Recommend me a calculus based physics text?

[johnnyies]

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.

 

[BAnders1]

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.

 

[charng]

I would recommend the book "University Physics" by Young and Freedman. It is a widely used and highly regarded calculus-based physics textbook in many universities and engineering programs. It covers all the necessary topics in a clear and comprehensive manner, with plenty of practice problems and examples to help reinforce concepts. Other popular options include "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Giancoli and "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday and Resnick. Ultimately, it is important to choose a textbook that aligns with your learning style and the content covered in your specific class. I suggest browsing through different textbooks and reading reviews to determine which one will best suit your needs. Good luck with your engineering physics class!