Whats the best book to learn physics?

Ziycon

I did higher level physics for my leaving cert. about 6-7 years ago and haven't used it since but I'm looking to get back into it and learn beyond the school taught stuff but need to brush up on the basics, can anyone suggest a good book to get me back to the basics?

Note: I've seen the book thread but just want advise on a book to get back to basics, thanks.

DailyBlaa

Any of the following would a good place to start

Fundamentals of Physics - Halliday and Resnick

Physics for Scientists and Engineers - Serway

Both these are used for introductory modules in physics at 3rd level. They cover all the ground work from leaving cert then expand on it.

After you are more familiar I would go to Richard Feynman's lectures, some great stuff in there. Also the MIT lectures on youtube which are delivered by Walter Lewin are excellent.

sponsoredwalk

University Physics

Integrated Physics with Calculus
(I think volume 2 is two volumes in 1!)

Physics

Understanding Physics

M.I.T. Physics Series
There are two different sets, one by A.P. French and another by various authors, I'd check up on them.

Ziycon

Thanks all, I'll have a look into these.

FISMA

Ziycon,
Which flavor do you prefer: Calculus or not?

Wilson - Buffa - Lou makes a great academic text.


As mentioned before, Halliday has a great text, so to does Tipler. However, they are not as readable as Wilson.

Giancoli has written a great book as well.

If you are looking into Engineering school level, I would go with Tipler and then Halliday.

If you are leaning more towards medicine, pharma, or the like, go with Wilson or Giancoli.

In the mean time, you may wish to try
http://www.motionmountain.net/
It is an online free text. I haven't reviewed it much, but it looks good.

Slan

riffmongous

Resnick Halliday and Krane's book gets my vote, enough maths to be 'real' physics without being too difficult

Podge_irl

Feynman's Lectures on Physics are a fantastic place to start for learning theoretical physics.

raah!

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

Integrated Physics with Calculus
(I think volume 2 is two volumes in 1!)

This seems a very good idea! To what depth is the calculus taught? Though I do already have my own physics and calculus books, I think that if I were to start learning them from the leaving cert this this would be what I would get.

sponsoredwalk

I checked out this book on physicsforums.com, the few mentions of it said
that it was just like any other physics book but with a few more math proofs.
Personally if I had of known about this book a few months ago I would have
gotten it, when you look inside the contents of the book on amazon the
order of the subjects looks great. If you've got physics and calculus books
of your own then it can't hurt to get a better look at how the math is
intertwined with the physics. Here are a few links to what people who have
used the book say about it to see for yourself. If you do decide to get it
find out off the seller if the book is two volumes in one or whatever,
on amazon the first volume is just seperate but the second volume
seems to be two volumes in one.

The contents show that the book skips the stuff on thermodynamics
and optics that are in other books but if you have that stuff already in
your other physics book then it can't hurt to get this one.
I personally believe having one source for the material you're learning is a
serious disadvantage, even with these basic physics books as I have read
the first 9-10 chapters of 2 of them and there are subtle differences that
matter to a first time learner!

raah!

Yes I agree there, I think it would certainly be a bad idea to learn analysis from a physics book as well. But I think a book like that + a pure calculus book would be a good way to go. Having different sources is always good aswell, something you benefit from greatly when you have access to a library, which I hopwill soon, and then I shall have a look at the book. Otherwise I would have to wait till christmas/birthday/dole to buy it :P

sponsoredwalk

If you're trying to do this on the cheap, like me , I'd recommend the
following:

Calculus with Analytic Geometry - £4.16, about €6

University Physics - £1.49, about €4

Add on about 6 euro shipping to each of those and you have first year
college physics and calculus for around €20.

That calculus book is the best one I've read on it's level.
That physics book would be great, older ones are always recommended
but I'd research the contents of it. Just an idea, would teach you the same material but cheaper. Then I'd move on to the M.I.T. course

BTW: none of this is analysis, that's a whole different kettle of fish!

raah!

Do you mean that the calculus in these books is not built up from scratch?

"Mathematical analysis, which mathematicians refer to simply as analysis, has its beginnings in the rigorous formulation of calculus."

Add on about 6 euro shipping to each of those and you have first year
college physics and calculus for around €20.

That's an attractive sentence

roosh

bookmarking