A Circle Is Round

Science writer and Founder of A Circle Is Round (https://acircleisround.com)

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Rotational Motion Description: The aim of the Exercise Package Rotational Motion is to put into practice and further expand your knowledge of various concepts related to rotational motion, such as torque, angular momentum, and moment of inertia.

The Exercise Package Rotational Motion consists of the following:

*** 20 elaborate exercises that in 75 pages help you get more comfortable with the angular equations of motion, torque and frictional torque, mass moment of inertia, orbital and spin angular momentum, the law of conservation of angular momentum, Newton’s Second Law for rotation, calculus and solving integrals and differential equations, sliding and rolling of objects, center of mass calculations, orbital mechanics, multi-body systems, the Coriolis effect in non-inertial frames of reference, precession, and vector calculations in two and three spatial dimensions. All the exercises are original creations of the author;

*** Detailed figures and schematics, which are all entirely designed by the author, to provide visual support to the reader;

*** An explanation of the strategy of how to tackle the exercise;

*** A step-by-step guidance of not only how to apply Newton’s Second Law of linear and rotational motion and the various laws of conservation to a number of different physical situations, and subsequently use all of that information to determine the motion or position of an object, but also how to numerically arrive at the final (or intermediary) result;

*** An explanation of the mathematical tools, in case they are required to solve the exercise. Preview: You can download here (free of charge) the first five problem statements to get an idea of the type of exercises that are included in the Exercise Package Rotational Motion.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical mechanics can benefit from the Exercise Package Rotational Motion.

Link to the Exercise Package Rotational Motion: https://acircleisround.com/rotational-motion/

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

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Work, Energy, and Momentum Description: The aim of the Exercise Package Work, Energy, and Momentum is to put into practice and further expand your knowledge of the work-energy theorem and laws of conservation.

The Exercise Package Work, Energy, and Momentum consists of the following:

*** 20 elaborate exercises that in 69 pages help you get more comfortable with the law of conservation of energy, the law of conservation of momentum, the work-energy theorem, perfectly elastic and inelastic collisions in two and three spatial dimensions, orbital mechanics and Kepler’ laws, gravitational potential energy and escape velocity, multi-body systems, calculus and integrals, conservative forces, relative motion, pendulum-like behaviour, the concept of power, and systems of variable mass. All the exercises are original creations of the author;

*** Detailed figures and schematics, which are all entirely designed by the author, to provide visual support to the reader;

*** An explanation of the strategy of how to tackle the exercise;

*** A step-by-step guidance of not only how to apply the work-energy theorem, the laws of conservation, and Newton’s Second Law to different types of situations, and subsequently use all of that information to determine the motion of an object, but also how to numerically arrive at the final (or intermediary) result;

*** An explanation of the mathematical tools, in case they are required to solve the exercise.

Preview: You can download here (free of charge) the first five problem statements to get an idea of the type of exercises that are included in the Exercise Package Work, Energy, and Momentum.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical mechanics can benefit from the Exercise Package Work, Energy, and Momentum.

Link to the Exercise Package Work, Energy, and Momentum: https://acircleisround.com/work-energy-and-momentum/

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

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Applications of Newton’s Laws Description: The aim of the Exercise Package Applications of Newton’s Laws is to put into practice and further expand your knowledge of Newton’s laws across a wider range of applications.

The Exercise Package Applications of Newton’s Laws consists of the following:

*** 20 elaborate exercises that in 66 pages help you get more comfortable with the gravitational force, the centrifugal force and circular motion, kinetic and static friction forces, Kepler’s laws, drag forces, calculus and methods to solve integrals and differential equations, relative motion, Lagrange points, center of mass calculations, spring forces, tension forces, circular and elliptical orbital mechanics, multi-body systems, binary star systems, and vector calculations in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. All the exercises are original creations of the author;

*** Detailed figures and schematics, which are all entirely designed by the author, to provide visual support to the reader;

*** An explanation of the strategy of how to tackle the exercise;

*** A step-by-step guidance of not only how to formulate Newton’s Second Law in different types of situations and subsequently use that information to determine the motion of an object, but also how to numerically arrive at the final (or intermediary) result;

*** An explanation of the mathematical tools, in case they are required to solve the exercise. Preview: You can download here (free of charge) the first five problem statements to get an idea of the type of exercises that are included in the Exercise Package Applications of Newton’s Laws.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical mechanics can benefit from the Exercise Package Applications of Newton’s Laws.

Link to the Exercise Package Applications of Newton's Laws: https://acircleisround.com/applications-of-newtons-laws/

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

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Newton’s Laws Description: The aim of the Exercise Package Newton’s Laws is to put into practice and further expand your knowledge of the laws of physics that govern the motion of objects.

