phd physics book pdf

University Physics Volume 1

(18 reviews)

Jeff Sanny, Loyola Marymount University

Samuel Ling, Truman State University

ISBN 13: 9781938168277

Publisher: OpenStax

Language: English

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Reviewed by Sharma Dipti, Contract/Adjunct Professor of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College on 11/24/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It is an excellent free and open textbook for Physics for Engineering based courses and courses where we teach calculus-based Physics. It covers all topics that is taught in the 1st semester of calculus-based Physics courses. It shows algebra and calculus-based mathematics which is a great way to show students how Physics involves Calculus and how it can be different from when we use Algebra.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

No spelling and grammar errors have found in this textbook. It is a great textbook for students in college.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The format of this textbook is standard and professional compared to other calculus-based Physics course textbooks. Everything is organized in good manner and topics followed one after one that is related to each other.

Clarity rating: 5

The text used in this textbook are easy to follow. English used in it good. All explanations and examples follow step by step solutions and very easy to follow by a beginner. Figures and formulas written in it are consistent with chapters and covers all necessary figures and equations.

Consistency rating: 5

Everything in the textbook is consistent with chapters and topics covered in the textbook.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters and topics are in right order and shown in the table of contents. There is a flow connection between chapters. Each chapter is explained clearly with small sections added in the form of figures, tables, examples and step by step solutions. There are sufficient exercise questions at the end of each chapter. The good thing that I like most that at the end of the textbook, there are answers to the questions those are asked at the end of each unit or chapter which helps students to see whether their answers are right or wrong and then discuss with their professors.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the textbook with each topic and chapter shown in it is excellent. No errors are found, and nothing seems missing either. Flow rate of this textbook is good. All chapters and units followed each other with concepts, equations, figures, and explanations.

Interface rating: 5

The book is accessible easily as pdf or online version. No issue is found with interface. The navigation of the textbook is easy.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors are found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

It is well structured culturally.

This textbook is a good free of cost textbook that can be used as calculus – based Physics textbooks and can be used to teach any calculus – based Physics course. I really like this textbook and adopted it for some of my courses. It shows good connection of Calculus and algebra both with Physics concepts. It covers all topics that is taught in 1st semester of Engineering or calculus-based Physics. It has answers at the end of the textbook for questions given at the end of unit which is very helpful for students to check their answers. Figures and equations are good. Explanation and solutions shown for Physics problems are excellent.

Reviewed by Serif Uran, Professor, Pittsburg State University on 5/4/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text covers all areas and ideas of the subject in deepth with examples. It also lists strategy, solution, check your understanding and significance sections. It does not do a good job in significance section in my opinion. There are much better examples that can be given for significance. Index and glossary are nicely listed referring to the section numberin alphabetical order at the end of the text. Incorporating more animations may help understand the subject.

The content is accurate and error-free as far as I can see. No bias is detected.

Content is up to date and necessary updates can be made easily. Basic physics does not change a whole a lot, but applications of it constantly evolving. I like how up to-date the examples are.

Clarity rating: 4

The text provides good amount of clarity in terminology. However, the context can be better if there were more physical explanations of some of the terms used like dot product and cross product. Even though everything is correct mathematically, physical meaning of dot and cross products were not explained. I like how the vectors are both shown as vector on top of the letters and also bolt. It is easy to distinguish vectors from scalars.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Each chapter follows the same structure. The terminology is appropriately used throughout the book.

The text is readable and have enough subheadings to allow smaller reading sections. Usually, a student attention span is about 20 minutes. The sections would appear to take about 20 min or less to read.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The topics in the text are presented in a bit different order than usual. The order some of the chapters are presented is a little confusing such as the separation of some of the chapters into two parts for the essentially the same subject matter. Separation of gravitation chapter into a single chapter is a little strange since we use gravity in many examples in previous chapters such as Potential Energy and Applications of Newton's Laws. I am a little confused as to why there are three University Physics volumes. Typically, introductory physics is separated into two semesters at universities. Having three volumes means second volume will be covered in both semesters.

No interface issues detected. Navigation is smooth and images are clear. The equations are easy to read and follow. Greek symbols display appropriately.

No gramatical errors were detected. It reads clear and no speelling errors were observed.

The textbook is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The pictures are all appropriate to the subject discussed and examples given are inclusive.

It is a great textbook with in-depth example-problem solutions and opportunities to practice the knowledge learned. I like how the text lists the section learning goals at the beginning. The text also lists Strategy, Solution, Check Your Understanding and Significance segments. These segments help students develop problem solving skills and why what they learn is important. A lot of times, students question the importance or what they have to learn a particular subject. This is the part often instructors ignore when they present the material. Significance segment gives this opportunity. I believe it should be even more expanded in this book. Overall, it is a really well-written calculus based physics textbook that can rival other well established textbooks due to its in depth coverage and problem solutions.

Reviewed by Srbuhi Yolchinyan, Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 12/6/21

The textbook covers all essential topics in standard University Physics course, in two big units: Mechanics and Waves and Acoustics. It is possible to cover all these sections during one semester course, because the chapters are not excessively long, but still manage to discuss all important topics in sufficient detail. The example problems are well chosen and help students understand the material, and end of chapter problems give additional practice opportunity to further master the topics.

I did not catch any inaccuracy while browsing though the chapters, all diagrams and figures are relevant and convey accurately the information that is discussed in the text.

The topics in the textbook are well established and it would be difficult to find a topic that is not relevant or needs an update in several years, all examples and general information is relevant to standard University Physics, now and in future.

The text is clear and easy to follow. All figures and formulas are explained in sufficient detail, and overall the language in the text is coherent.

The text is consistent, the only reason I am giving is 4 is because the significant digits in examples and end of chapter problems are not given in clear consistency: in some examples the significant digits are given in less accuracy and the answers are given at higher accuracy, and in others it is reverse. It would be very much advised to give all data in the examples and problems with numbers in scientific notation with clear number of significant digits, and expected to give answers following the standard rules of significant digits.

The chapters are divided into easy to follow sections, that are numbered and easily referenced. The text can easily be divided into sections and assigned in coherent structure.

The textbook is very well organized with all sections clearly marked and numbered. The end of chapter problems are also clearly divided corresponding to each section that is covered in the chapter.

There is no issue with interface, the navigation is easy and all images are correctly displayed.

I could not catch any grammatical error while reading the textbook.

The language and figures in the textbook are neutral and I would not assume any bias or cultural insensitivity towards anyone.

I really liked the textbook, and I am considering to adapt it in my lectures.

Reviewed by Lane Seeley, Professor, Seattle Pacific University on 4/30/21, updated 5/4/21

This textbook covers all of the topics which would typically be covered in a typical, year-long, introductory physics course. In fact, the book includes significantly more topics than a reasonably paced course should cover. read more

Content Accuracy rating: 4

My most pressing concerns with the presentation of work and energy ideas in this textbook are the significant emphasis on “non-conservative” forces which do not conserve mechanical energy. While this language is common in physics textbooks, I personally do not think that it is pedagogically useful. Mechanical energy, like any other sub-category of energy, is not a conserved quantity. Total energy is a conserved quantity. Mechanical energy is merely constant for some systems under some conditions. Mechanical energy happens to be constant for idealized problems that many physicists particularly fancy (pendula, Atwood’s machines, etc…) To mistake a quantity which is constant under certain circumstances for a conserved quantity undermines the awe-inspiring idea of conservation. We are planning to adopt this text but create supplementary chapters to replace the current work and energy chapters (7 & 8). This modularity is a significant advantage an open-source textbook.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The book could be more responsive to research in physics education. The three textbooks written by Etkina, Knight and Mazur all reflect a much more significant influence of PER. Perhaps the most significant finding of PER (physics education research) is that students do not learn physics passively. They must be actively involved in the learning process in order to increase their conceptual understanding of physics concepts. Therefore, a textbook should encourage students to enter into an active internal dialogue about physics question and ideas. This text does raise some questions for students to think about but many of them are surface level or rhetorical questions: “What external forces act on him? Can we determine the origin of these forces?” These questions are unlikely to inspire deep thinking on the part of a student. I would encourage the authors to include more engaging elicitation questions and explicitly encourage students to take time to think about these questions before reading on. I really appreciate the authors effort to provide readers with learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter. That said, it is important that learners realize what they should be able to do with the ideas in the chapter. For example, in chapter 5 the LO’s are: distinguish between kinematics and dynamics; understand the definition of force; identify simple free-body diagrams; define the SI unit of force, the newton; and describe force as a vector. I would suggest that a student would read these and interpret them as: memorize the definitions for kinematics and dynamics; memorize the definition of force; recognize something called a free-body diagram when someone shows it to you; memorize the definition of the Newton; and memorize that a force is a vector. Instead, I would recommend that the authors provide learning objectives which would foreground student agency such as: identify the forces on an object in a real-world situation and use a free body diagram to represent those forces; or describe each force as an interaction between two objects and identify the two objects involved in everyday force interactions; etc… Another significant finding of PER is that students often think the physics they learn about in physics classes does not apply to real-world situations. Ideally, a textbook should re-enforce the idea that physics ideas can be applied to real scenarios. The very first figure in the introduction to forces (5.3) presents some problems. The figure shows a situation in which two ice-skaters are pushing on a third skater. The third skater would experience a net force and, therefore, an acceleration. But hold on. Both skaters are pushing with straight, locked arms. Based on the figure, it seems more likely that they are holding the skater in place, not causing her to accelerate. The physics says the third skater is accelerating but the figure suggests she is being held in place. Who could blame students for wondering if physics concepts actually describe real stuff happening? It might be better to provide a real photograph of an object which is actually accelerating. I did appreciate some of the later examples such as rock climbing, running and tendons which made explicit connections to interesting, real-world, phenomena.

The writing is clear, accessible and relatively concise.

