Understanding the Universe : An Introduction to Physics and Astrophysics

Intended for undergraduate nonscience majors satisfying a general, education requirement or seeking an elective in natural science, the text examines physics, but with a different perspective from most undergraduate astronomy courses: developing the principles of physics to illuminate the things we see in the heavens. The fundamental problems of the behavior of matter and energy are thus used to study the solar system, the structure and evolution of stars, and the early universe.