliography. Answers to all of the quantitative problems are included. I strongly suggest that students who use this book do not limit their efforts to reading it. To derive the full benefits that I hope are present, it is necessary that during your reading, you fill in any gaps between equations. There should be no "magic," no material that seems to come from nowhere. Do as many problems as your time allows. In your analyses of these problems, follow the suggested procedures rather than using shortcuts. Each analysis should include the basic applicable physics principle and clearly show how it is used. The answers to all problems are given. Do not work from these answers backward to produce your analysis. Such an approach is self-defeating because you will not be given the answers on exams or if you enter a field in which you must carry out such analyses. One last comment: This text is intended to be a physics book, not an anatomy or physiology text. The human body is extremely complex, and to deal with its functions at an introductory level, many simplifications have been made. Modeling is employed; for example, muscles are treated as if they are simple line forces. Nevertheless, the results of the analyses are illustrative of the body's functions. I look forward to your comments and questions regarding the book. Please contact me via e-mail at goldick@mail.hartford.edu. INTRODUCTION Our understanding of the human body and the means by which we deal with maladies and injuries have undergone amazing changes during the last 100 years. Illnesses that had been viewed as the result of Divine Intervention are now viewed in terms of the effects of bacteria and/or viruses. Amputation was a common medical response to severe trauma to limbs but is now very rare. The field of prosthetics has advanced to such a degree that those who have lost limbs are no longer doomed td living a marginal life but may now lead so full a life that it is sometimes difficult to realize that they have such a handicap. In the past, a person who had suffered a spinal cord injury that resulted in loss of the use of his or her legs could look forward only to life in a wheelchair. A pers Excerpted from Mechanics, Heat, and the Human Body: An Introduction to Physics by Howard D. Goldick All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.