A good book that covers everything?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding a comprehensive book that covers various topics in Classical Physics, including forces, motion, Newton's laws, oscillations, rotational motions, momentum, collisions, and waves, as well as some electromagnetic concepts. Participants share recommendations and express their preferences for books that include historical context and mathematical concepts suitable for problem-solving.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests the Feynman Lectures as a potential resource, noting its availability for free online but expressing uncertainty about a Greek translation.
  • Another participant recommends "An Introduction to Mechanics" by Daniel Kleppner and Robert Kolenkow, and "Introduction to Classical Mechanics" by David Morin, providing links to both books.
  • A classic textbook, "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday & Resnick, is mentioned as widely used in college courses, with one participant sharing their interest in purchasing it despite its high cost.
  • University Physics by Sears and Zemansky is also suggested as a time-tested resource.
  • Some participants express enthusiasm for the Feynman Lectures, emphasizing their value for inspiration even if not read in full.
  • One participant notes the difficulty of fitting all basic mechanics topics into a single book, suggesting that series like the Feynman Lectures might be more appropriate for covering a wide range of topics.
  • Kip Thorne's work is mentioned as being close to meeting the participant's request for a comprehensive resource.
  • Additional resources for finding books are shared, including links to library searches and e-book sources.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share various recommendations, but there is no consensus on a single book that meets all the criteria outlined by the original poster. Multiple competing views and suggestions remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the challenge of finding a single book that adequately covers all aspects of Classical Physics, indicating that certain topics may be better addressed in series or multiple texts rather than one comprehensive volume.

babaliaris
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Hello!

About Me:
I'm an Electrical And Computer Engineer under graded student. The only physics we learn in the University in which I'm enrolled is Electromagnetics and nothing more. Well in high school we learned Classical Physics but i don't remember anything (Except some of Newton's motion equations)! Of course all the work i did by solving exercises weren't in vain. I believe if i read a proper book all of the work that i did in High school will return.

What I'm looking For:
So I'm looking for a book that will cover everything about Classical Physics (forces, motion, Newton's laws, oscillations, rotational motions, momentum, collision crashes, waves, etc...) and maybe some electromagnetic stuff. I don't know if waves are part of Classical Physics but i remember learning them in High school. I also remember learning Balances of materials in high school but i can't remember the correct terminology about it in Physics. So is there a good book (not a priority but i would like a Greek copy of it) about all these stuff that will contain both historical background and the mathematical concepts with a very good construction, aimed for people not only for reading but learning how to solve problems of that kind. Also notice that when i say mathematical concepts i don't mean for example what an integrate is but all the formulas and stuff you need to know about a specific topic in physics like Newton's laws.

Mathematical Background:
Also please consider that i have a good background in mathematics (algebra, basic linear algebra, calculus, and some really really basic knowledge about 3D space vectors). I'm bad in geometry :(

Thank you and excuse my grammar :p
 
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A fairly standard, classic textbook is Halliday & Resnick, "Fundamentals of Physics". It is used in a lot of college freshman physics classes. Early editions have been around since the 1960's and have stood the test of time.
 
vanhees71 said:
Maybe the Feynman Lectures are a good choice. You can legally look at it for free here:

http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/info/

I don't know, whether there is a Greek translation.

This seems really interesting! I read it a little and explored the contents.
I'm a book lover (meaning that i like reading in a physical book and not through a screen)
but this site is really interesting, i will start reading from here until i buy a book.
 
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FactChecker said:
A fairly standard, classic textbook is Halliday & Resnick, "Fundamentals of Physics". It is used in a lot of college freshman physics classes. Early editions have been around since the 1960's and have stood the test of time.

I don't know if it is a rumor but in my university Halliday & Resnick are rumored to be the best authors for Physic books. For example the Electromagnetic Physics book which they gave us, is this (Physics part ii):
IMG_20180807_171043.jpg
So, I'm really interesting in buying it. It is also quite expensive 153$ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118230647/?tag=pfamazon01-20 probably meaning value for money.
I'm opened for more suggestions though. If someone has experiences about these books i would like to hear them.
 

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University Physics, Volumes 1 and 2, Sears and Zemansky: another book that has stood the test of time.
 
babaliaris said:
This seems really interesting! I read it a little and explored the contents.
I'm a book lover (meaning that i like reading in a physical book and not through a screen)
but this site is really interesting, i will start reading from here until i buy a book.
IMHO, anyone who studies physics MUST look at these books -- especially since they are free. It's a lot to ask to study or even read them completely, but they are delightful for occasional inspiration.
 
It would be difficult to fit even the basic mechanics of point masses, elastic solids, fluids and electromagnetic fields in a single book, but there are some series of books like the Feynman lectures that cover a wide range of classical mechanics.
 

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