Which Physics Books Are Recommended for Undergraduate Level Self-Study?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for undergraduate-level physics books suitable for self-study. Participants explore various texts across different areas of physics, including mechanics, optics, nuclear physics, and quantum mechanics, while expressing preferences and concerns about specific titles.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants recommend "Resnick & Halliday" as a solid introductory text, while others suggest "University Physics" by Sears, Zemansky & Young as an alternative.
  • H.C. Verma's "Concepts in Physics" is highlighted as excellent for problem-solving and fundamentals.
  • There are mixed opinions on the "Feynman Lectures," with some viewing them as more popular science than a textbook, suggesting they may not be suitable for beginners.
  • Participants mention "Schaum's Outline" series as useful, though some caution about potential errors in the solutions provided.
  • For optics, "Hecht's Optics" is recommended, while "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Serway is noted as a comprehensive resource.
  • Concerns are raised about "Paul Tipler's" textbooks being ambiguous and not conducive to learning.
  • Some participants express a desire for texts that facilitate self-teaching, particularly for those who are not currently enrolled in formal education.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of "Resnick & Halliday" and "Concepts in Physics," but there is no consensus on the suitability of the "Feynman Lectures" or the effectiveness of "Schaum's Outline" series. Disagreement exists regarding the quality of various textbooks, particularly "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" and "Paul Tipler's" works.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the difficulty of certain texts and the presence of errors in problem solutions, which may affect self-study efforts. The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences with different books, indicating that recommendations may depend on individual learning styles and backgrounds.

Who May Find This Useful

Students seeking self-study resources in undergraduate physics, educators looking for textbook recommendations, and individuals preparing for exams or courses in physics may find this discussion beneficial.

Reshma
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Hello PF members!

Could anyone please suggest me some books on Physics at under-graduate level?

I'm confused over Resnick & Halliday and Feynman Lectures. Any book suggestions on Electronics, Optics, Nuclear Physics? Anything on physics problems?

I would be glad to hear your response.

Cheers,

Reshma.
 
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Hi Reshma,
Resnick,Halliday,Walker is a very nice and interesting book for beginners.For fundamentals and solving problems Concepts in Physics by H.C.Verma is an excellent read.Feynman Lectures are not for beginners.
But then it depends what course you are pursuing or what exams you are taking.
Hope this helps!
rHia
 
you kno what.. I am going to go ahead and give you the best damn advice, period

get Schaum's Outline books on amazon.com or off of ebay.com









Also Feynman's book on Computation:


If you want to learn more about physics, those books are great and would cover most of the topics you'd probably find interesting.
 
I'll have to agree with rhia that Resnick & Halliday is a very well written text. University Physics by Sears, Zemansky & Young is pretty good too. Don't run away from Resnick ! :smile:

About the other subjects in your list : (Basic)Optics is covered quite nicely in Resnick. Nuclear Physics is mostly a Graduate level course, and you need not worry about that now. I'm not sure what's a good textbook for electronics. I've learn't mostly from handbooks and other people. For device theory though, Sze's book on the Physics of Semiconductor Devices is pretty good.

What is your undergraduate major ? Are you in Engineering, or Science, or something else ?
 
rhia said:
Hi Reshma,
Resnick,Halliday,Walker is a very nice and interesting book for beginners.For fundamentals and solving problems Concepts in Physics by H.C.Verma is an excellent read.Feynman Lectures are not for beginners.
But then it depends what course you are pursuing or what exams you are taking.
Hope this helps!
rHia

I thought Feynman's Lectures were more like popular science. It is not recommended as a physics textbook. I've seen it and can testify that the first few chapters read like popular science to me. That said, I have to confess that I can't understand anything beyond the first volume. :smile:
 
Hey everyone thanks for all the help!
 
Reshma said:
Hello PF members!

Could anyone please suggest me some books on Physics at under-graduate level?

I'm confused over Resnick & Halliday and Feynman Lectures. Any book suggestions on Electronics, Optics, Nuclear Physics? Anything on physics problems?

I would be glad to hear your response.

Cheers,

Reshma.

For Mechanics i will prefer
Klepner and Kolenkow ::: Though little bit advanced but very nice book
 
Ha! Something on the side note, I attend University of Pittsburgh, and the Halliday and Resnick book(which i used for phsyics, and it was excellent) one of the main guys is from Pitt, and the Sears, Young..etc..etc Univeristy Physics authors, the lead one is from CMU, a few blocks down the road. Maybe I should have one of them Autograph there respective copies :smile:
 
cronxeh said:
get Schaum's Outline books on amazon.com or off of ebay.com

I just happened to look at one of them yesterday. I think I'll be thinking more about buying them.
 
  • #10
I'm currently reading Griffeth's Intro to Electrodynamics and Gasiorowicz's Quantum Physics. Both are at the junior level. Gasiorowicz is a bit difficult to read but is nonetheless informative.

I'm learning QM from Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics. People say it's a graduate level textbook but I find it quite easy to understand. Liboff's Intro to Quantum Mechanics is another good one.

If you choose to ignore everything I say, that's fine but at least hear me out on this one: Avoid Paul Tipler if possible. Tipler may be a noted teacher but he writes in an ambigious manner and I learn absolutely nothing from his books.

Hope this helps.

PS: Schaum's are great but avoid QM till you have a little understanding of the material under your belt. Schaum's QM tends to confuse beginners.
 
Last edited:
  • #11
Hecht has a nice textbook on Optics, called "Optics"!

and "Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics" by Serway is a pretty handy all-inclusive sort of thing that you can refer easily. It's got me through my first 2 years of UG phys!
 
  • #12
I have Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Fishbane, Gasiorowicz, and Thornton.

Stay away from it. It's terrible.
 
  • #13
I looked at some reviews for the schaum's outlines for physics for scientist and engineers... and they're pretty bad. :-p

Most agree that there are A LOT of mistakes. Like 2-3 mistakes per chapter.

That sucks. I can't afford a whole text (90-100 dollars) so schaums' outlines was awesome. But struggling through a problem that has a wrong solution key isn't exactly my idea of studying. :frown:
 
  • #14
Are any of these texts good for "self-teaching"? I'm too impatient to wait for enough funds to go back to school, so I was hoping I could get some reading done while I wait, and if it's possible I'd like to clep out of a couple of courses. :biggrin:
 

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