What's the Best Introductory Calculus-Based Physics Textbook?

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SUMMARY

The best introductory calculus-based physics textbooks identified in the discussion include Halliday and Resnick (Editions 1 or 2), Kleppner and Kolenkow's "An Introduction to Mechanics," and Purcell's "Electricity and Magnetism" (Berkeley Physics Course, v.2). While Kleppner and Kolenkow provide excellent problems and examples, they are not ideal for self-teaching. Purcell is noted for its readability and good problem sets. The discussion also advises against using Tipler's textbook.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of calculus concepts
  • Familiarity with classical mechanics
  • Basic knowledge of electromagnetism
  • Experience with problem-solving in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research Halliday and Resnick Editions 1 and 2 for foundational concepts
  • Explore Kleppner and Kolenkow's problem sets for advanced mechanics practice
  • Study Purcell's "Electricity and Magnetism" for a deeper understanding of E&M
  • Investigate supplementary resources like MIT's physics course materials for additional practice
USEFUL FOR

Students pursuing physics or engineering, educators seeking effective teaching materials, and self-learners aiming to grasp calculus-based physics concepts.

Kyptonite
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What do you consider to be the "best" introductory calculus-based physics textbook? I've taken an Honors Physics course which used the highly pedestrian algebra-based Holt Physics book and am greatly interested in learning more physics.
 
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Halliday and Resnick, not the versions with Krane, i.e. Editions 1 or 2 only...
 
When I was a TA for an honors sequence, they used [over the span of 3 quarters]:
Kleppner and Kolenkow "An Introduction to Mechanics",
Purcell "Electricity and magnetism (Berkeley physics course v.2)",
and [if I recall correctly] French "Vibrations and Waves".
 
the series robphy posted is the one that MIT uses. K&K and purcell are used in the honors physics classes. K&K is probably not the best introduction to the material, especially for self-teaching, but the problems are excellent and there are a lot of examples. i found the purcell to be pretty good and readable, with some good problems. a good supplement can be found at my class's website at http://web.mit.edu/8.022/www/ - my prof's notes and extra problems are excellent. before attending MIT, i had never done any calculus-based physics, and found the K&K a bit hard to keep up with. second semester, i found the E&M class which used purcell to be much easier. however, the prof was definitely a big factor, so take that with a grain of salt. and having used those two books, i decided on becoming a physics and math major, so take that as an indicator of their great treatment of the subject matter. as for the french, that's what i will be using next year, so we'll see about that i guess?
 
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I've been using a text by Gasioschwicz (sp.). Personally, I don't care much for the book. Lots of worked examples, however. This text is calculus based, by the way.
 
I learned a lot of intro physics from Serway.

Avoid Tipler.
 

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