Consistency rating: 3

I had significant concerns about inconsistencies in the labeling of forces. For example, in figure 5.4 forces are labeled according to the type of force (weight, normal, friction). In figure 5.6 the forces are now labeled according to the other object involved in the force interaction (table, chair, floor) but the gravitational interaction between the person and Earth is still labeled weight which is not an object. These inconsistencies in labeling could be very confusing for a student who is learning about forces for the first time. I would prefer that the authors introduce forces as interactions from the beginning and then label them accordingly, similar to figure 5.16 but with the type of force interaction also included in the labeling.

I do not see any significant constraints to using these resources in a modular fashion.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I am of the opinion that energy should be presented before work. Otherwise, students are merely learning about work because their teacher says it is important. I think that conservation of energy should be used to motivate work as a way to quantify one mechanism of energy transfer. Other than this, I found the sequencing to be logical.

The book is fairly easy to navigate in the digital format.

I found the writing in the book to be largely free of grammatical errors and typos.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I don't find the textbook insensitive but I do not see much effort to support culturally relevant physics learning. The topics covered in this volume could foster learner engagement with important historically and culturally situated topics like: subjectivity and inclusion in physics, energy equity and energy justice. Perhaps future editions will incorporate these culturally relevant topics.

We are planning to adopt this textbook in the fall because we think it is the most comprehensive and well written open-source textbooks available for introductory calculus-based physics. As someone who has been actively involved in physics education research for the past two decades, I am a very critical reviewer so please bear that in mind when you are considering my comments above. This author team has made a significant and valuable contribution in creating this open resource. I would, however, recommend that the authors consult with an expert who is well-versed in PER if they undertake a substantial revision of the textbook.

Reviewed by Catherine Whiting, Visiting Assistant Professor, Bates College on 2/26/20

This text covers all topics typically found in an introductory level calculus based physics text. read more

This text covers all topics typically found in an introductory level calculus based physics text.

The content of the text is accurate, but there are frequent errors in the solutions manual.

The content of the text is up to date and the open source nature of the text makes it easier to update than traditional texts.

The presentation of topics is made in a clear, accessible, and approachable way, including many visuals and examples.

There are a few instances where the choice of symbols is confusing, but otherwise the text is consistent in terminology.

I used this text for readings in my class, but my presentation of topics in the course differed immensely from the organization of the text (which is similar to most traditional physics textbooks). Yet, it was relatively easy to assign subsections of the text for readings and jump around to different chapters without requiring content from previous chapters.

The topics are presented in the traditional fashion for introductory physics, i.e. mechanics first and then conservation laws.

Many of my students used the app feature and appreciated the ability to use links to different sections of the text rather than flipping through pages.

No grammatical errors that I noticed.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

There are only a few cultural or historical references, most of which are typical for an introductory physics course. The images and cartoon figures of people are overwhelmingly male. Much more effort could be made to include examples and figures of people from a variety of races and ethnicities.

I surveyed my students on their thoughts on this text. Overall, they preferred this text over a traditional paid textbook. In addition to the low cost for a print copy or no cost at all, the students appreciated the app and pdf formats, so that it was easily accessible. They found it was clear and easy to read, but perhaps not as comprehensive and detailed as other texts. I found that the presentation of topics and examples were better than traditional physics texts, but the homework problems were typically too easy (or too challenging) and I did not appreciate the Unreasonable Results type of homework problem. There are still many errors in the solutions manual. The benefits to the students outweigh these issues and I definitely plan to use this text in future courses.

Reviewed by Andrew Park, Physics Instructor, College of Alameda, Peralta Community College District on 12/31/19

The textbook covers all topics covered in first-semester engineering physics in sufficient detail. read more

The textbook covers all topics covered in first-semester engineering physics in sufficient detail.

I haven't seen major errors in one semester (Fall 2019) of using this textbook as the sole required textbook for my class. Students are encouraged (through extra credit) to report errors and I have not seen many reported. N.B. as with all books, there are typos and minor errors; no other publisher has as open and transparent process for errata report and review as OpenStax does.

The organization of the textbook is completely standard for engineering physics (and Volume 1 happens to match exactly with the first semester at my school).

It is certainly accessible---the textbook is on the longer side compared to other similar textbooks, which might suggest that a future edition (or a derived version) might be able to shorten some sections without losing content---but the content that exist are accessible and comprehensible.

Yes---and in minor cases where they weren't (e.g. consistent use of theta or phi for angles), I submitted errata reports, some of which have already been acted on.

Yes---I particularly like the organization of Units 1 and 2. While at my college, both units are covered in the same semester, not all colleges cover engineering physics sequences in the same order, and the separate organization of Units 1 and 2 makes it more likely that entirety of Unit 1 can be taught in one semester (and the "floating topics" in Unit 2 might fit in a different semester/quarter).

Yes, the ordering of topics is completely standard for engineering physics (of course, some have experimented with nontraditional ordering, including Feyman's lectures at Caltech, but it's good to have a "vanilla" textbook as a starting place).

The online version has recently undergone a significant upgrade (and I think it's an improvement over the old version---I personally agree with the trade-off made between usability and making past versions more readily available). The PDF version has always been fairly usable (there were always some minor issues regarding where line/paragraph breaks are relative to the page, but those are only minor distractions, except perhaps to the graphic designers).

I noticed very few grammatical errors in one semester of using this textbook for my class.

The figures and examples do try to be inclusive of all genders, ethnicities, and cultures. While physics as a discipline continues to struggle with gender representations and authentic inclusion of underrepresented minority groups, this textbook is no worse than any other textbook currently on the market.

This is a great textbook that is a great resource to all teachers and students of calculus-based general physics. Physics education is an area in which we are always trying to improve (and sometimes make a progress in; sometimes fall behind in certain areas), and while this textbook breaks no new ground, it gives a wonderful, traditional starting place---and its open license means would-be pioneers don't have to re-make the whole wheel; just improve on parts that have been pain points for you and your students.

Reviewed by Wayne Fischer, Student Success Coordinator/Adjunct Instructor, Treasure Valley Community College on 11/13/19

The book is comprehensive covering the traditional aspects of a classical physics first year at any College or University. It is well organized and follows a traditional logical order, ie. units & dimensions, mechanics, heat, E&M, Optics & Modern Physics etc., There are a great number of original questions and problems, with a range of difficulty, although most of the problems are too simple and repeat the same basic concepts.

So far all problems I have worked through are accurate and up to date examples. I have only found one typological error in an example problem, but the answer was correct based on putting the parentheses in the correct place. I submitted the errors via their site where errata can be submitted by users and those submissions can be seen by users. https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/university-physics-volume-1/errata

The section on Units and Standards talks about the redefining of the kilogram using fundamental constants. This indicates that the text is regularly updated. There are also problems using modern objects such as drones or contemporary cars which helps make the problems more engaging.

In general, the book is lucid and accessible. Sometimes the steps for calculating the calculus problems are not detailed enough so that for a student who is currently learning calculus it is tough for them to follow the logic and steps. There are times when the book is a little too simplistic and feels like Middle School level of reading, and then there are times when the reading is dense and needs to be explained more clearly.

The book is very consistent.

Modularity rating: 4

There is little room to skip around as most of the material builds on previous chapters. This is normal in any introductory physics course and tough to avoid. So hard to imagine how to do it otherwise.

The book follows the basic pattern of most introductory physics books. It would be nice to have an overview of calculus for students that are currently taking calculus while taking the physics class. Also seems like gravity should be introduced during the discussion of Newton's Laws of Motion. Fine overall though.

Interface rating: 4

The Interface has been great. However, the PDF sometimes has confusing to read equations in the way they are written but looks fine on the online format. I wish there were links to videos or demonstrations of solving problems.

Grammar is fantastic overall for the book. Found only one-word choice that should be the opposite of the word used.

The topic is culturally neutral and has no offensive terms used in it. And it attempts to use female and male genders in problems, although one example had them mixed up.

The book is good overall for a basic classical physics class using Calculus. There are times when it is too simplistic and not enough depth with examples, and the homework has been too simple. I also found all the problems already worked out on Slader, so it makes it hard to use if you don't want the students to know what the answers are before attempting the homework problems. Works great with Canvas cartridge and has Powerpoints and can link up with other LMS homework systems. Also, there a separate lab needs to be developed to go along with the book, although there are links to demos that could be used as a very simple lab experience.

Reviewed by Andy Hollerman, Professor, ULL on 11/1/19

Some of the drawings are too basic. I don't want the authors to go overboard here and try and duplicate other for cost books. They need to improve the drawings some while keeping them simple. read more

Some of the drawings are too basic. I don't want the authors to go overboard here and try and duplicate other for cost books. They need to improve the drawings some while keeping them simple.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

I found quite a few typos in the text. The physics is well presented. They need to fix the typos.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Book material is very up to date and relevant.

Clarity rating: 3

This book is a bit wordy.

There needs to be an edit to make the material more consistent.

Chapters can be taught out of order. This book is modular.

The organization is normal.

The interface is good.

Grammatical Errors rating: 2

There are many typos in the book and problems.

This book could become a classic!

I want there to be one more good edit for typos and to improve the drawings and sketches before I adopt this book for class.

Reviewed by Jogindra Wadehra, Professor, Wayne State University on 12/4/18

Almost all the universities offer a two- or three-semester long calculus- based course in physics. Typically, this course is taken by undergraduate majors in science and engineering. The book by Samuel J. Ling, Jeff Sanny and William Moebs... read more

All the basic concepts and ideas of physics are described accurately in this textbook. Majority of these ideas and concepts have been known for more than a hundred years.

It is highly unlikely that basic notions of physics, as known at the level of this textbook, will change and become obsolete during foreseeable future. It is a fair assumption that this textbook will stay quite relevant for a reasonable period of time.

Even though the book is written in a very clear and straighforward language, there are certain places where much more information is provided than is necessary to explain and understand basic laws and principles of physics. For example, a student taking his/her first course in physics might not appreciate idea behind Fermi calculations of Chapter 1. In fact, all the ideas presented in Chapter 1 can be covered in one lecture period.

