Physics Textbooks
-
2 Physics textbooks which I'd recommend to H2 Physics students.
University Physics with Modern Physics
by Young and Freedman
This is where I learnt most of my physics from. It is very detailed and comprehensive and covers every single aspect of the H2 Physics syllabus and more. The exposition is clear and well-motivated. The text is full of worked examples which guide the students through the solution in a step-by-step manner. The end-of-chapter problems are challenging and you should not have difficulty solving them if you had truly mastered the chapter. Some claim that it is too verbose but I personally believe verbosity is required for comprehensibility sought by beginning physics students. Do not be intimidated by the title ‘University Physics’ as it is used as a textbook in many high schools (similar to our JCs) in USA and also as a 1st-semester introductory textbook for engineering undergrads.
Fundamentals of Physics Extended
by Resnick, Halliday and Walker
This is a real classic! I still remember an earlier edition of this book being a recommended text when I was still in JC. Though pitched at a somewhat slightly lower level than the above text, it still covers the H2 Physics syllabus well. The explanations are not as deep and it covers less ground than the above text. If you do not feel comfortable with ‘University Physics’ due to its length or depth, this book might be right for you. The end-of-chapter problems are about the same level of difficulty as ‘University Physics’. This book is also used as a textbook in many high schools (similar to our JCs) in USA.
A note on other textbooks
To be fair, there are many other textbooks in the market such as those by ‘Tipler and Mosca’, ‘Serway and Jewett’, etc. However, it is my personal opinion that most of these modern textbooks are mere parodies of the above two classics. They offer little beyond what can be found in the above two texts. I’d suggest the students choose one good textbook and stick to it. Having two/three textbooks concurrently will not help much. -
Thanks for reading.
-
I like Resnick and Halliday. Walker came on board in later editions of the book :)
However, I do think that most H2 Physics students have too much on their hands to read through (economics/geography + chemistry). Adding another thick textbook wouldn't help in their morale. :(
The Resnick and Halliday textbook does help greatly in understanding concepts, but it is not as necessary in terms of importance as an Economics textbook. In my opinion, H2 physics can be simplified very shortly, but H2 Economics require more mature thinking, as well as being able to grasp and expound on concepts in a very qualitative manner.
-
How come nobody posts in the Physics forum?
http://sgforums.com/forums/2760
-
y not consolidate in HW forum?
-
Originally posted by FireIce:
y not consolidate in HW forum?
But I thought Homework forum is for homework problems? If I have something to write on physics in general, can i also post here?