Textbook recommendations for someone new to physics?

[Jesxica]

Here's the issue: I am a junior chemistry major and the time has come for me to take a physics class called "Physics for Scientists". I have never taken a physics class before and I hear from my peers that not only is this particular subject extremely difficult, but so is the ONLY PROFESSOR teaching it. I won't go into too much detail about that, but I'll just say this. His class average is a 45%. So naturally, I am extremely worried and would like to get a head start before the new semester rolls around in a few months. I tend to catch onto things rather quickly so I'm not really looking for a beginner's textbook per se.

 

[ShayanJ]

It will help if you provide more information. Any course description, outline or textbook recommendation?

 

[MidgetDwarf]

any general physics textbook will do. You have the choice of Giancoli, Resnick and Halliday, Young, and Serway.

I would choose one of the above, as well as, getting a copy of Alonso and Finn: Fundamentals of University Physics Volume 1. Alonso is a harder than the books on the list. However, the knows how to tie the physics together. Don't worry if the problems in Alonso are too hard. The explanations of the physics is solid and will help you tackle problems in any of the above books.

 

[LevLandau]

if you're good at math, you know to read landau series. or feynman lecture notes can be a good choice.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

if you're good at math, you know to read landau series. or feynman lecture notes can be a good choice.

Not for an introduction.