The book seems to be consistent in terminology. While using this book in the classroom, no inconsistencies were discovered or found.

Each chapter in the book is divided into various subsections. Furthermore, each subsection starts with a list of Learning Objectives. This modularity makes it easy for the instructor to take out certain subsections in the class if time is limited.

The book is organized into 17 chapters and the contents of each chapter are outlined in the beginning of each chapter. Depending on the available time, it is possible to omit a certain chapter without losing the flow of lectures. In my own case, while teaching this course I was able to omit chapter 14 (Fluid Mechanics) without losing my continuity to the next chapter.

Even though there are no significant interface issues, it appears as if some material has been taken from other sources (such as internet) without cleaning it up for this textbook. For example, the last column of Figure 1.4 labels a heartbeat with symbols P, Q, R, S, and T, which are never explained.

The language in the prose of the textbook is mostly free from any grammatical errors. The reading of the book flows very easily and smoothly.

I did not see or find any part of the textbook that can be considered culturally insensitive or offensive. All laws of physics apply equally across all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Overall, I like this first-semester textbook of physics. However, in my opinion, the textbook has very few challenging honors-level problems. Majority of the problems are one-step plug and chug kind of problems. At our university, we offer two separate sections of calculus-based physics, one for regular students and the other for honors students. It would be nice to include some additional multi-step problems that can be assigned only to honors students.

A personal note: Last year when I received a paper copy of this textbook from the publisher for teaching my class, it came in a total black-and-white format. Various figures in that edition were in several shades of gray. Now, for review purposes when I opened the pdf version of the same book online, I was pleasantly surprised to see it in color. I assure you that coloring of various parts of any textbook is simply wonderful.

Reviewed by Klebert Feitosa, Associate Professor, James Madison University on 11/25/18

A typical course in introductory physics must cover a pretty standard set of topics. This text does a very good job at visiting all of them, following a standard presentation sequence that begins with a chapter on units and measurements and ends with a comprehensive discussion of wave mechanics. It often connects the subject with contemporary applications, with some relevant topics treated in the problem set, including examples of bio-inspired problems. In some cases it goes beyond the standard text, for example, when incorporates detailed calculus derivations and the presentation of advanced topics such as relativity (at the end of the chapter on gravitation) and Poiseuille and turbulent flows (in the chapter on fluid mechanics). The only major absence is the treatment of wave optics, which is discussed at length in volume III, where electromagnetic waves and modern physics are discussed.

A comprehensive list of problems is included at the end of each chapter. The problem sets are conveniently divided into conceptual questions and regular problems, both grouped according to the chapter sections. A set of additional problems and challenge problems complements the problem set. Answer keys for some of the problems are provided in the back of the book.

The text has an index with essential physics terms and a basic table of contents. An extensive glossary appears at the end of each chapter, which is convenient.

This text deals mostly with mechanics, oscillations and wave mechanics. The reviewer has not found any significant problems related to accuracy either in the text or examples proposed. The few issues found are listed below.

One minor issue found in the text is its use of the term “weight” for the action of the force of gravity on the object. Despite of being the practice in old physics textbooks, this choice can easily become a difficult conceptual problem for students for two main reasons. First, students normally associate weight with mass and this can be confusing. Second, while the action of the force of gravity on an object is always mass x acceleration of gravity, regardless of the situation, the sensation we normally describe as weight is associated with the normal force. This is particularly evident in problems that involve loops. In a roller coaster, for example, the passenger experiences greater "weight" at the bottom of the loop due to the normal force, which is larger than the force of gravity on the object to provide enough centripetal acceleration. Instructors must be aware of the issue and warn students about the subtleties associated with the use of “weight” for the force of gravity.

In the problem set, there were a few issues spotted and listed below:

1) In chapter 2, which introduces vectors, a number of problems involve forces. This is great, except that forces have not been defined yet. It may be a good idea to at least talk a little about the concept before assigning these problems. 2) Problem 4.26 illustrates a common bothersome thing: the right-hand-side of the equation has incorrect units, unless t is a unitless quantity, which is not stated in the problem and incompatible with t being associated with time. This happens fairly frequently with their “calculus-like” problems. 3) Problem 5.27 it is quite confusing when asks to find the ill-defined quantity “the acceleration of a system.” The main problem here is that the concept of a center of mass has not yet been introduced, which would be necessary to solve the problem properly. 4) Problem 9.27 is a bit silly. It asks to find an average force using the concept of impulse of an object of known mass, but to do so requires first finding the acceleration (which we are told to assume is constant); so, one can answer the question half-way through the problem. Not incorrect, but kind of silly. 5) Problem 9.36 has a remarkably misleading illustration. 6) Problem 12.38 again has a picture that is quite misleading.

These are some issues that have been spotted in this review. It is quite possible that there are others, most likely in the problem set. Nevertheless, it is important to note that OpenStax has a transparent process of review and correction of errata. In their website one can find a list of past errata changes and the current version of the text.

Apart from the fact that the physics covered in the book has not changed for the past 200 years, and yet it is still relevant, the text tries to maintain its relevance by using contemporary applications both in the examples and in the problem sets. Examples of this effort is found in several places, for example, Section 6.4 on drag force and terminal speed, which includes a discussion of contemporary applications for reducing aerodynamics and hydrodynamic drag, and Section 8.5 on sources of energy, where a discussion of energy uses and clean energy is presented. Often times contemporary applications problems appear in the Example Problems, such as Example 9.9, 10.3, and 11.3, or in the Challenge Problems section.

This text is written in a clear way and its prose is perfectly appropriate for the audience it is intended for--college students with background in algebra, trigonometry and some basic concepts of calculus. It often describes the historical context of physical principles it introduces. One example is the discussion of dynamics in Section 5.1 right before forces and the history of Gravitation in section 13.1. It includes several opportunities for the reader to see the direct application of the theory developed in the text with appropriate examples. The examples always end with a section discussing its significance, feasibility and physical meaning. The text also includes “check your understanding” sections (followed by a with a distinguished icon), where the reader is invited to think about small variations of the example to test his or her comprehension of the problem.

Other aspects that improve the readability of the text and enhance its clarity are: 1) Clear and helpful images and diagrams. 2) Yellow boxes highlighting important equations 3) Blue boxes highlighting important concepts or strategies. 4) Use of bold face for jargon and technical terminology, whose definitions are provided in the glossary at the end of each chapter. 5) Several external links to simulations and other media to enhance understanding.

For this review no problems were found with internal consistency of the symbols, equations or terminology provided in the text.

Modularity rating: 2

As expected for a text in introductory physics, there are serious difficulties with modularity. The chapters follow a logic exposition of concepts that naturally builds on previous chapters. In this sense the textbook is not modular and each chapter develops concepts found in previous ones. On the other hand, the chapters themselves are well organized and it is easy to select sections from a chapter for a course with a specific goal. The fact that a large portion of the problem sets follows the chapter divisions it is also very helpful, since one can easily select the problems relevant for the sections in consideration.

The presentation of the text is clear and follows a typical sequence of subjects in standard introductory physics textbooks. Nice aspects of its organization are: 1) Chapter outlines in the beginning of every chapter. 2) A description of the learning objectives in the beginning of each section. 3) Subsections within the sections for further organization of topics. 4) Clearly selected areas for examples with clearly divided subsections that help navigate the solution. 5) Chapter reviews that include glossary of terms, key equations and summary. 6) Practice problem sets divided in “conceptual” and “problems” grouped by the same sections found in the chapter, plus additional problems and challenge problems. 7) Inclusion of “unreasonable results” problems designed to challenge students to evaluate the physical reasonableness of the assumptions and calculations.

The textbook can be accessed in the following platforms: physical hard copy, PDF files that can be downloaded from the site, interfaced in a web browser, iBook version for apple devices, and app for android.

The PDF version has hyperlinks in the table of content that greatly helps navigation. It also has hyperlinks for the external content. Other than that, the PDF is identical to the hard-copy version of the textbook.

The presentation of the book in a web browser has a few features that distinguishes it from the PDF version. It has a table of content navigation window that can be deployed for faster navigation, a search tab that is really handy to find specific content in the text, and forward and backward buttons to transition between sections of a chapter. It also contains tabs at the bottom with specific information about Download versions, Errata History, Attribution and Full Reference Information. Finally the web version contains a slightly better design than the PDF version, with examples showing in different backgrounds and an improved rendition of equations. The text is filled with hyperlinks to sections references in the text and external links. One downside, however, is the fact that bold face words do not have hyperlinks to their definitions in the glossary. Overall the presentation in a web browser is superior than in the hard-copy version and it is obviously easier for navigation.

The iBook version of the text is the one that has the most pleasing visual presentation of the text. Several items of the text are available as separate windows that pop up or scroll down. They are: example problems, figures, list of learning objectives, special sections on problem solving strategies, and solutions to “check your understanding” challenges. Another great feature of the iBook version is the ability to highlight the text and write notes. This can be a game changer for classes that require reading as an integral part of the learning experience. Finally the problem section has a number of resource boxes at the bottom of the page including chapter figures, chapter formulas, units and symbols, mathematical formulas, and conversion factors, among others. These are available as appendices in the regular textbook. This is by far one of the most helpful features in the iBook version. On the downside, the iBook version is not free, but can be bought for less than ten dollars.

OpenStax also offer an Android App for the book. The book in the app looks and feels like the web browser version of the book. There is none of the nice features available in the iBook version. Some of the equations have a few typesetting problems and the text is better displayed in landscape than in portrait direction.

In all of these interfaces, the images, texts and diagrams appear clear and sharp, with no distortions. All the hyperlinks tested work as expected.

In this review, no grammatical errors were found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The text is mostly gender neutral and has no culturally insensitive or offensive language. The problem sets are gender inclusive and uses both “he” and “she” pronouns as well as illustrations of both male and female characters. However, the same cannot be said about race, ethnicity or backgrounds. The overwhelming majority of people depicted are Caucasian and there are only a few examples of people from different races. No people from different ethnic groups are depicted in the illustrations.

