Recommend me a calculus based physics text?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on recommendations for calculus-based physics textbooks suitable for an engineering physics class. The primary textbook used is Serway's "Physics for Scientists and Engineers," but alternatives such as Sear's and Zemansky's "University Physics, 12th ed." and Feynman's Lectures are also mentioned. While Sear's and Zemansky's offers more detailed content, it is noted for containing numerous errors. Feynman's Lectures is praised for its insightful approach but lacks practice problems, making it less practical for some students.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of calculus concepts relevant to physics
  • Familiarity with basic physics principles
  • Knowledge of textbook evaluation criteria
  • Awareness of common physics problem-solving techniques
NEXT STEPS
  • Research Serway's "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" for its structure and content
  • Explore Sear's and Zemansky's "University Physics, 12th ed." for detailed physics coverage
  • Investigate Feynman's Lectures for conceptual insights in physics
  • Look into supplementary problem-solving resources for calculus-based physics
USEFUL FOR

Students enrolled in engineering physics courses, educators seeking textbook recommendations, and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of calculus-based physics concepts.

johnnyies
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I'm going to take an engineering physics class which is just simply a calculus-based physics class. Any suggestions for a book? The class uses Serway's Physics for scientists and engineers, but I've heard of other authors like Resnick, Giancolo, etc.

Thanks.
 
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I started college as a math major and my physics class used Serway's book, but when I switched to physics I was required to purchase a new book (Sear's and Zemansky's University Physics, 12th ed.). The material covered in each book is nearly identical, though Sear's and Zemanksy's goes into more detail (though it has a disgusting amount of small errors in it). I also own Feynman's Lectures which is an incredibly insightful book if you are a physics major (since it focuses heavily on physics without getting lost in the mathematics behind it). The down side to Feynman's is that it has no example problems or "end of chapter" problems to work on.

If you are an engineer, I'd say that you are most likely going to find most introductory level physics books to be very much identical in content. I feel bad saying this, but I'd suggest a cheaper book, or if you have the money to spend and you have a genuine interest in physics, a book with more pages usually has more content, but that is just an assumption on my part.

Make sure your professor is not going to make you do homework from the Serway book before you buy a different book though, unless you have a friend that is willing to lend you his or her book every week haha.
 

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