Physics 101 Course: A Beginner's Guide to the Cosmos

by John R. Taylor

Physics 101: A Beginner's Guide to the Cosmos
Demystify the universe with this essential guide to the fundamentals of physics.

Have you ever wondered how a roller coaster stays on its track, why a ball falls to the ground, or how your smartphone works? The answer to all these questions and more lies in the elegant and powerful laws of physics.

"Physics 101: A Beginner's Guide to the Cosmos" is your personal roadmap to understanding the foundational principles that shape our world. This book is for anyone who has ever been curious about the universe but felt intimidated by the science behind it.

Inside, you will

Motion, Force, and Grasp the core concepts of Newtonian mechanics, from the laws that keep planets in orbit to the forces that make a car move.


The World of Uncover the secrets of sound and light, and learn how a single vibration can create both a beautiful melody and the information that allows us to see.


The Unseen Dive into the fascinating relationship between electricity and magnetism, and discover how these invisible forces power the technological world we live in today.


Through clear explanations, relatable examples, and a step-by-step approach, this book transforms complex theories into accessible knowledge. Whether you're a student, an aspiring scientist, or simply a curious mind, this guide will empower you to see the world with a new sense of wonder and understanding.

Embark on your journey into the heart of the cosmos. Your adventure starts here.

39 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2025

About the author

John Taylor is Professor of Physics and Presidential Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He took his B.A. in mathematics from Cambridge University and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied the theory of elementary particles. He has taught at the Universities of Cambridge and London in England, and at Princeton. and Colorado in the U.S. He first came to Colorado in 1966. Since then he has won five university and departmental teaching awards. He is the author of three text books: a graduate text on quantum scattering theory; an undergraduate text on error analysis, which has been translated into German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, and Spanish; and an undergraduate

text on modem physics. The second edition of the book on error analysis appeared in 1997. His research interests include quantum scattering theory and the foundations of quantum theory, and he has published some fifty articles in journals such as the Physical Review and the Journal of Mathematical Physics. For several years he was Associate Editor of the American Journal of Physics.
For the past eighteen years he has given his "Mr. Wizard" shows to some 60,000 children on the Boulder campus and in many towns in Colorado. He received an Emmy Award for his television series "Physics for Fun", which aired on KCNC TV in 1988 -1990. In 1989 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Citation of the American Association of Physics Teachers. In the same year, he won one of eleven Gold Medals in the national "Professor of the Year" program and was named Colorado Professor of the Year. In 1998, at the invitation of the International Science Festival in Dunedin, he toured New Zealand and gave IS "Mr. Wizard" shows in various museums and colleges.