This book also comes with an array of features for the instructor. They are: 1) PowerPoint Slides 2) Instructor solutions guide (note that it is not the complete solution for the problems but only the correct answer with a few comments) 3) Canvas Course Cartridge

In addition OpenStax offer a browser extension - Insert Learning - that allows instructors to customize the text by inserting questions, discussions, notes and additional media. This is a feature that can really enhance the textbook.

Overall University Physics I from OpenStax is a very good book, rich in resources, created with deep concern for quality content and seamlessly integration in electronic platforms. Its minor flaws are nothing compared to the advantage of being cost free or very low cost. It is well worth adoption.

Reviewed by Darrell Lim, Faculty, Portland Community College on 6/19/18

The text follows a very common theme when it comes to how the content is covered: first start off with basic math, then go into kinematics, then dynamics, followed by work and energy, then momentum. They add in rotational aspects of all mechanics scattered about a few chapters, which I personally wouldn't do. But, I do understand the ideas behind not thinking of rotational motion as it's own entity to study, but rather apart of other concepts in physics. All in all, though, courses often stop at momentum, but this text delves into various applications of theory starting from Static Equilibrium and Elasticity (Chapter 12).

It’s hard to be biased in a science textbook. I found no bias and the content seems accurate.

The section on Units and Standards talk about the redefining of the kilogram using fundamental constants. This indicates that the text is regularly updated.

I really appreciate their strict use of symbols to form accurate equations, whereas some textbooks might leave them out. For example, the line consistently place on top of the velocity symbol, v, indicates the average of that quantity and not simply the quantity at one point in time. This is important to fostering student understanding through consistency. They do make the assumption (which was explained in text) with t0 being zero very early on. I would feel it be helpful to linger the t0 symbol for a while before making such assumptions so the students knows that the t0 doesn’t simply disappear for no apparent reason. I think this book is clear to the reader in a hurry, but not too much in a hurry. Some sentences are a little hard to understand if the context isn’t clear.

One note on consistency is that this text uses a lot of content (especially in the early chapters) and images that were used in the OpenStax College Physics text. I actually really liked this as this can serve as an alleviation of students’ cognitive dissonance when taking University Physics after completing College Physics. Also, the image choice is quality, and so should be used multiple times in the same subject. I like how the two texts, in a way, talk to each other with respect to content. The gray Example box is especially well put-together. In each box, there is a question, strategy, solution, and significance section. This is consistent throughout the text, although very few times the significance part is left out.

The text has four types of non-lecture box-types within the reading: Learning Objectives, Examples, Check Your Understanding, and boxes that highlight an important equation or concept. The first three boxes give the reader the opportunity to preview the material in an organized fashion, learn from examples (if the generalized instructions don’t make clear sense), and reviewing what was learned. The last box highlights what’s important for problem-solving and is easily re-accessible for later use. This is a very helpful pedagogical tool. I would like to see more boxing of useful equations and concepts. For example, on the section of Significant Figures, they write out the rule in text form without any highlighting of the short description of the rule itself. I’m not sure if that was purposefully done for pedagogical means, but I would have listed the rules for finding significant figures in an easily viewable manner.

The flow is common in many textbooks. I generally want to group like-concepts together, but I understand that many textbooks are going in the direction of explaining concepts as they come along and use them right away. This is a new and potentially promising procedure for texts. I found it interesting to talk about common types of forces AFTER going over all of Newton’s Laws. I would have had trouble doing any example problems for Newton’s Second Law, for example, without first going over types of forces that students will encounter. They used DRAG and FRICTION in their examples, and then only talked about FRICTION briefly in the next few sections. I found that a little displeasing. On another note, I find that oscillation and waves are usually coupled with optics and electricity/magnetism. However, in the three-volume set here, oscillation and waves are in Volume I while Optics are in Volume III.

As far as interface goes, I found no flaws in the images, text, and equations.

I found no grammatical errors

I find nothing offensive in this text. The text makes human examples very impersonal (in a good way) and doesn’t really give names to them. Example, they refer to a person walking on a train in Example 7.7 as “person”.

I am thinking of using this text for future calculus-based class I teach. Though there are very few issues with the text that I, personally, would like changed, the overall quality is on par with texts that students have to purchase.

Reviewed by Don McGlinchey, Professor, Glasgow Caledonian University on 2/1/18

Excellent and detailed coverage of mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves at early years university study. read more

Excellent and detailed coverage of mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves at early years university study.

A well established text where errors and inaccuracy is not apparent on first read through.

Text covers the fundamental of physics which will not date and examples and questions are relevant and current.

The text is written with a use of language and clarity that makes it accessible to students.

Formatting, layout, etc. are consistent within chapters and throughout the book.

The chapters have a structure that would allow individual sections to be assigned and chapters could be delivered in alternative ordering.

The physics content in the text follows a logical and coherent order.

I have not found any problems with the book's interface [using pdf version].

I have not found grammatical errors in the text.

I have not found anything in the book that would be considered culturally insensitive or offensive.

Reviewed by Paul McKenna, Senior Lecturer/Learning & Teaching Lead, Glasgow Caledonian University on 2/1/18

This book is very comprehensive covering every aspect of a major physics first year at any University. It is well orgainised and follows a traditional logical order, ie. units & dimensions, mechanics, heat, E&M,Optics & Modern Physics etc., There are a great number of original questions and problems, with a range of difficulty, and an Instructors manual is available to registered instructors. There are also slides and a students solutions manual.

There are no discernible errors in the text and each topic is dealt with in the professional way you would expect of a physics text.

The books contents are standard basic (but comprehensive) physics. There is plenty of room for expansion within the text. but perhaps a pitful is its comprehensiveness and there fore size, for all three volumes 2500+ pages, altough that will last most courses getting on two full years. Includes discussion, some questions and problems on Higgs boson for example.

the volumes are somwhat dense in parts with small text but none the less very readable. there are plenty of two tone diagrams and full colour pictures to aid the reader.

the team of authors over the three volumes have provided a consistency of approach in nomenclature and units etc.

Modularity rating: 3

this could be improved upon a bit. It is quote cumbersome to edit the book and extract pieces that are not whole sections or whole chapters. an more eaisly editable form would be welcomed.

The book follows an very familiar traditional flow that will be familiar to all physics majors. It would be best, stating the obvious, to start at the begingin and following the book through in chapter order. This is more to do with the subject matter than the book.

There are no problems with the layout or interface of the material. All equations and diagrams are clear and pristine in theit native form. However they do not so easly lend them selves to editing.

Overall the texts are written in a clear style free from any gammatilcal errors

This would be the best resource I have ever found - IF - it was easier to edit and use in a bespoke way.

Reviewed by John Shaw, Lab Manager/supplemental faculty, University of Delaware on 2/1/18

University Physics, Volume 1 by Ling, Sanny and Moebs covers the typical topics found in a first semester physics course. The example problems are well worked out. Students who are familiar with traditional textbooks should have no problem using this one. There are concepts of vector manipulation and use of spherical and cylindrical coordinates that are missing. Overall, if an online homework system is not needed, this is a decent textbook for beginning students.

There are no major errors, but some items are a misleading. E.g., Figure 3 in section 4.1 is disorienting by having North and East directions both point radially outward from the Earth. The explanation of torque and angular momentum is typically not robust and the examples are confusing. I would suggest rewriting this section or supplementing it.

The content of the book is about physics over a century old (300 years in most cases). The material is not going to change but I suspect that interactive online resources will supplant the text pasted online that is here.

The examples are clearly explained. In an online setting, interactive applets or at minimum some animations would help a lot. The 3D diagrams could be replaced with non-static images (either slow rotating gif or user controlled POV). I think that’s a missed opportunity. The “solutions” to some problems are simply answers, not a step by step solution that would be helpful to students. I also dislike the large number of derived equations presented in lists. This gives the impression that memorization of the equations is important, not applying the simple principles and doing the necessary algebra, trigonometry or calculus.

The text is consistent in its use of terms and variables. However, summations are done early in the text without indices (Newton’s Laws) but are fixed in the section equilibrium.

There is little ability to skip around as most of the material builds on previous chapters. This is inherent in introductory physics, anyway. It is possible to skip around a bit. E.g., you could cover parts of universal gravitation right after Newton’s Laws and return to potential energy and Kepler’s laws when covering those concepts. Same would be possible with covering momentum prior to work and energy.

The organization is similar to that in many other texts, nothing surprising. The introduction of momentum/Impulse should be done with Newton’s Laws and then collisions handled after the introduction of KE. This is a problem with most texts, anyway. The material generally flows smoothly. There are appropriate hyperlinks to other material in the text.

Interface rating: 3

The interface is easy to use. I think it would be better to embed interactive examples rather than hyperlink to external material. But because it is easy to click and see some related material (within or external to the text), there is some advantage to the interface over a paper text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

None noticed except the summation indices (e.g. in the net force eqn.).

The topic is culturally neutral as is this text.

I would recommend the text if there is no requirement for an online homework system. I will also list it in future as an additional resource for the students. This would also be helpful to anyone needing to refresh some of the more basic concepts. If cost is a primary concern on textbook adoption, this makes a good choice.

Reviewed by Braxton Boren, Assistant Professor, American University on 2/1/18

This book strikes an effective balance between rigor and breadth. It introduces key concepts slowly enough to help many beginners become comfortable with Physics concepts without being overwhelmed. It also allows for a dependable reference for more advanced students, who can cover the material more quickly but will not be bored by the presentation. I worked some of the advanced challenge problems given throughout and they seemed to be sufficiently rigorous for an advanced student to challenge herself or himself.

The content seems thorough and accurate throughout. The one not-quite error I found was in the chapter on sound which presented resonance pipe antinodes occurring at open ends and nodes at closed ends. This is true but only for displacement, not pressure, which is at least misleading since all of sound covered up to that point dealt with pressure, and the diagrams didn't clearly state what was being measured.

