Electricity and magnetism book (preferably with lots of examples)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for textbooks on electricity and magnetism (E&M) that provide ample practice problems. Participants share their experiences with various texts and suggest alternatives suitable for different academic levels.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a need for a textbook with more practice problems than their current book, which has only 9-12 questions per chapter.
  • Another participant suggests checking Amazon and eBay for textbooks, as well as local libraries for availability.
  • A different participant mentions the existence of torrents for physics textbooks, highlighting the availability of free resources for additional examples.
  • There is a suggestion that the book in question might be "Chabay and Sherwood," which is noted for being comprehensive and having many problems.
  • One participant warns that "Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics" is not suitable for undergraduates due to its difficulty, stating that it contains either extremely difficult problems or ones that are overly complex.
  • Another participant recalls using Griffiths in their second year of undergraduate studies, suggesting it as a potentially helpful resource, though they express doubt about its current relevance for the original poster.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best textbook for the original poster's needs, with differing opinions on the suitability of various texts based on academic level and problem difficulty.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific textbooks without detailing their content or structure, and there is an acknowledgment of varying levels of difficulty across recommended texts.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for electricity and magnetism courses, particularly those seeking additional practice problems and resources.

Null_
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I'm taking E&M next semester, and the book we use is quite good at explaining concepts, but it only has 9-12 questions per chapter. I would like to do more practice problems. We used the same book for modern mechanics (it is a two-edition set, the first is mech and the second is E&M).

Any suggestions? I got the second edition of the book I need for free from a friend, so I'm willing to spend the $120 I would have spend on this book on a book, provided it is good. I am taking Calc II next semester but will be studying Calc III material as well.
 
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there are many torrents with physics textbooks of every kind free of charge, great if your looking for just a few more examples
 
Thanks, Daverz. I will check it out from my school's library. My school's library has lots of books, so I can just check out books see if I like them enough to buy it.
 
Null, might that be Chabay and Sherwood?

A very comprehensive text that also has loads of problems Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics. It is a graduate level text though...
 
What book are you using?
 
blacknovember said:
Null, might that be Chabay and Sherwood?

A very comprehensive text that also has loads of problems Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics. It is a graduate level text though...

This is not a good recommendation AT ALL for someone at this level. There are only two types of problems in Jackson: 1) extremely difficult ones, 2) ones that waste your life which are extremely difficult.
 
@Disinterred
Oops, didn't read the question though. If graduate though, I recommend Jackson.

In my second year undergrad we used Griffiths. Thats a nice book.

Although in hindsight, probably won't help now
 

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