The Exercise Package Newton’s Laws consists of the following:

*** 20 elaborate exercises that in 57 pages help you get more comfortable with understanding which forces act on objects and how they impact their motion; with how to perform vector calculations in one, two, and three spatial dimensions; with the behaviour of interconnected systems, such as a pulley system; with relative motion, weight, and free fall; and with forces in non-inertial frames of reference. All the exercises are original creations of the author;

*** Detailed figures and schematics, which are all entirely designed by the author, to provide visual support to the reader;

*** An explanation of the strategy of how to tackle the exercise;

*** A step-by-step guidance of not only how to formulate Newton’s Second Law in different situations and subsequently use that information to determine the motion of an object, but also how to numerically arrive at the final (or intermediary) result;

*** An explanation of the mathematical tools, in case they are required to solve the exercise. Preview: You can download here (free of charge) the first five problem statements to get an idea of the type of exercises that are included in the Exercise Package Newton’s Laws.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical mechanics can benefit from the Exercise Package Newton’s Laws.

Link to the Exercise Package Newton's Laws: https://acircleisround.com/newtons-laws/

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

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Kinematics Description: The aim of the Exercise Package Kinematics is to put into practice and further expand your knowledge of the equations of motion that describe the motion of objects.

The Exercise Package Kinematics consists of the following:

*** 20 elaborate exercises that in 54 pages help you get more comfortable with motion on straight surfaces, motion on slopes, vertical motion, free fall, relative motion, vector calculations,  interpretation of graphs, and motion in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. All the exercises are original creations of the author;

*** Detailed figures, schematics, and graphs, which are all entirely designed by the author, to provide visual support to the reader;

*** An explanation of the strategy of how to tackle the exercise;

*** A step-by-step guidance of how to use the appropriate equation of motion as well as how to numerically arrive at the final (or intermediary) result;

***An explanation of the mathematical tools, in case they are required to solve the exercise. Preview: You can download here (free of charge) the first five problem statements to get an idea of the type of exercises that are included in the Exercise Package Kinematics.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical mechanics can benefit from the Exercise Package Kinematics.

Link to the Exercise Package Kinematics: https://acircleisround.com/kinematics/

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

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Exercise Packages The Exercise Packages help the reader to put their theoretical understanding of physics to the test.

Each package contains 20 originally created exercises, accompanied by self-designed figures, graphs or schematics.

The exercises furthermore include a detailed strategic approach, a step-by-step guidance throughout the calculations, and the explanation of mathematical tools used to solve the exercises.

On the web page of the respective Exercise Package, you can preview the first 5 problem statements.

Have a great time practicing! Olivier

Link to the Exercise Packages: https://acircleisround.com/exercise-packages/

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Preparation Course Chemistry Description: The aim of the Preparation Course Chemistry is to provide the reader with a quantitative and intuitive understanding of some of the key concepts in the field of chemistry.

The Preparation Course Chemistry consists of the following:

*** 141 pages of text divided into 17 chapters: The Atomic Structure, The Periodic Table, Chemical Reactions, Quantitative Chemistry, Oxidation and Reduction, Chemical Bonding, Group Chemistry, Separation Techniques, Acids, Bases, and Salts, The Reaction Rate, Energetics, Electrolysis, Carbon Chemistry, Metals, Particle Theory, Chemical Tests, and Air and Water (see further below to download a detailed table of contents);

*** Detailed figures, reaction schematics, and tables, which are all entirely designed by the author (including the images), to give visual support to the explanation of the different concepts;

*** Clear and consistent definitions of all new concepts;

*** Both qualitative and numerical examples that accompany and further clarify the explanation of the concepts. The examples very often comprise a multitude of different chemical reactions, whereby a step-by-step explanation of the reactions guides the reader towards the final result (for instance in the case of redox reactions);

*** An accessible and transparent writing style, whereby much care is given to communicate and reflect as clearly as possible a deeper understanding of the working mechanism of various chemical reaction processes. Table of Contents: You can view here the detailed table of contents of the Preparation Course Chemistry.

Preview: To get an idea of what the course actually looks like, you can view here the first four pages of the first chapter.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in chemistry can benefit from the Preparation Course Chemistry. The Course is particularly helpful for those degrees that require students to take admission tests, as in the case of dentistry and medicine.

Link to Preparation Course Chemistry: https://acircleisround.com/preparation-course-chemistry/

Have a great time studying! Olivier

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Preparation Course Physics Description: The aim of the Preparation Course Physics is to provide the reader with a qualitative and intuitive understanding of some of the key concepts in the field of physics.

