Guidance on physics books to study (high school senior year)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around recommendations for physics books suitable for a high school senior aiming to deepen their understanding of physics concepts. Participants explore various resources and address the challenges faced by the original poster in mastering the subject.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests an IB coursebook by Tsokos and mentions the OpenStax University Physics book as potential resources.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of identifying the reasons behind the original poster's B grades, questioning whether it stems from weaknesses in math or physics.
  • The original poster acknowledges a lack of practice and issues with their foundational knowledge in physics.
  • One participant advises that practicing problems should be tailored to the time available for each topic, recommending thorough problem-solving from at least two books.
  • Another participant shares their experience of struggling with the connection between math and physics, concluding that the two diverge in ways that lead to new theories.
  • There are discussions about the importance of revisiting basic concepts in both math and physics to improve understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of practice and understanding foundational concepts, but there are differing views on the relationship between math and physics, with some suggesting a disconnect while others focus on their interdependence.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of confidence in their foundational knowledge, indicating that the discussion may be influenced by personal experiences and learning styles.

AlvisPrabhu
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Hello there,
I'm a senior year student.physics is my favorite subject, but I somehow only get B's .I would like to expand my knowledge in physics vastly.I would like to know if there's a book which contains all the concepts a senior year student should know and much more. It would be a great help if you could suggest any .
Thanks in advance.[emoji4]
 
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jedishrfu said:
How about an IB coursebook like this one written by Tsokos?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521138213/?tag=pfamazon01-20

This is circa 2010 there are likely more recent versions.

Also there the openstax.org physics books that may help. Here's volume 1 of University Physics:

https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-1

You need to identify why you are getting B's. Is it due to a weakness in math or in the physics itself?
It's because first I don't practice much honestly and second there is a problem with my basics.thanks for the recommendation .I'll definitely check it out.[emoji4]
 
Which basics math or physics?
 
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jedishrfu said:
Which basics math or physics?
Basics of physics.i am pretty good at math.i also really love derivations.
 
AlvisPrabhu said:
It's because first I don't practice much honestly and second there is a problem with my basics

In senior years, practicing problems has to be done depending on how much time you can give to each topic. If time alloted to each topic is less, then it's best to solve problems from at least two books thoroughly, and periodically go through the worked put examples of all books you've got.

Regarding the basics: whether it's physics or maths, if either of your basics is not strong enough, I advise you to revisit them without any delay. Then try to solve problems and see if your understanding has been improved.
 
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That was my issue too. The math came much easier but I would get preoccupied with why the math worked so well in physics like what was the connection? and this caused me to miss the focus of what I was learning.

Years later, I eventually came to understand that there is no connection of the math to the physics. We construct theories and apply constraints and the theories allow us to predict the physics of a system. However, we keep looking for where the math and physics diverge which then results in a new better theory.

NOVA did a show on this conundrum:

 
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Wrichik Basu said:
In senior years, practicing problems has to be done depending on how much time you can give to each topic. If time alloted to each topic is less, then it's best to solve problems from at least two books thoroughly, and periodically go through the worked put examples of all books you've got.

Regarding the basics: whether it's physics or maths, if either of your basics is not strong enough, I advise you to revisit them without any delay. Then try to solve problems and see if your understanding has been improved.
Thanks for the guidance.i will try to follow.
 
jedishrfu said:
That was my issue too. The math came much easier but I would get preoccupied with why the math worked so well in physics like what was the connection? and this caused me to miss the focus of what I was learning.

Years later, I eventually came to understand that there is no connection of the math to the physics. We construct theories and apply constraints and the theories allow us to predict the physics of a system. However, we keep looking for where the math and physics diverge which then results in a new better theory.

NOVA did a show on this conundrum:

Thanks for that interesting information. Let me go check out that documentary.
 

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