Encyclopedias of physics provide articles on topics and principles in physics, and they often include bibliographies of suggested readings.
REFERENCE QC5 .E54
Encyclopaedic dictionary of physics: general, nuclear, solid state, molecular, chemical, metal and vacuum physics, astronomy, geophysics, biophysics, and related subjects. Edited by James Thewlis. New York, : Pergamon Press, 1961-1964.
Standard reference work in physics. Entries vary in length up to about 3,000 words with references to further study. Although the original 9 volumes were publised between 1961 and 1964, there are 5 supplementary volumes covering new developments.
REFERENCE QC5 .E544 1990
Encyclopedia of modern physics. Edited by Robert A. Meyers. San Diego: Academic Press, 1990.
Contains 34 carefully written and edited reviews, some of which relate to well-established fields (atomic physics, nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, relativity, statistical mechanics) but many of which relate to fields which have only recently begun to generate interest and results (chaos, quasicrystals, unified field theories). The emphasis throughout is on recent developments.
REFERENCE QC5 .E545
Encyclopedia of physics. Edited by Rita G. Lerner and George L. Trigg. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. Advanced Book Program, 1981.
Intended as a comprehensive introductory reference with articles ranging in length up to 20 pages. Includes bibliographies for further research.
REFERENCE QC5 .M15 1996
Macmillan encyclopedia of physics. Edited by John S. Rigden. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996.
Offering 920 articles and 550 illustrations, plus a 40-page index listing entries, illustrations, and See Also references, this work is aimed at a broad range of readers and hence includes a diverse array of topics. Entries range from the expected (quantum mechanics, quarks) to the unusual. Also included are biographies of select physicists, no longer alive, who have made seminal contributions. There is also a reader's guide, which organizes key entries into useful categories.