Which Physics Textbook Should I Buy? Help Me Decide!

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for physics textbooks suitable for various levels of study, particularly for someone looking to replace their current textbook, "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Serway. Participants share their opinions on different textbooks, their experiences with them, and suggest alternatives.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest exploring library resources to find textbooks that match individual learning styles.
  • Several participants list alternative textbooks, including "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Giancoli, "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, and "University Physics" by Young and Freedman.
  • One participant mentions that if someone does not like Serway's book, it may indicate a problem with their understanding of physics rather than the book itself.
  • Another participant argues that personal preference for textbooks can vary significantly, even among those with strong backgrounds in math and physics.
  • Some participants express that Serway's book contains valuable problems that are engaging and thought-provoking.
  • There is a suggestion to consider older editions of textbooks to save costs, as the fundamental concepts of physics have not changed significantly over time.
  • Participants discuss the merits of problem books, with some recommending Schaum's outlines for challenging problems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the effectiveness of various textbooks, with no clear consensus on which book is superior. Disagreements arise regarding the quality of Serway's book and the importance of personal preference in selecting a textbook.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that preferences for textbooks can be subjective and influenced by individual learning styles. There are also mentions of varying levels of difficulty and clarity among different textbooks, which may affect students' understanding of physics.

cheer177
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Hello, I don't know what Physics Textbook, I should buy. Actually, I already had Physics Textbook that is Physics for scientists and engineers by Serway. However, right now I want to buy a new one. Which one I should buy. Please help me. (I think a problem book from irodov is a good one, but I found it on the internet)
Thank You.
 
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For what level? 1st year undergrad?
 
If you don't like Serway's book, your problem is with physics not with books.
 
I would suggest going to a library (especially a college library) and seeing what they have. Even if they only have older editions, you can find one that seems to match your learning style the best. From there you can find a newer edition by the same authors.
 
cheer177 said:
Hello, I don't know what Physics Textbook, I should buy. Actually, I already had Physics Textbook that is Physics for scientists and engineers by Serway. However, right now I want to buy a new one. Which one I should buy. Please help me. (I think a problem book from irodov is a good one, but I found it on the internet)
Thank You.


Hi these are the list of physics textbook that I searched in order to help you in your problem hoping that you will appreciate this bit effort of mine thanks.


*Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Douglas C. Giancoli
*Fundamentals of Physics by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker
*University Physics with Modern Physics by Hugh D. Young, Roger A. Freedman
*Basic Physics of Nuclear Medicine by Kieran Maher
*Introduction to Plasma Physics by Michael Gedalin

b2hv.com
high voltage
 
get the physics complete torrent, extremely good file
 
I didn't like S&J's book either. =P
University Physics is rather nice...

And buy the book, it's really hard to study from a pdf.
 
Curl said:
If you don't like Serway's book, your problem is with physics not with books.


I agree on you. There’s a lot of physics textbook to find but the problem is they didn't like the author of the book. Physics is very hard and complicated subjects but having a lot of good references will help you to cope about physics don’t go after the author read it contents first..
 
stephan.b2hv said:
Hi these are the list of physics textbook that I searched in order to help you in your problem hoping that you will appreciate this bit effort of mine thanks.

Thank you very much. It helps me a lot :)
 
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  • #10
cheer177 said:
Thank you very much. It helps me a lot :)

You are always welcome:smile:

I will always be here to help as long as I can.

have a nice day..
 
  • #11
Curl said:
If you don't like Serway's book, your problem is with physics not with books.

That's a bit unfair. I have some aptitude for math and physics, and I often find that I vastly prefer one book over another, even though both are widely used at the same level.

When I was an undergrad, I was one of the top students in the math dept, and consequently was given a job tutoring freshman calculus students. They used a different book for calculus than the one I had used a couple years earlier. And I found the new book unbelievably hard to read, even though I already knew the subject.
 
  • #12
cheer177 said:
Hello, I don't know what Physics Textbook, I should buy. Actually, I already had Physics Textbook that is Physics for scientists and engineers by Serway. However, right now I want to buy a new one. Which one I should buy. Please help me. (I think a problem book from irodov is a good one, but I found it on the internet)
Thank You.

You might want to browse the websites of various university physics departments, and see what books they use for what courses. But I'd guess that the majority of freshman calculus-based physics courses use either Serway, Halliday, Giancoli, or Young.

Randall Knight's book is also gaining adherents, and is probably the gentlest of the five. You may be able to find sample chapters of each at the publisher's website, if you can't find them in a library or bookstore.

And, as always, don't think you need to spend $200 on a new book. Spend $20 on one that's a few years old, or even $5 on one that's 40 years old. Newton hasn't changed much in that time.
 
  • #13
brocks said:
That's a bit unfair. I have some aptitude for math and physics, and I often find that I vastly prefer one book over another, even though both are widely used at the same level.

When I was an undergrad, I was one of the top students in the math dept, and consequently was given a job tutoring freshman calculus students. They used a different book for calculus than the one I had used a couple years earlier. And I found the new book unbelievably hard to read, even though I already knew the subject.

No need to go into brag-mode. Serway's book is among the best there is... can hardly get better. If you find that "akward" to read, then physics isn't your thing; there is no problem with that book.
 
  • #14
Curl said:
No need to go into brag-mode. Serway's book is among the best there is... can hardly get better. If you find that "akward" to read, then physics isn't your thing; there is no problem with that book.

I know there's a word for people who can't conceive of their opinion being wrong, but I can't recall it at the moment.

As for bragging, is that possible when you're anonymous? At any rate, I thought the fact that math was indeed "my thing" was relevant to the discussion.
 
  • #15
Curl said:
No need to go into brag-mode. Serway's book is among the best there is... can hardly get better. If you find that "akward" to read, then physics isn't your thing; there is no problem with that book.

Set in our ways aren't we...

I didn't read Serway's physics I&II books but I did read his and Moser's Modern Physics book and it left some to be desired.

To the OP, Halliday and Resnick is a nice book, I had Young and Freeman in my Physics I&II sequence but I think H&R is better.
 
  • #16
How about the problem book. Which one is looking good? I mean challenging and fun problems. Thank you.
 
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  • #17
cheer177 said:
How about the problem book. Which one is looking good? I mean challenging and fun problems. Thank you.

Schaum's outlines are always a good resource for problems.
 
  • #18
cheer177 said:
How about the problem book. Which one is looking good? I mean challenging and fun problems. Thank you.

Serway's book has the best problems in intro physics. Always very creative, thought-provoking, and stimulating. None of the chug-and-plug BS you get in other books.
 
  • #19
Curl said:
Serway's book has the best problems in intro physics. Always very creative, thought-provoking, and stimulating. None of the chug-and-plug BS you get in other books.
Now I know what it would be like if Donald Trump wrote a physics book.
 

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