Supplementary Textbooks for Electromagnetics & Thermodynamics

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Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on recommendations for supplementary textbooks in the subjects of Electromagnetism and Thermodynamics. Participants share their experiences and preferences regarding alternative texts to the recommended materials for these courses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses dissatisfaction with the recommended textbook "Electricity, Magnetism and Light" by Wayne Saslow, citing its dense presentation as a barrier to understanding.
  • Another participant recommends "Griffiths" for Electromagnetism, suggesting it as a valuable supplementary resource.
  • A third participant supports the recommendation of Griffiths and adds that they found it useful alongside their own textbook, "Wangsness."
  • For Thermodynamics, "Schroeder" is suggested as a good source, although it is noted that it lacks examples and solutions, which may limit its utility for problem-solving.
  • There is a general agreement on the usefulness of Griffiths for Electromagnetism, while opinions on Thermodynamics resources are less unified.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of Griffiths for Electromagnetism, but there is less consensus on the best supplementary text for Thermodynamics, with varying opinions on Schroeder's suitability.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not provided specific details on the prerequisites or content coverage of the suggested textbooks, which may affect their applicability to different learning needs.

Who May Find This Useful

Students seeking supplementary materials for Electromagnetism and Thermodynamics courses, particularly those looking for alternatives to their recommended textbooks.

nickm4
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Can anyone recommend supplementary texts books for Electromagnetism and Thermodynamics? I'm looking for some alternatives to my recommended textbooks. The first class is an electromagnetics class. This class is heavily calculus based and consists of building up concepts that culminate to maxwell equaitons. The recommened text for this class is "electricity magnetism and light" by wayne saslow. I really don't like the presentation of the material in this book because it is very tightl packed. I find it very difficult to absorb. I am looking for an alternative book/s, old or new, its not a big deal. If i can find it used on amazon, all the better. The second class is "classical thermodynamics". Prereqs assume decent knowledge of the workings of partial differential equations, so I am assuming this making it from where from novice to intermediate level thermodynamics. I do not know the recommened text for this class so I don't know what to compare it too. Any suggestions would be useful. Thanks
 
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EM - Griffiths
TH - Schroeder
 


I strongly support Howers's recommendations. I used Griffiths to supplement my E&M book (Wangsness) and found it very useful. Schroeder is a wonderful source for gaining insight with clear discussions on the major topics. Be warned, though: Schroeder has few examples and no solutions at the back of the book, so perhaps it's not the best choice if you're looking for extra problems to work.
 


Griffiths is the way to go for EM.
 

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