Where Can I Find More Problems for University Physics I?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around finding additional problem sets for University Physics I, with participants sharing resources and strategies for studying and preparing for exams. The scope includes recommendations for textbooks, alternative resources, and problem-solving techniques.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about grasping the material and seeks advice on finding more problems to practice.
  • Another suggests that solving previous years' exam questions is an efficient way to prepare.
  • Several participants note that most textbooks at this level contain numerous exercise problems and recommend exploring alternative books.
  • One participant advises generalizing exercises by replacing given data with parameters to deepen understanding and analyze formulas.
  • There is a disagreement regarding the quantity of problems to solve, with one participant advocating for solving as many as possible while another suggests fewer problems may suffice.
  • Specific textbooks mentioned include James Walker's 5th edition, which is algebra-based, along with other similar texts that also provide a wealth of exercises.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that textbooks contain many problems, but there is disagreement on the necessity of solving a large number of problems for effective learning.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific editions of textbooks and their content focus (algebra-based vs. calculus-based), which may influence the availability of problems suitable for the participant's needs.

Turkishking
I am wondering where I can find more problems. I am taking University Physics I.

Also, it takes me a while to grasp the material, and I am always behind, but I do well on the quizzes. I am worried for my exam. Can anyone provide any advice? Please?

Thanks.
 
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you don't need to solve too many problems. most efficient way is to find the previous years' physics 1 exam questions and solve them.
 
Most every book should have exercise problems. Try finding any alternative books of the same level. Use exercise problems from more than one book.
 
Which textbook are you using? Most books at that level have a ton of problems already. If you want more, the simplest thing to do is probably to pick up a used copy of an old edition of another book at the same level. Old editions are cheaper and you don't need the latest edition for this purpose. There will be a lot of overlap, because there's only so many different things you can do for exercises for any given topic at that level.
 
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What I used to do as a student was to take given exercises and generalize them as much as possible. Replace all given data with parameters, and derive formulas. Not only is this more challenging, it also allows you to analyze the formulas at the boundaries, which provides good insights. :woot:
 
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Turkishking said:
I am wondering where I can find more problems.

You could get married. :eek:

musician ilhan said:
you don't need to solve too many problems.

I disagree. One should solve as many problems as one can.
 
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jtbell said:
Which textbook are you using? Most books at that level have a ton of problems already. If you want more, the simplest thing to do is probably to pick up a used copy of an old edition of another book at the same level. Old editions are cheaper and you don't need the latest edition for this purpose. There will be a lot of overlap, because there's only so many different things you can do for exercises for any given topic at that level.
James Walker, 5th edition.
 
Walker's book is what we call "algebra-based" i.e. it doesn't use calculus. A few similar books are:

Giancoli - Physics: Principles with Applications (but not his Physics for Scientists & Engineers, which is calculus-based)

Serway & Vuille - College Physics (but not Physics for Scientists & Engineers by Serway & Jewett, which is calculus-based)

Childers & Jones - Contemporary College Physics (this one is long out of print, but you might come across a cheap copy somewhere)

I taught algebra-based General Physics out of all of these books at different times, years ago. I don't remember having a strong preference for any of them. They all have lots of exercises.
 

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