Is Kleppner and Kolenkow's Mechanics Textbook Too Challenging for Beginners?

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SUMMARY

Kleppner and Kolenkow's "An Introduction to Mechanics" is recognized as a challenging yet rewarding textbook for undergraduate mechanics. It is particularly suited for students with a solid foundation in calculus, as it requires knowledge of differential equations and linear algebra. Readers transitioning from introductory texts like Young and Freedman's "University Physics" may find Kleppner's problems more engaging and instructive, despite their increased difficulty. While some suggest starting with Goldstein for a more advanced treatment, Kleppner remains a highly recommended resource for self-learners aiming to deepen their understanding of classical mechanics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of calculus, including differential equations and linear algebra.
  • Familiarity with introductory physics concepts from texts like "University Physics" by Young and Freedman.
  • Basic knowledge of classical mechanics principles.
  • Experience with problem-solving in physics contexts.
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore "Classical Mechanics" by Herbert Goldstein for advanced mechanics concepts.
  • Study "Mechanics" by Spivak for a different approach to Newtonian mechanics.
  • Review calculus techniques relevant to physics problem-solving.
  • Investigate supplementary resources on Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for undergraduate physics students, self-learners in mechanics, and educators seeking effective teaching resources in classical mechanics.

miglo
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Can anyone comment on the difficulty level of this book? The one by Daniel Kleppner and Robert J Kolenkow.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521198216/?tag=pfamazon01-20
I've been thinking of buying it and studying from it, but reading the Amazon reviews has me thinking i should stay away from it, well at least for now.
I already know some mechanics from reading Young, Freedman, and Ford's University Physics, and my mathematics is up to differential equations and linear algebra.
I should add that although i do know some mechanics, I wasn't very good at solving the types of problems one can expect from taking a course in the subject.
 
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University Physics and Serway's Physics are Introductory Physics books.the kleppnar book is great for mechanics undergraduate course. I am a self-learner so I studied (due to lack of info) Goldstein before Kleppnar, and Kleppnar seems me very easy. If you already studied Univ. Phy then try Goldstein (level higher than Kleppnar's).
 
I found the problems in Goldstein to be much easier than those in Kleppner (the latter of the two was used by my teacher for our high school AP Physics C class). I also found the problems in Kleppner to be much more interesting than the comparable ones in Goldstein not to mention Goldstein is more intended for a more thorough treatment of lagrangian and hamiltonian mechanics (and other advanced topics of course) as a stepping stone to, say, a book on classical field theory. But yeah, all in all, the problems in Kleppner are very fun to work through and teach you many important techniques of physics that will come in handy. University Physics by Young is a joke in comparison to Kleppner and is much more dry in its presentation of the material. Kleppner's chapter on rigid body rotation, for example, is just plain awesome. Anyways, sorry for coming off as a Kleppner fanboy and good luck mate!
 
Kleppner/Kolenkow is the best mid level classical mechanics book you will find. You will need to know quite a bit of calculus to do the problems though. Since you have DEs and LA you should be fine though. If you plan on working on your own it's good choice even tough a challenging one.
 
It's good, but I would skip the special relativity sections.
 
I looked up Goldstein's book, and it seems to me that it takes the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian path to mechanics. I am actually looking for a book on Newtonian mechanics since i don't really like University Physics, plus Goldstein's book is over 100 dollars brand new and almost 100 for a used hardcover copy.
I think ill get Kleppner's book and later on try Goldstein, or maybe even Spivak's mechanics book.

Thanks everyone.
 

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