The compilers of the present handbook, N. I. Koshkin and M. G. Shirkevich, are experienced Soviet teachers. The handbook covers all the main subjects of elementary physics and contains information most frequently required in industry and agriculture. Special attention has been paid to the choice of data on the latest developments in physics, such as semiconductors, ferroelectrics, nuclear physics, etc. In addition to graphs and tables the book offers brief theoretical expositions, definitions of fundamental concepts and formulations of laws accompanied by explanations and examples. The handbook is intended for wide circles of readers in various occupations, and for students with a background of secondary school physics. The Handbook has the following Chapters: Mechanics, Heat and Molecular Physics, Mechanical Oscillations and Wave Motion, Electricity, Optics, Structure of Atoms and Elementary Particles. lf the physical significance of the tabulated quantity is not quite clear io the reader, he should refer to the relevant section: “Fundamental Concepts and Laws”. Each chapter is further divided into two sections. First, Fundamental Concepts and Laws, which illustrate the the basic theories that describe the phenomena. Second part has actual physical data in form of Tables and Graphs, which are quite detailed and numerous for a Handbook of this size. The numerical values of the quantities are given to two or three signihcant iigures after the decimal point, which is sufficiently precise for most technical calculations.Finally there are Apendices which contain information on the units of measure of physical quantities, formulas for approximate calculations, and the values of some universal physical constants.