Recommend calculus based physics book?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around recommendations for calculus-based physics textbooks suitable for high school students, particularly for those preparing for AP Physics exams. The focus includes finding resources that provide a solid foundation for future studies in physics and related fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks recommendations for a textbook that would help their daughter prepare for AP Physics C, emphasizing the need for a solid foundation in mechanics and electricity/magnetism.
  • Another participant recommends "University Physics" by Freedman as a suitable option.
  • A different participant suggests "Advanced Level Applied Mathematics" by Lambe, noting its challenging problems and helpful exposition despite its age.
  • One participant mentions "Physics for Engineers and Scientists" by Gebhard von Oppen and Frank Melchert, providing a link for further exploration.
  • Another participant advocates for the two-volume set "Integrated Physics and Calculus," sharing their personal success story with the books.
  • "Physics for Scientists and Engineers - A Strategic Approach" by Randall D. Knight is also recommended as a favored resource.
  • A participant expresses a need for a book that explains the derivation of physical relationships using calculus, indicating a desire for deeper conceptual understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing recommendations without a clear consensus on which textbook is the best choice. Various perspectives on the suitability of different books are shared, reflecting differing experiences and preferences.

Contextual Notes

Some recommendations are based on personal experiences and may not align with current educational standards or curricula. The age of certain texts may also influence their relevance to modern physics education.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for high school students, parents, and educators seeking calculus-based physics resources, particularly those preparing for AP exams or looking to strengthen foundational knowledge in physics.

astromom
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I'm looking for recommendations for a calculus based physics textbook for my 11th grade daughter to use independently. She is taking AP Physics B at school and would like to self-study for the AP Physics C exam (probably only the mechanics part this year and then electricity and magnetism next year). Her goals are to do well on the AP exam and to learn the material well enough to have a solid foundation for a college physics/astrophysics major. She would likely not try to opt out of the first year college courses, but just be in a position to do well and possibly take an honors version.

There are many recommendations at Amazon, but so many different opinions that I'm having a hard time sorting them out. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 
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I think you asked the same on college confidential. I would recommend university physics by freedman.
 
Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if I was going to get a reply here, so I asked on college confidential. After re-reading the reviews at Amazon, it does sound like Young and Freedman will be a good fit.
 
When I was in grade eleven I taught myself out of Lambe's "Advanced Level Applied Mathematics"- don't let the title fool you, it is a physics book. However, the book is from the 60's/70's and I am not sure f you are ok with this. It is modern and sufficient in its topics. The problems start at a good, non-trivial level, and build up to some very challenging questions. The examples are non-trivial too. Answers are given to every question, but not the solutions. I liked the book mainly for its problems, which really helped me grow; its exposition is not bad either. Worth having a look at.
 
Thanks, everyone. You've thrown a couple of new ones to consider into the mix. I hadn't heard of these last two. I'll look them up.
 
if you are still looking on this forum, please strongly consider the two volume set of "Integrated Physics and Calculus"

I was in high school a couple of years ago, and I grew bored in my AP calculus AB class, so I decided to buy these books online (for very cheap), I didn't used to be very good at mathematics or physics, although I had a lot of intuition and motivation, I needed a big push, these books provided me with the stepping stone to higher levels of calculus and physics, and now I have become very successful in both mathematics and physics because I got the edge early, hope your search goes well!
 
Check out Physics for Scientists And Engineers - A strategic apporach by Randall D. Knight. I really liked that one.
 
qspeechc said:
When I was in grade eleven I taught myself out of Lambe's "Advanced Level Applied Mathematics"- don't let the title fool you, it is a physics book. However, the book is from the 60's/70's and I am not sure f you are ok with this. It is modern and sufficient in its topics. The problems start at a good, non-trivial level, and build up to some very challenging questions. The examples are non-trivial too. Answers are given to every question, but not the solutions. I liked the book mainly for its problems, which really helped me grow; its exposition is not bad either. Worth having a look at.
i am engineering student and i haven't got soid concepts of relations of physics how they r drived eg k.e=1/2mv^2 how this relation is drived what is dependent variable and what is independent variable in this eq further from eq we know k.e is propotional to v^2 now p=mv or m=p/v put in k.e eq we find k.e=1/2pv in this relation k.e is propotional to v but actually k.e is propotional to v^2 tell me some book that could explain each relation ship of physics using calculus and garaph further i am new on this site i don't know how i could get to repy send me the link or reply on mail address
alimuhammadtariq@gmail.com thaks
 

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