This is the best free general physics textbook I have found so far, and it provides examples and application points which point to relevant technology and cultural phenomena, but usually in a general enough way that it does not require a separate update every 5 years. One exception is the photo of an early iPhone as an example of GPS - it already looks a bit dated given the pace of cell phone updates, and I expect it will seem moreso to students as time goes on, given the familiarity of this generation with the latest in smartphone technology.

I liked the text pretty well. A couple of times it seemed they were glossing over something or leaving something as a challenge problem without fully grounding it in theory, but this was the exception rather than the rule.

The book is pretty consistent, although the order of presentation of subject necessitates some fluctuation on that count. Later chapters on waves and sound go back and forth between being a bit over-didactic, introducing lots of concepts, and then being extremely mathematical, referencing concepts such as kinetic and potential energy of the wave, introducing lots of equations. I expected the book overall to be more consistently math-y throughout, but the use of text blocks to introduce other applications was not uncalled for, and I think many students would respond positively to it.

I am considering using part of this textbook for a graduate course on acoustics that I teach. It will need to be supplemented with other sound-centric materials since even this book's chapters on sound focus more on physical acoustics than perception of sound or musical sound. Still, there were some diagrams and sections that were better than some texts I have used in the past, and since it's free I don't have to worry about students paying $200 for a text they only read part of.

I would have restructured the order of some of the concepts, probably waiting on waves until after a more thorough introduction of Newtonian mechanics and E/M. But these are always contentious issues in physics education.

Once I increased the text size, the online version was fairly easy to read. Sometimes I did not care much for the format, layout, text-to-space ratios, etc, but those may be different in the pdf version. Some of the photo figures likewise do not seem to be neatly formatted.

I didn't notice any grammatical errors.

In the sense that physics is trying to study the universal, so too does this book. There are some unavoidable cultural references in the application points, but those seem considered and not focused on any one place or people group.

In general, this is a good book for intro physics classes. I will probably not make it my only textbook for my acoustics course, but I may use it so supplement some wave concepts here and there.

Reviewed by Dexian Ye, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University on 4/11/17

This textbook (university physics volume 2) covers two units of introductory physics, thermodynamics and E&M, although usually we do not combine these two units in a one-semester course in our institute. The electricity and magnetism part can serve as a standalone textbook for a one-semester calculus based university physics course. All the topics in a similar course I offered for many years can be found in this textbook. Volume 2 ends at the discussion of Maxwell's equations and the E&M waves. It is very easy to adapt the material in the textbook to a common university physics course to cover electricity and magnetism. There are many wonderful examples to show the students how to apply the concepts discussed in the text. And the sets of homework are particularly useful for the teachers and students. However, if your course is designed to manage homework online, for example, LON-CAPA, you probably need some time to write the codes in order to use the homework problems. In my course, I continue with diffraction of waves and ray optics. If the authors can change the outline of the contents to include optics in volume 2, that will be wonderful.

The concepts and examples in this textbook are accurate.

For a university physics course focus on electricity and magnetism, the content is similar to most of the textbooks in the market. The contents presented in this textbook are up-to-date and require a minimum amount of updates.

The concepts are clearly explained with sometimes good examples to go with them. The text is easy to read. For a student took calculus courses, there is no difficulty of understanding the mathematics used in the examples and the equations.

The connections and the framework of the topics presented in this textbook are standard, thus it is very consistent.

The layout of the textbook is very clear. All the modules can be readily adapted and divided into smaller reading sections and lecture notes.

It is a very clear structure of the topics. This structure is common and similar to other commercial available textbooks.

The equations in the textbook are highlighted and hyperlinked. So, it is very easy to navigate.

I found no grammatical errors so far.

The text is not culturally insensitive.

Some of the cartoon drawings are not high quality. For example, Figures 6.3, 6.4, 6.6, 6.7, it is not easy to see the 3-d drawings of the pictures. If the pictures were drawn using a professional software, the textbook would be beautiful. Similar thing is the equation, particularly when a vector is involved.

Reviewed by Chadwick Young, Professor of Physics, Nicholls State University on 2/8/17

This is the first in a 3-volume set. It covers all of classical mechanics along with waves and oscillations. It is appropriate for a calculus-based physics course in a 3-semester sequence. Combined with the other volumes, it can be adapted to... read more

The book does have an excellent index in the PDF version. Online, it has searchable content, but I could not find an index. The table of contents, however, should be sufficient for a student to use it as a reference book.

The book does have a glossary for each chapter, giving the meaning of bolded words throughout. These definitions are concise and accurate.

The content is accurate. I’ve reviewed chapter 4, which is on 2-dimensional motion. The authors give a nice treatment of vectors, projectile, and circular motion. I like how they bring in more advanced topics, like Brownian motion, as they present these ideas. Instead of dealing with generic vectors, like many textbooks, the authors present only the displacement, velocity, and acceleration vectors. I prefer to present vectors mathematically first, without physical context, but I’ll try this next semester.

This is a solid, introductory, calculus-based physics text. I expect these basics of physics to last long beyond what anyone can envision. The pedagogy, too, is up-to-date. The students get lots of practice as they work through each section. However, I’d love to see Concept Coach and/or Tutor implemented for this book. Physics is difficult without deliberate and spaced practice. These tools can help the student to master physics.

Of course, the book does use appropriate language, which will be unfamiliar with most students. However, the vocabulary builds in each chapter, and the text has links back to previous material when it is referenced in the chapter. Of course, the PDF doesn’t have the same linkable text. Again, the glossary does offer good, simple definitions of bolded words.

This book is consistent. It uses terminology from chapter to chapter, but it always refers back to technical terms in previous chapters with handy links. The framework, too, builds in each chapter. Students learn skills—vector math, eg.—that they continue to use in the ensuing chapters. Of course, physics is a particularly good subject for such building. The reason I love physics is because it is consistent.

Like many physics texts, this book is divided into appropriate and small sections. Chapter 4, for example, is divided into 5 sections. A professor can assign a particular section per day as the students (or before) cover the material in class. Indeed, these sections do not disrupt the reading but, instead, provide convenient breaks that allow the reader to pause and reflect. At the end of each section, the authors have included conceptual questions and practice problems so the reader can ensure their own mastery of the material.

As I stated previously, I might not present these topics in this particular order. For example, I like to cover centripetal forces with rotation. However, these issues are very minor. The authors follow a putative order for presenting the topics; this order is used by many textbooks.

No issues here. The OpenStax folks have their game together. Figures are clear and well-labeled. The online interface, which I prefer over the PDF, is easy to use.

I didn’t notice any grammatical errors. It has, in my opinion, better writing than some other standard books (Halliday, Serway, Tipler, etc.).

Of the 6 cartoon figures, all were white, and 2 were women. However, the people presented in these figures are small and not a big part of the text. In fact, 4 of the characters were partially obscured by masks or sporting equipment. The book does not take extra measures to make minorities feel included. The text is not offensive in any way (unless someone hates physics!!).

Great book! I intend to use it next year. I'd love to see some online tools like Tutor or Concept Coach, even if for a fee. I'd likely use them in my course.

Reviewed by Lawrence Davis, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 12/5/16

Generally yes. Covers the topics typically covered in the first term of a calculus based introductory (200-level) physics course. I did not see an obviously located index, however the digital format of the book is searchable. However, this feature does not completely replace an index because some students buy a printed book. There is a glossary at the end of each section, but not a global glossary.

The book is generally accurate. Inaccuracies are not related to content, but rather to typographic errors and such. More importantly, a site exists where errata can be submitted by users and those submissions can be seen by users. https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/university-physics-volume-1/errata

The text is written and arranged in similar fashion to standard texts on the subject, which have not changed much over a decade or more. The main updates are links to Phet simulations and other resources, however if the locationsURL of these resources changes then those links will be broken until updated.

Overall, the language and format appears to be less technical/formal than some standard texts, such as Halliday. Most students these days supplement the text with other resources such as video lectures and simulations, and open courseware, which I encourage. However, this means convincing students to read the text in-depth is even more difficult than in the past. The less formal language may help with this, and students comprehend the material at a level such that student outcomes will be affected by the slight reduction in rigor. Certain sections dealing with common misconceptions, such as centrifugal force, were given specific treatment with careful language, which is important. The writing style often uses the word "this" in a paragraph of text with "this" referencing a concept described in a previous sentence or paragraph, which might possibly lead to confusion for students.

This appears to be the case.

Yes, it is extensively subdivided, even using headings, textbox background color, and text size/font to organize information. At times it appears to be overly differentiated, possibly to the point of distraction, but that may be a personal issue. Students might appreciate the level of differentiation.

The topics are presented in the same general order as standard textbooks on the subject. Some sections within chapters are ordered differently. This appeared to be purposeful, but at times possibly convoluted, such as calling chapter 10 Fixed axis rotation and then including rolling motion at the beginning of the Chapter titled Angular Momentum before any discussion of angular momentum is presented.

Generally the figures, links, graphic quality are sufficient with few exceptions. I found the quality to be generally higher than OpenStax College Physics, which had some issues with low quality graphics.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Generally appeared acceptable, I am not an expert on grammar. See comments in the Clarity categories.

I did not notice anything offensive, however there did not appear to be a significant representation of a variety of ethnicities represented in graphics and diagrams. Gender representation was somewhat more level. I did not read every chapter problem.

Planning to adopt starting fall 2017, I will be asking students for their opinions on the text.

Preface Unit 1. Mechanics

Chapter 1: Units and Measurement
Chapter 2: Vectors
Chapter 3: Motion Along a Straight Line
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
Chapter 5: Newton's Laws of Motion
Chapter 6: Applications of Newton's Laws
Chapter 7: Work and Kinetic Energy
Chapter 8: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy
Chapter 9: Linear Momentum and Collisions
Chapter 10: Fixed-Axis Rotation
Chapter 11: Angular Momentum
Chapter 12: Static Equilibrium and Elasticity
Chapter 13: Gravitation
Chapter 14: Fluid Mechanics

Unit 2. Waves and Acoustics

Chapter 15: Oscillations
Chapter 16: Waves
Chapter 17: Sound

Appendix A: Units Appendix B: Conversion Factors Appendix C: Fundamental Constants Appendix D: Astronomical Data Appendix E: Mathematical Formulas Appendix F: Chemistry Appendix G: The Greek Alphabet Index

Ancillary Material

About the book.

