Fundamentals of Physics - Halliday/Resnick - Difference between editions?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the differences between various editions of the "Fundamentals of Physics" textbook by Halliday and Resnick, specifically the 8th edition versus older versions like the 3rd edition. Participants express that while the 3rd edition, published in the 1970s, is highly regarded, many believe that any decent physics text utilizing SI units will suffice for understanding classical physics. The consensus suggests that older editions can be significantly cheaper and still provide adequate content for coursework, particularly if one can access homework problems from a newer edition.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of classical physics principles
  • Familiarity with SI units
  • Knowledge of textbook editions and their relevance in academic settings
  • Ability to access and utilize homework assignments from various editions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the differences between Halliday/Resnick 8th edition and 3rd edition
  • Explore alternative physics textbooks, such as Alonso's physics text
  • Investigate resources for borrowing textbooks or accessing homework problems
  • Learn about the historical context of classical physics and its educational materials
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, educators selecting textbooks, and anyone evaluating the cost-effectiveness of educational resources in classical physics.

mcdowellmg
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My class wants the 8th edition. Is there much of a difference between the older/cheaper versions? I really don't want to spend a lot of $$ if I don't have to!
 
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A lot of people here say that the H/R 3rd edition, published in the 70's, is the best. I disagree -- I like Alonso's physics text, published in the 60's, better.

They call it "classical" physics because it was pretty much settled 100 years ago. Any decent text that uses SI units should do just fine. Any two older texts will be much better than any single new one, at less than a tenth of the cost.

Whether you need a new text to do the homework assignments is, of course, a separate question. If you can borrow one from somebody else to get the problems, you're in like Flynn.
 

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