Book advice for preparation graduate class

[hkayac]

hi,

i'm an agriculture engineer and i want to take graduate degree in Physics -especially Astrophysics. I'm 36 years old. i need to remember many course. therefore, I'm searching best books in this forum. but i can't make a decision which them are the best...

also i have these books

Physics for Scientist and Engineers - Giancoli
University Physics with Modern Physics - Young & Freedman
Physics for Scientist and Engineers - Jewett / Serwey
Principles of Physics - Halliday - Resnick - Walker
Modern Physics from alpha to zeta - James William Rohlf
Berkeley Physics Courses - Mechanics
Berkeley Physics Courses - Electric and Magnetism

according to you, these books are enough for preparation (graduate class) or i need anothers...

from now, thanks your advices

 

[Astrum]

What exactly do you mean by "graduate class"?

 

[hkayac]

sorry my English... it mean Master of Science Program..

 

[Astrum]

sorry my English... it mean Master of Science Program..

What classes are you exactly looking at? all the books you listed are first year undergraduate texts.

I'm not sure what an agricultural degree entails, but if you want to major in physics for an MSc, you need a BSc first.

 

[hkayac]

i'm from Turkey. and i can take Msc without Bsc. of course, first i have to pass science exam of the institute. science exam covers 1. and 2. years courses (according to your system first year undergraduate courses)... after i must take scientific prep. courses. then i can start Msc program.

therefore i want to (have to) study and learn main subjects of the physics. I'm not sure books that i listed above are enough.

 

[Astrum]

i'm from Turkey. and i can take Msc without Bsc. of course, first i have to pass science exam of the institute. science exam covers 1. and 2. years courses (according to your system first year undergraduate courses)... after i must take scientific prep. courses. then i can start Msc program.

therefore i want to (have to) study and learn main subjects of the physics. I'm not sure books that i listed above are enough.

Alright, yeah, I'm unfamiliar with the system used in turkey.

I assume you already know single-variable calculus, right?

I have Halliday-Resnick (Fundamentals of Physics). It's not great, but it was ok for a first year course. If you cover all the mechanics chapters, plus the E&M ones, you should be ok for a first year class.

All first year calculus physics texts are pretty much the same. I've yet to see a first year book that I consider good.

Doing some quick research, it seems a BSc in Turkey is an 8 semester program, not 2 semesters.

 

[hkayac]

yes, Bsc program is 8 semester...

calculus... hımm i think i must study a little bit for remember...

 

[Astrum]

yes, Bsc program is 8 semester...

calculus... hımm i think i must study a little bit for remember...

If it's 8 semesters, you're going to need a whole lot more than just intro physics.

That's why I asked you why what you meant by "graduate" classes.

If you really intend to self-study an entire physics BSc, you've got a long road ahead of you, and these books are only the very beginning.

 

[hkayac]

which books do you suggest?

 

[Astrum]

Well, a basic undergraduate course list looks something like this:

Intro physics 1
Intro physics 2
Calculus 1
Calculus 2
Calculus 3
Classical mechanics
Thermodynamics
Electrodynamics 1
Electrodynamics 2
Electronics
linear algebra
Optics
Modern physics
Quantum mechanics 1
Quantum mechanics 2

Plus your lab courses. My university has intermediate lab and advanced lab (introduction lab is tied with intro physics)

This is the bare minimum for a basic physics BSc. Don't worry about any other books yet, do some calculus and intro physics, and come back when you're done.

 

[hkayac]

thanks your suggestions... I'm going to study immediately... as you said first i must finish introductions :)