University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. This textbook emphasizes connections between between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result.

About the Contributors

Dr. Jeff Sanny earned a BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1974 and a PhD in Solid State Physics from the University of California–Los Angeles in 1980. He joined the faculty at Loyola Marymount University in the fall of 1980. During his tenure, he has served as department Chair as well as Associate Dean. Dr. Sanny enjoys teaching introductory physics in particular. He is also passionate about providing students with research experience and has directed an active undergraduate student research group in space physics for many years.

Dr. Samuel Ling has taught introductory and advanced physics for over 25 years at Truman State University, where he is currently Professor of Physics and the Department Chair. Dr. Ling has two PhDs from Boston University, one in Chemistry and the other in Physics, and he was a Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, before joining Truman. Dr. Ling is also an author of A First Course in Vibrations and Waves, published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Ling has considerable experience with research in Physics Education and has published research on collaborative learning methods in physics teaching. He was awarded a Truman Fellow and a Jepson fellow in recognition of his innovative teaching methods. Dr. Ling’s research publications have spanned Cosmology, Solid State Physics, and Nonlinear Optics.

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Graduate Physics Problems Books

Need to brush up on my late-undergrad and early-grad physics and was wondering if anyone can recommend books or lecture notes (hard copy, or on-line) that also have solutions.

Two that I have come across are:

Princeton Problems in Physics with Solutions - Nathan Newbury

University of Chicago Graduate Problems in Physics with Solutions - Jeremiah A. Cronin

Spacetime Physics - Taylor & Wheeler (favorite book on special relativity; has a lot of problems with solutions at the back; a lot of the problems really enforce the material and discuss paradoxes)

If possible, please also provide a reason why you like the books as opposed to just listing them.

soft-question
resource-recommendations
1 $\begingroup$ Take it you've thrown away all your old lecture notes, problem sheets and past papers then? They surely would be the best place to start.. I've given the question +1 all-the-same as I would also be interested in others' suggestions. $\endgroup$ – qftme Commented May 24, 2011 at 16:39
$\begingroup$ Yes (lol). I unfortunately threw away my notes. $\endgroup$ – Kamil Sindi Commented May 24, 2011 at 17:26
1 $\begingroup$ This post is old, but I want to add my two cents-it matters what you want the material for. If you are just interested in physics then any of the answers below are fine resources. However, if you are practicing for a particular exam, I cant suggest these sorts of resources as the primary study tool since you are just going to spend huge amounts of time on problems that might not have a significant impact on your exam performance. That is, if you are studying for a qualification exam, its in your best interest to completely exhaust all old exams before moving onto resources like ones below. $\endgroup$ – DJBunk Commented Nov 14, 2012 at 21:04
$\begingroup$ Roger Blandford & Kip Thorne, Modern Classical Physics: Optics, Fluids, Plasmas, Elasticity, Relativity, and Statistical Physics. Lecture notes: Ph 136: Applications of classical physics, cns.gatech.edu/PHYS-4421/caltech136/index.html $\endgroup$ – Qmechanic ♦ Commented Nov 27, 2018 at 12:38

11 Answers 11

(I have a suggestion to make this question a CW.)

General Physics : (Early undergrad and advanced high school)

Problems in Physics I.E Irodov - (Highly recommended)
Problems in Physics S S Krotov - (Once again, highly recommended but out of print)
Physics Olympiad Books - (Haven't read but saw some olympiad problems back in the day)
Physics by example (like this book a lot, lower undergrad)
Feynman's Tips on Physics (Exercises to accompany the famous lectures )

General Qualifying exam books: The following books are a part of a series dedicated to the qualifying exams in American Universities and has a large compilation of problems of all levels. Others in the series include Mechanics , Electromagnetism , Quantum Mechanics , Thermodynamics , Optics and Solid State Physics . Unlike other compilation of exercises for qualifiers (such as Princeton or Chicago Problems, or the one mentioned below), they make no excuse for economy and include as many problems from all levels for each subtopic.

Another good book that I read recently for my exam is the two volume series: A Guide to Physics Problems (Part 2 has some relatively easy but interesting problems. I haven't gone through the first part, which is much much more challenging.)

Thinking Like a Physicist: Physics Problems for Undergrads : I love this book because it fosters a real sense of physical understanding, so it's not just mathematics, but actual physical reasoning. Plus, I found the problems challenging and interesting.

Then, there is always the MIT Open Course Ware in Phsyics , which has undergrad and graduate courses with assignments, lecture notes, tests, problems, solutions, etc.

If its qualifying exam questions and problems that you're after, a lot of universities will post examples of past versions online, its just a matter of looking at the department website hard enough.

$\begingroup$ +1 @Jen: Thanks. If you know any particularly good qualifying exam questions with answers, do you mind posting them? $\endgroup$ – Kamil Sindi Commented May 24, 2011 at 20:06
$\begingroup$ It's pretty google-able - the first page of results for "Physics qualifying exams with answers" turn up a number of past exams and solution banks. $\endgroup$ – Jen Commented May 24, 2011 at 20:19
$\begingroup$ Also, the GRE subject test in physics is pretty decent for quickly getting up to speed. There are practice tests available: ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/physics $\endgroup$ – Jen Commented May 24, 2011 at 20:22

Some review/problem set books that I like are:

Solid State Physics: problems and solutions - Laszalo Mihaly and Michael C. Martin

Problems in Quantum Mechanics with Solutions - Gordon Leslie Squires (The reviews are bare bones but I find the questions to be very good at making you think)

Hope this helps. I am interested to see what other people come up with.

"Problem Book on Relativity and Gravitation" - A. Lightman, W. Press, R. Price, S. Teukolsky

The two you have were my favorites.

For completeness, a couple of others, which also have worked solutions:

L.A. Sena, A Collection of Questions and Problems in Physics

Constantinescu, Problems in Quantum Mechanics

There are many problems and solutions sets available for Caltech's comprehensive "Applications of Classical Physics" course here: http://www.pma.caltech.edu/Courses/ph136/yr2008/

It might be worth it to look at some past problems from physics olympiads. In particular:

International Physics Olympiad website http://www.jyu.fi/ipho/ for high-school students, all problems with solutions. Used to be tricky problems, not its more step-by-step, but still challenging and interesting

Moscow City Physics Olympiad http://olympiads.mccme.ru/mfo/ there is a pdf in russian, but I managed to understand almost every single problem with google translator

And of course BAUPC http://liquids.seas.harvard.edu/oleg/competition/ which has few, but (in my opinion) wonderful problems. Some of them are repeated in the classical mechanics book by David Morin ( http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Classical-Mechanics-Problems-Solutions/dp/0521876222 )

I'll add absolutely great book with problems in analytical mechanics: G.L. Kotkin and V.G. Serbo , "Problems in Classical Mechanics" It is basically a problem-driven approach to learning Landau's first tome.

Also I really like the book: Zhong-Qi Ma and Xiao-Yan Gu , "Problems & Solutions in Group theory for physicists."

Problems and Solutions on Electromagnetism (Major American Universities Ph.D. by Yung-Kuo Lim

Problems and Solutions on Mechanics: Major American Universities Ph.D. by Yung-Kuo Lim

Problems and Solutions on Thermodynamics (Major American Universities Ph.D. by U.S.T. of China Physics Coaching Class and Yung-Kuo Lim

I think the Y K Lim series are the best to follow, especially for last couple week of preparations. These books have all sort of good problems (with solutions) collected from reputed US universities.

You also can dig the internet for various universities solved exams but that is quite time consuming.

Some problem books on quantum field theory:

T.P. Cheng, L.F. Li, "Gauge Theories of Elementary Particle Physics: Problems and Solutions" , Oxford University Press (2000)

V. Radovanovi, "Problem Book in Quantum Field Theory" , Springer (2008).

D. Atkinson, P.W. Johnson, "Exercises in Quantum Field Theory: A Self-Contained Book of Questions and Answers" , Rinton Press (2003).

More can be found in this page: http://physics.library.wisc.edu/practicebooks.html

One of the best books for IIT mains and advance exams 2013 is Advanced Problems in School Physics Vol-I & II Cengage Learning

$\begingroup$ Hi Arvind. Welcome to Physics.SE. Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. $\endgroup$ – Waffle's Crazy Peanut Commented Feb 10, 2013 at 12:14

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Unit 1: Mechanics

Chapter 1: Units and Measurement
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Chapter 3: Motion Along a Straight Line
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Chapter 10: Fixed-Axis Rotation
Chapter 11: Angular Momentum
Chapter 12: Static Equilibrium and Elasticity
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Chapter 14: Fluid Mechanics

Unit 2: Waves and Acoustics

Chapter 15: Oscillations
Chapter 16: Waves
Chapter 17: Sound

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Chapter 2: The Kinetic Theory of Gases
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Chapter 14: Inductance
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Unit 2: Modern Physics

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Chapter 7: Quantum Mechanics
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Samuel J. Ling, Truman State University Dr. Samuel Ling has taught introductory and advanced physics for over 25 years at Truman State University, where he is currently Professor of Physics and the Department Chair. Dr. Ling has two PhDs from Boston University, one in Chemistry and the other in Physics, and he was a Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, before joining Truman. Dr. Ling is also an author of A First Course in Vibrations and Waves , published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Ling has considerable experience with research in Physics Education and has published research on collaborative learning methods in physics teaching. He was awarded a Truman Fellow and a Jepson fellow in recognition of his innovative teaching methods. Dr. Ling’s research publications have spanned Cosmology, Solid State Physics, and Nonlinear Optics.

