What Are the Best Books for Learning Basic Physics with No Prior Knowledge?

[nickt]

Hi, I'm an arts student out of Canada looking into information about books suitable for teaching myself basic physics. I have absolutely no recollection of high school mathematics or physics so I'm looking for something to build a strong foundation on. I'm thinking of picking up Physics for Dummies or something similar, but I'd like to see if anyone here has any opinions on the subject.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[xxsteelxx]

Okay, first you will have review or relearn some mathmatics: physics and math go hand in hand. Can't have one without the other.

Which Physics are you willing to study?
Based on your post you said wanted to learn "High School" physics. Automatically from this, you will want to learn/review Algebra and Trigonometry. If you want to be successful in your study of basic physics it necessary to learn this math.

Math
First will have to have learn/review your Algebra. (Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 from High School, or namely, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra). Here are some free online algebra textbooks:
Algebra (I) = http://www.babylon.k12.ny.us/PDF/integrated_algebra/Integrated_Algebra_1.pdf
Algebra (II) with Trig = http://www.babylon.k12.ny.us/PDF/algebra%202/Algebra%202%20and%20Trigonometry.pdf

Physics
Some online tutorials: http://www.hippocampus.org/ (Contains Algebra and Physics)
If you don't wish to learn/review math: then you may go for a Conceptual Physics book
If you do wish to learn/review math: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FHSST_Physics
There's a lot of free info on the internet so do a quick Google search and see what comes up. Hint: if you want to locate free online pdf files then type something like this in the Google search bar:
+physics filetype:pdf (or)
algebra based physics filetype:pdf


*Note: check it out and see where you're at and how much time/effort you're willing to put in. Physics isn't something trivial to learn it will require much reading and pondering.

I hope I could help! Good Luck! ;)

 

[djosey]

http://www.khanacademy.org/

For me, the best possible ressource for an intro to high school physics and maths. Not a book though, rather a collection of tutorial videos and assorted exercises, but to me this makes it much more interesting.

 

[nickt]

Thanks to the both of you. I've been watching Khan Academy videos for the last few hours and they're very easy to understand. The PDF's look very helpful as well.

Nick

 

[rezeew]

Hello Nick,

It's great to see that you're interested in learning high school physics! I highly recommend starting with a basic textbook like "Physics for Dummies" to build a strong foundation. This book covers all the basic concepts in a clear and understandable way, making it perfect for self-study.

In addition to textbooks, I also recommend using online resources such as Khan Academy or MIT OpenCourseWare to supplement your learning. These platforms offer a wide range of free resources, including videos, practice problems, and interactive simulations, that can help you better understand and apply the concepts you're learning.

It's also important to keep in mind that physics is a subject that requires practice and application. So, make sure to regularly work through problems and examples to solidify your understanding.

Best of luck in your learning journey!

Sincerely,