The Preparation Course Physics consists of the following:

*** 85 pages of text divided into 7 chapters: Electricity, Magnetism, Mechanics, Thermal Physics, Matter, Waves, and Radioactivity (see further below to download a detailed table of contents);

*** Detailed figures, graphs, and tables, which are all entirely designed by the author (including the images), to give visual support to the explanation of the different concepts;

*** Clear and consistent definitions of all new concepts, laws, theorems, and relations as well as the formulation (and sometimes the derivation) of the corresponding mathematical formulas and equations;

*** Both qualitative and numerical examples that accompany and further clarify the explanation of the concepts. The numerical examples are original creations of the author and a step-by-step explanation of the calculations guides the reader towards the final result;

*** An accessible and transparent writing style, whereby much care is given to communicate and reflect as clearly as possible a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of various physical phenomena. Table of Contents: You can view here the detailed table of contents of the Preparation Course Physics.

Preview: To get an idea of what the course actually looks like, you can view here the first four pages of the first chapter.

Intended Audience: Anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education that offers an introductory course in classical physics can benefit from the Preparation Course Physics. The Course is particularly helpful for those degrees that require students to take admission tests, as in the case of dentistry and medicine.

Link to the Preparation Course Physics: https://acircleisround.com/preparation-course-physics/

Have a great time studying! Olivier

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Preparation Courses

Anyone with an interest in science or anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education can benefit from these introductory Preparation Courses in the field of the physical sciences.

These text-based courses are accompanied by self-designed images, schematics, and tables, as well as plenty of qualitative and numerical examples to guide the reader throughout their study.

On the web page of the respective course, you can download a preview and the detailed table of contents.

Have a great time studying! Olivier

Link to Preparation Courses: https://acircleisround.com/preparation-courses/

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To give in-depth support to anyone who is deciding to start a degree in higher education or anyone interested in science, I've set up an online business. What I do is write text-based preparation courses and put together exercise packages with the aim of helping the reader become familiar with key scientific concepts. Written in an accessible style, the preparation courses include self-designed images and plenty of numerical examples to guide the reader throughout their study. The exercise packages each reflect one specific theme and consist of twenty elaborate, originally created exercises, which contain supportive images, step-by-step calculations, strategic guidance, and additional mathematical support. Feel welcome to have a look at my website. I wish you a great time studying! Olivier 

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When gazing at the sky on a clear night, there are countless flickering lights above our heads, each representing a star, a galaxy, or a cluster of galaxies separated from us by mind-bogglingly vast distances. Despite this forever-out-of-reach immenseness of the Universe, we are still able to get our hands on a wealth of data about a wide variety of properties of these astronomical objects. The main messenger of all this information is starlight itself. In my latest article "Messages From Above", I explore how the chemical composition, the surface temperature, and both the relative and rotational motion of stars can be retrieved from the light they emit. Have a great time reading! Olivier

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Several theories are currently in the running with the ultimate objective of explaining everything within the physical world, from the dynamics of the largest cosmological structures down to the twists and turns of quantum systems at the smallest of scales. But what if the nature of our reality resembles more the structure of an onion, with a crucial difference that there is no end to the number of layers? Would that make the effort of designing a theory of everything entirely futile? Regardless of what the final verdict may be, given our exceptionally developed predilection towards finding connections and patterns in the world around us, the human mind’s inquisitiveness will most likely continue to fuel our fascination with a theory of everything. My latest article "Unifying the Universe" explores the result of one such fascinating quest for unification: E8 Theory developed by Garrett Lisi. Have a great time reading! Olivier

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Let's explore the Universe! How did it all start? How was our Universe created? What were the initial conditions? Were there any conditions at all? Is our observable Universe just one patch of many in a much larger universe beyond our reach? Is our Universe unique? Did it pop out of nowhere? Will it expand forever or come crashing down at some point? Did it bubble forth from a bustling region of minute fluctuations? Has the Universe already been around for an eternity? Cosmologists have been pondering about such questions for decades. To shed light on their work and get a more solid grasp on the moment when the Universe was being started up, my latest article "The Quantum Origins of Our Universe" digs into their research and spends time with three theoretical frameworks in particular: Chaotic Eternal Inflation, the Cyclic Model, and the No Boundary Proposal. Have a great time reading! Olivier

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Taking a step back from our day-to-day activities can sometimes have an invigorating effect, as it allows us to pause for a moment, reflect on where we stand, and see where we want to go from there. My new article "Our Place in the World Wide Universe" gives a literal spin to this reflective exercise: Where do we actually stand in the broader Universe? We know that our home planet is whizzing around the Sun and that our Solar System forms part of the Milky Way Galaxy. But what lies beyond that? In the same spirit as the Russian nesting Matryoshka dolls, I start this exploration from the innermost component, i.e., the Earth within our Solar System, to finally arrive at the outermost layer, the mother of all galactic structures to which we belong (find out in the article who she is!). Have a great time reading! Olivier

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My latest article explores the role of microbiota in the gut-brain axis, i.e., a bidirectional communication network in place between the brain and the intestines. Feel welcome to have a read!

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My latest article! What are some of the scientific positions when it comes to the non-trivial role of quantum effects in the brain?