Jeff Sanny, Loyola Marymount University Dr. Jeff Sanny earned a BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1974 and a PhD in Solid State Physics from the University of California–Los Angeles in 1980. He joined the faculty at Loyola Marymount University in the fall of 1980. During his tenure, he has served as department Chair as well as Associate Dean. Dr. Sanny enjoys teaching introductory physics in particular. He is also passionate about providing students with research experience and has directed an active undergraduate student research group in space physics for many years.

William Moebs, Formerly of Loyola Marymount University Dr. William Moebs earned a BS and PhD (1959 and 1965) from the University of Michigan. He then joined their staff as a Research Associate for one year, where he continued his doctoral research in particle physics. In 1966, he accepted an appointment to the Physics Department of Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW), where he served as Department Chair from 1971 to 1979. In 1979, he moved to Loyola Marymount University (LMU), where he served as Chair of the Physics Department from 1979 to 1986. He retired from LMU in 2000. He has published research in particle physics, chemical kinetics, cell division, atomic physics, and physics teaching.

Contributing authors

Stephen D. Druger, Northwestern University Alice Kolakowska, University of Memphis David Anderson, Albion College Daniel Bowman, Ferrum College Dedra Demaree, Georgetown University Edw. S. Ginsberg, University of Massachusetts Joseph Trout, Richard Stockton College Kevin Wheelock, Bellevue College David Smith, University of the Virgin Islands Takashi Sato, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Gerald Friedman, Santa Fe Community College Lev Gasparov, University of North Florida Lee LaRue, Paris Junior College Mark Lattery, University of Wisconsin Richard Ludlow, Daniel Webster College Patrick Motl, Indiana University Kokomo Tao Pang, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Kenneth Podolak, Plattsburgh State University

Salameh Ahmad, Rochester Institute of Technology–Dubai John Aiken, University of Colorado–Boulder Raymond Benge, Terrant County College Gavin Buxton, Robert Morris University Erik Christensen, South Florida State College Clifton Clark, Fort Hays State University Nelson Coates, California Maritime Academy Herve Collin, Kapi’olani Community College Carl Covatto, Arizona State University Alejandro Cozzani, Imperial Valley College Danielle Dalafave, The College of New Jersey Nicholas Darnton, Georgia Institute of Technology Ethan Deneault, University of Tampa Kenneth DeNisco, Harrisburg Area Community College Robert Edmonds, Tarrant County College William Falls, Erie Community College Stanley Forrester, Broward College Umesh Garg, University of Notre Dame Maurizio Giannotti, Barry University Bryan Gibbs, Dallas County Community College Lynn Gillette, Pima Community College–West Campus Mark Giroux, East Tennessee State University Matthew Griffiths, University of New Haven Alfonso Hinojosa, University of Texas–Arlington Steuard Jensen, Alma College David Kagan, University of Massachusetts Sergei Katsev, University of Minnesota–Duluth Gregory Lapicki, East Carolina University Jill Leggett, Florida State College–Jacksonville Alfredo Louro, University of Calgary James Maclaren, Tulane University Ponn Maheswaranathan, Winthrop University Seth Major, Hamilton College Oleg Maksimov, Excelsior College Aristides Marcano, Delaware State University James McDonald, University of Hartford Ralph McGrew, SUNY–Broome Community College Paul Miller, West Virginia University Tamar More, University of Portland Farzaneh Najmabadi, University of Phoenix Richard Olenick, The University of Dallas Christopher Porter, Ohio State University Liza Pujji, Manakau Institute of Technology Baishali Ray, Young Harris University Andrew Robinson, Carleton University Aruvana Roy, Young Harris University Gajendra Tulsian, Daytona State College Adria Updike, Roger Williams University Clark Vangilder, Central Arizona University Steven Wolf, Texas State University Alexander Wurm, Western New England University Lei Zhang, Winston Salem State University Ulrich Zurcher, Cleveland State University

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Classical Mechanics

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Online textbook.

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Chapter 1: Introduction to Classical Mechanics (PDF)

Chapter 2: Units, Dimensional Analysis, Problem Solving, and Estimation (PDF - 4.5 MB)

Chapter 3: Vectors (PDF - 4.4 MB)

Chapter 4: One Dimensional Kinematics (PDF - 3.2 MB)

Chapter 5: Two Dimensional Kinematics (PDF - 2.3 MB)

Chapter 6: Circular Motion (PDF - 2.6 MB)

Chapter 7: Newton’s Laws of Motion (PDF)

Chapter 8: Applications of Newton’s Second Law (PDF - 6 MB)

Chapter 9: Circular Motion Dynamics (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Chapter 10: Momentum, System of Particles, and Conservation of Momentum (PDF - 3 MB)

Chapter 11: Reference Frames (PDF - 1.4 MB)

Chapter 12: Momentum and the Flow of Mass (PDF - 3.3 MB)

Chapter 13: Energy, Kinetic Energy, and Work (PDF - 5.1 MB)

Chapter 14: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy (PDF - 6.1 MB)

Chapter 15: Collision Theory (PDF - 3.3 MB)

Chapter 16: Two Dimensional Rotational Kinematics (PDF - 2.4 MB)

Chapter 17: Two Dimensional Rotational Dynamics (PDF - 4 MB)

Chapter 18: Static Equilibrium (PDF - 2.2 MB)

Chapter 19: Angular Momentum (PDF - 4.2 MB)

Chapter 20: Rigid Body Kinematics About a Fixed Axis (PDF - 3.1 MB)

Chapter 21: Rigid Body Dynamics About a Fixed Axis (PDF - 4.4 MB)

Chapter 22: Three Dimensional Rotations and Gyroscopes (PDF - 3.5 MB)

Chapter 23: Simple Harmonic Motion (PDF - 5.9 MB)

Chapter 24: Physical Pendulum (PDF - 2.3 MB)

Chapter 25: Celestial Mechanics (PDF - 4.5 MB)

Chapter 26: Elastic Properties of Materials (PDF - 2.6 MB)

Chapter 27: Static Fluids (PDF - 1.8 MB)

Chapter 28: Fluid Dynamics (PDF - 2.5 MB)

Chapter 29: Kinetic Theory of Gases (PDF - 1.8 MB)

Chapter 30: Navier Stokes Equation (PDF - 2.2 MB)

Chapter 31: Non-Inertial Linear and Rotating Reference Frames (PDF - 6 MB)

Physical Constants (PDF)

Astronomical Data (PDF)

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This series provides a vehicle for the publication of informal lecture note volumes in all areas of theoretical and experimental physics. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, the notes present material of great topical interest where rapid publication is important and also contain lectures derived from university courses or summer schools. Each book in the series is thoroughly reviewed before publication, and the resulting volumes should interest physicists across the broad spectrum of research topics.

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16 results in Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics

Introduction to Quantum Fields on a Lattice

Published online: 13 July 2023 Print publication: 27 July 2023
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View description This book provides a concise introduction to quantum fields on a lattice: a precise and non-perturbative definition of quantum field theory obtained by replacing continuous space-time by a discrete set of points on a lattice. The path integral on the lattice is explained in concrete examples using weak and strong coupling expansions. Fundamental concepts such as 'triviality' of Higgs fields and confinement of quarks and gluons into hadrons are described and illustrated with the results of numerical simulations. The book also provides an introduction to chiral symmetry and chiral gauge theory, as well as quantized non-Abelian gauge fields, scaling and universality. Based on the lecture notes of a course given by the author, this book contains many explanatory examples and exercises, and is suitable as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. Originally published in 2002, this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

Quantum Chromodynamics and the Pomeron

J. R. Forshaw , D. A. Ross
Published online: 05 November 2022 Print publication: 09 February 2023
View description This volume describes the Pomeron, an object of crucial importance in very high energy particle physics. Starting with a general description of the Pomeron within the framework of Regge theory, the emergence of the Pomeron within scalar field theory is discussed, providing a natural foundation on which to develop the more realistic case of QCD. The reggeization of the gluon is demonstrated and used to build the Pomeron of perturbative QCD. The dynamical nature of the Pomeron and its role in small-x deep inelastic scattering and in diffractive scattering is also examined in detail. The volume concludes with a study of the colour dipole approach to high energy scattering and the explicit role of unitarity corrections. This book will be of interest to theoretical and experimental particle physicists, and applied mathematicians. First published in 1997, this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

Published online: 05 November 2009 Print publication: 19 September 2002
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View description This book provides a concrete introduction to quantum fields on a lattice: a precise and non-perturbative definition of quantum field theory obtained by replacing continuous space-time by a discrete set of points on a lattice. The path integral on the lattice is explained in concrete examples using weak and strong coupling expansions. Fundamental concepts such as 'triviality' of Higgs fields and confinement of quarks and gluons into hadrons are described and illustrated with the results of numerical simulations. The book also provides an introduction to chiral symmetry and chiral gauge theory, as well as quantized non-abelian gauge fields, scaling and universality. Based on the lecture notes of a course given by the author, this book contains many explanatory examples and exercises, and is suitable as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.

Knots and Feynman Diagrams

Dirk Kreimer
Published online: 04 August 2010 Print publication: 20 July 2000
View description This book provides an accessible and up-to-date introduction to how knot theory and Feynman diagrams can be used to illuminate problems in quantum field theory. Beginning with a summary of key ideas from perturbative quantum field theory and an introduction to the Hopf algebra structure of renormalization, early chapters discuss the rationality of ladder diagrams and simple link diagrams. The necessary basics of knot theory are then presented and the number-theoretic relationship between the topology of Feynman diagrams and knot theory is explored. Later chapters discuss four-term relations motivated by the discovery of Vassiliev invariants in knot theory and draw a link to algebraic structures recently observed in noncommutative geometry. Detailed references are included. Dealing with material at perhaps the most productive interface between mathematics and physics, the book will be of interest to theoretical and particle physicists, and mathematicians.

