Studying What are the best books for self-learning physics and math for high schoolers?

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For self-learning physics, recommended books include "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" and "The Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose, although the latter may be challenging for beginners. It’s suggested to strengthen math skills, particularly calculus, with resources like "Calculus Made Easy" by Silvanus P. Thompson, which is noted for its accessibility. Other recommended calculus texts include Apostol and Spivak for more advanced study. Online resources such as MIT OpenCourseWare and Khan Academy are also valuable for supplementing learning. The discussion highlights the importance of finding materials that match personal learning styles, with a preference for conversational teaching methods over formal ones.
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Hello! I am a high-schooler, and I was thinking of learning physics on my own. Can anyone please suggest me some good books for self-learning physics?

Also, I thought of strengthening my math as well(I only know upto the basics of differential calculus). So I recently started learning calculus from Silvanus P.Thompson's "Calculus Made Easy", and found it really easy to follow. Can anyone also please tell me what branches of math are necessary for learning physics, and also suggest some books like the one I mentioned above?

Any help is appreciated! Thank you! :D
 
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For physics, get a book like https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471320579/?tag=pfamazon01-20 or any book with the title "physics for scientists and engineers". It's a lot to read, but it's necessary to get a grasp on physics.

As you are already familiar with caclulus, maybe you should start reading a book like Apostol or Spivak?
 
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I'm guessing that you haven't studied much physics in high school, so i would recommend trying to find this book "The Road to Reality", Roger Penrose either at a library, or online. Don't buy it unless you really enjoy it, but it's a great outline to go by. Open Courseware is also a great online resource(ocw.mit.edu ), along with Kahn Academy. If you take the time to master calculus you should be able to understand most of the basic concepts and applications of the different branches of physics.
Hope it helps
 
Thank you for your replies!:D

I have seen Resnick-Halliday, but I really don't feel like it's my style of learning...I learn better with a chatty style of teaching, rather than a formal style...something along the lines of Feynman...unfortunately, the Feynman lectures involve some complex math, so I have read only the Six Easy Pieces part...

As for Apostol or Spivak, I'm already learning calculus from Calculus Made Easy, but I'll give it a try when I'm done with it.

I have gazed through "The Road to Reality", and I find it a bit(actually a lot!) tough for my level...

I'll try khanacademy and OCW right away! :)
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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