Physically Incorrect

This is it - the real deal. “200 Puzzling Physics Problems”, by Gnadig et al.,  is a collection of nontrivial and captivating physics puzzles in a variety of fields, but mainly mechanics, electricity and magnetism:

There is little to no fluff in this book. It’s a quality paperback, printed on heavy, semi-glossy paper, and it definitely delivers on the promise it makes on the cover; the book contains (as its title implies) 200 engaging problems with solutions. A pretty neat feature is the inclusion of hints for each problem, which can be consulted without revealing the complete solution. Difficult problems are marked, although I thought some of the unmarked ones were quite challenging as well - maybe it’s time for me to hone some of my skills!

To me, a good physics problem is one that can be solved equally by an undergraduate and an expert, preferably using a minimal amount of math, employing clever arguments that stem from basic principles. Real good problems make you rethink the fundamentals, or teach you new ways of looking at things you thought you knew - they uncover your weaknesses and force you to correct them. For example, here is problem #20:

A gas of temperature T is enclosed in a contained whose walls are (initially) at temperature T1. Does the gas exert a higher pressure on the walls of the container when T1<T or when T1>T?

and the slightly humorous problem#139:

If it takes two days to defrost a frozen 5-kg turkey, estimate how long it would take to defrost an 8-tonne Siberian mammoth?

There are also quantitative problems, but almost all problems require little math beyond algebra, making this book approachable even by very bright highschool pupils (very bright, I must say).

The book’s weak point is its layout. There is a list of problems according to their field in the beginning, but little else. No references are made in the text to any peer-reviewed journal papers, nor is there any index, which makes finding a problem you vaguely remember difficult. The problems themselves aren’t arranged in any particular order, independent of their level of difficulty or topic.

Undergraduates, graduates and working physicists seeking to improve their problem solving skill should give this one a look. Thumbs up from me!