Book excerpt: All geologists need a broad understanding of science to understand the processes they study and analytical techniques. In particular, geology students need to grasp the basic physics behind these processes, which this book provides in plain language and simple mathematics. It gives the reader information that will enable him to ascertain the validity of what he reads in scientific literature. Water, an essential component of geology, is emphasized, and many published errors on water are discernible when armed with this text. This updated edition discusses a wide range of topics, including electromagnetic radiation from optics to gamma rays, atomic structure and age-dating, heat and heat flow, electricity and magnetism, stress and strain, sea waves, acoustics, and fluids and fluid flow. The book gives basic definitions and dimensions and also some warnings about misunderstanding mathematical statistics, particularly of linear regression analysis, and unenlightened computation.