any physics books to get me started?

IrishSkyBoxer

Hi guys.

I have a fairly thorough comprehension of biology (third level) and have a decent grasp of chemistry as well (first year uni). However, physics has always been a subject which I have fallen down in.

For example I recently read a Brief History of Time but some parts just went completely over my head. I've started Hawking's Grand Design now too.

I have recently took it upon myself to try and improve my physics. Is there any books/courses I could follow? I was looking on MIT online courses. What about the Feynman lectures I was thinking of downloading them?

Or would I be better off picking up a leaving cert physics book??

I'm not hoping to solve the origins of the universe or unify relativity and quantum mechanics, but I want to be able to understand everything being discussed about these and other subjects.

Thanks

Morbert

IrishSkyBoxer wrote: »

Hi guys.

I have a fairly thorough comprehension of biology (third level) and have a decent grasp of chemistry as well (first year uni). However, physics has always been a subject which I have fallen down in.

For example I recently read a Brief History of Time but some parts just went completely over my head. I've started Hawking's Grand Design now too.

I have recently took it upon myself to try and improve my physics. Is there any books/courses I could follow? I was looking on MIT online courses. What about the Feynman lectures I was thinking of downloading them?

Or would I be better off picking up a leaving cert physics book??

I'm not hoping to solve the origins of the universe or unify relativity and quantum mechanics, but I want to be able to understand everything being discussed about these and other subjects.

Thanks

Start with these two.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Mechanics-The-Theoretical-Minimum/dp/0141976225

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quantum-Mechanics-The-Theoretical-Minimum/dp/0465036678

Also, check out the corresponding courses if you have the time.


http://theoreticalminimum.com/courses

The theoretical minimum is the sharpest introduction to physics I have come across. Very clear and concise explanations of concepts and their mathematical representations.

EoghanIRL

Honestly the leaving cert physics course covers quite a lot of physics and fundamental concepts on a wide range of physics . It mightn't be a bad start.

Look up leavingcert physics.ie

I think he has free PowerPoints and other useful tools .
Examinations .ie offers lots of lc physics papers and solutions for free .

Justin1982

Yeah the leaving cert physics course is a good way to start. Bit more concise for a beginner.

If your that dedicated then I'd recommend "University Physics" by Young and Freedman. Covers leaving cert physics but takes it a bit further. Its a pretty big book though but if there was specific areas of physics that you wanted to get a really good understanding of then it would be ideal.

For example. Leaving Cert doesnt really cover much on special relativity. THink it basically give you equations like E = MC^2 but doesnt really delve into the basic concepts, philosophy and method by which Einstein arrived at the equation. But University Physics probably gives the best introduction to the subject that I came across in my Uni days.

sponsoredwalk

I'd recommend these 52 videos before reading any book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a0-Ry-fufA

"By following the circle, the moon is actually falling"

Labarbapostiza

Morbert wrote: »

http://theoreticalminimum.com/courses

The theoretical minimum is the sharpest introduction to physics I have come across. Very clear and concise explanations of concepts and their mathematical representations.

I don't know. I think theoretical minimum is aimed at people who already have some kind of technical or science background. I really like Suskind's lecture's on Youtube, more for the asides than anything else. The book is in the shops (or both books - I've only seen the first one.)

Labarbapostiza

IrishSkyBoxer wrote: »

For example I recently read a Brief History of Time but some parts just went completely over my head. I've started Hawking's Grand Design now too.

BHofT, is not a text book. Some of the really far out stuff is "what if?". And his sense of humour is not something everyone might get. If you read some other books and come back to it, it's more digestible.

Popular books by Krauss are really good. The physics of Startrek and comic book heroes. Very good explanations and an enjoyable read.

Krauss' Universe from Nothing is also very good. But I would advise reading his other books first.

Nwm2

Brief History of Time would not be among the books I would recommend to you.

I have Feynman's lectures in hardback, again, not a starting point that I would go for.

Walter Lewin's MIT 8.01 and 8.02 courses are legendary and rightly so. They are first year undergraduate physics. Some comfort with calculus would be desirable, but this is physics after all.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-electricity-and-magnetism-spring-2002/

I would start there.

They are also on EDx, with some lecture notes.

I would then get a modern (ie recent edition) first year university physics text to go along with it. Take a look at a few if you can (on-line or in a shop), and see which one reads easiest for you.

dlouth15

I would go with sponsoredwalk's suggestion of the Mechanical Universe video series. Then Morbert's suggestion, the Susskind books and video lectures. The Susskind books and lectures assume a little about classical mechanics that it is best to know beforehand.

locum-motion

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

I'd recommend these 52 videos before reading any book:

That's a faulty link. I think this is the one you wanted.