An Introduction to Chaos in Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics

J. R. Dorfman
Published online: 25 January 2010 Print publication: 28 August 1999
View description This book is an introduction to the applications in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of chaotic dynamics, and also to the use of techniques in statistical mechanics important for an understanding of the chaotic behaviour of fluid systems. The fundamental concepts of dynamical systems theory are reviewed and simple examples are given. Advanced topics including SRB and Gibbs measures, unstable periodic orbit expansions, and applications to billiard-ball systems, are then explained. The text emphasises the connections between transport coefficients, needed to describe macroscopic properties of fluid flows, and quantities, such as Lyapunov exponents and Kolmogorov-Sinai entropies, which describe the microscopic, chaotic behaviour of the fluid. Later chapters consider the roles of the expanding and contracting manifolds of hyperbolic dynamical systems and the large number of particles in macroscopic systems. Exercises, detailed references and suggestions for further reading are included.

Dirac Operators and Spectral Geometry

Giampiero Esposito
Published online: 25 January 2010 Print publication: 20 August 1998
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Lattice Models of Polymers

Carlo Vanderzande
Published online: 08 January 2010 Print publication: 30 April 1998
View description This book provides an introduction to lattice models of polymers. This is an important topic both in the theory of critical phenomena and the modelling of polymers. The first two chapters introduce the basic theory of random, directed and self-avoiding walks. The next two chapters develop and expand this theory to explore the self-avoiding walk in both two and three dimensions. Following chapters describe polymers near a surface, dense polymers, self-interacting polymers and branched polymers. The book closes with discussions of some geometrical and topological properties of polymers, and of self-avoiding surfaces on a lattice. The volume combines results from rigorous analytical and numerical work to give a coherent picture of the properties of lattice models of polymers. This book will be valuable for graduate students and researchers working in statistical mechanics, theoretical physics and polymer physics. It will also be of interest to those working in applied mathematics and theoretical chemistry.

Self-Organized Criticality

Emergent Complex Behavior in Physical and Biological Systems
Henrik Jeldtoft Jensen
Published online: 05 November 2012 Print publication: 13 January 1998
View description Self-organized criticality (SOC) is based upon the idea that complex behavior can develop spontaneously in certain multi-body systems whose dynamics vary abruptly. This book is a clear and concise introduction to the field of self-organized criticality, and contains an overview of the main research results. The author begins with an examination of what is meant by SOC, and the systems in which it can occur. He then presents and analyzes computer models to describe a number of systems, and he explains the different mathematical formalisms developed to understand SOC. The final chapter assesses the impact of this field of study, and highlights some key areas of new research. The author assumes no previous knowledge of the field, and the book contains several exercises. It will be ideal as a textbook for graduate students taking physics, engineering, or mathematical biology courses in nonlinear science or complexity.

Published online: 23 October 2009 Print publication: 05 June 1997
View description This volume describes the Pomeron, an object of crucial importance in very high energy particle physics. The book starts with a general description of the Pomeron within the framework of Regge theory. The emergence of the Pomeron within scalar field theory is discussed next, providing a natural foundation on which to develop the more realistic case of QCD. The reggeization of the gluon is demonstrated and used to build the Pomeron of perturbative QCD. The dynamical nature of the Pomeron is then investigated. The role of the Pomeron in small-x deep inelastic scattering and in diffractive scattering is also examined in detail. The volume concludes with a study of the colour dipole approach to high energy scattering and the explicit role of unitarity corrections. This book will be of interest to theoretical and experimental particle physicists, and applied mathematicians.

Lie Algebras, Geometry, and Toda-Type Systems

Alexander V. Razumov , Mikhail V. Saveliev
Published online: 31 December 2009 Print publication: 15 May 1997
View description This book introduces the use of Lie algebra and differential geometry methods to study nonlinear integrable systems of Toda type. Many challenging problems in theoretical physics are related to the solution of nonlinear systems of partial differential equations. One of the most fruitful approaches in recent years has resulted from a merging of group algebraic and geometric techniques. The book gives a comprehensive introduction to this exciting branch of science. Chapters 1 and 2 review basic notions of Lie algebras and differential geometry with an emphasis on further applications to integrable nonlinear systems. Chapter 3 contains a derivation of Toda type systems and their general solutions based on Lie algebra and differential geometry methods. The last chapter examines explicit solutions of the corresponding equations. The book is written in an accessible 'lecture note' style with many examples and exercises to illustrate key points and to reinforce understanding.

Is the Universe Open or Closed?

The Density of Matter in the Universe
Peter Coles , George Ellis
Published online: 25 January 2010 Print publication: 10 April 1997
View description This controversial book examines one of the most fundamental questions of modern cosmology: how much matter is there in the Universe? This issue affects theories of the origin and evolution of the Universe as well as its geometrical structure and ultimate fate. The authors discuss all the relevant cosmological and astrophysical evidence and come to the conclusion that the balance of arguments presently lies with a density of around twenty per cent of the critical density required for the Universe to ultimately recollapse. Because the arguments presented constitute a 'state-of-the-art' analysis of the observational and theoretical arguments surrounding the existence of dark matter, primordial nucleosynthesis, large-scale structure formation and the cosmic microwave background radiation, this study provides the reader with an indispensable introduction to the most exciting recent developments in modern cosmology. Written by two eminent cosmologists, this topical and provocative book will be essential reading for all cosmologists and astrophysicists.

Black Hole Uniqueness Theorems

Markus Heusler
Published online: 13 March 2010 Print publication: 25 July 1996
View description This timely review provides a self-contained introduction to the mathematical theory of stationary black holes and a self-consistent exposition of the corresponding uniqueness theorems. The opening chapters examine the general properties of space-times admitting Killing fields and derive the Kerr-Newman metric. Strong emphasis is given to the geometrical concepts. The general features of stationary black holes and the laws of black hole mechanics are then reviewed. Critical steps towards the proof of the 'no-hair' theorem are then discussed, including the methods used by Israel, the divergence formulae derived by Carter, Robinson and others, and finally the sigma model identities and the positive mass theorem. The book is rounded off with an extension of the electro-vacuum uniqueness theorem to self-gravitating scalar fields and harmonic mappings. This volume provides a rigorous textbook for graduate students in physics and mathematics. It also offers an invaluable, up-to-date reference for researchers in mathematical physics, general relativity and astrophysics.

Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics

Published online: 05 February 2015 Print publication: 26 April 1996
View description This text provides a thoroughly modern graduate-level introduction to the theory of critical behaviour. Beginning with a brief review of phase transitions in simple systems and of mean field theory, the text then goes on to introduce the core ideas of the renormalization group. Following chapters cover phase diagrams, fixed points, cross-over behaviour, finite-size scaling, perturbative renormalization methods, low-dimensional systems, surface critical behaviour, random systems, percolation, polymer statistics, critical dynamics and conformal symmetry. The book closes with an appendix on Gaussian integration, a selected bibliography, and a detailed index. Many problems are included. The emphasis throughout is on providing an elementary and intuitive approach. In particular, the perturbative method introduced leads, among other applications, to a simple derivation of the epsilon expansion in which all the actual calculations (at least to lowest order) reduce to simple counting, avoiding the need for Feynman diagrams.

Diagrammatica

The Path to Feynman Diagrams
Martinus Veltman
Published online: 01 June 2011 Print publication: 16 June 1994
View description This author provides an easily accessible introduction to quantum field theory via Feynman rules and calculations in particle physics. His aim is to make clear what the physical foundations of present-day field theory are, to clarify the physical content of Feynman rules. The book begins with a brief review of some aspects of Einstein's theory of relativity that are of particular importance for field theory, before going on to consider the relativistic quantum mechanics of free particles, interacting fields, and particles with spin. The techniques learnt in the chapters are then demonstrated in examples that might be encountered in real accelerator physics. Further chapters contain discussions of renormalization, massive and massless vector fields and unitarity. A final chapter presents concluding arguments concerning quantum electrodynamics. The book includes valuable appendices that review some essential mathematics, including complex spaces, matrices, the CBH equation, traces and dimensional regularization. An appendix containing a comprehensive summary of the rules and conventions used is followed by an appendix specifying the full Lagrangian of the Standard Model and the corresponding Feynman rules. To make the book useful for a wide audience a final appendix provides a discussion of the metric used, and an easy-to-use dictionary connecting equations written with different metrics. Written as a textbook, many diagrams, exercises and examples are included. This book will be used by beginning graduate students taking courses in particle physics or quantum field theory, as well as by researchers as a source and reference book on Feynman diagrams and rules.

The Analysis of Space-Time Singularities

C. J. S. Clarke
Published online: 05 August 2012 Print publication: 12 May 1994
View description The theorems of Hawking and Penrose show that space-times are likely to contain incomplete geodesics. Such geodesics are said to end at a singularity if it is impossible to continue the space-time and geodesic without violating the usual topological and smoothness conditions on the space-time. In this book the different possible singularities are defined, and the mathematical methods needed to extend the space-time are described in detail. The results obtained (many appearing here for the first time) show that singularities are associated with a lack of smoothness in the Riemann tensor. While the Friedmann singularity is analysed as an example, the emphasis is on general theorems and techniques rather than on the classification of particular exact solutions.

Modern Cosmology and the Dark Matter Problem

D. W. Sciama
Published online: 11 January 2010 Print publication: 07 April 1994
View description This book shows how modern cosmology and astronomy have led to the need to introduce dark matter in the universe. Some of this dark matter is in the familiar form of protons, electrons and neutrons, but most of it must have a more exotic form. The favoured, but not the only, possibility is neutrinos of non-zero rest mass, pair-created in the hot big bang and surviving to the present day. After a review of modern cosmology, this book gives a detailed account of the author's recent theory in which these neutrinos decay into photons which are the main ionising agents in hydrogen and nitrogen in the interstellar and intergalactic medium. This theory, though speculative, explains a number of rather different puzzling phenomena in astronomy and cosmology in a unified way and predicts values of various important quantities such as the mass of the decaying neutrino and the Hubble constant. Written by a cosmologist of the first rank, this topical book will be essential reading to all cosmologists and astrophysicists.

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Understanding Mathematical Concepts in Physics

Insights from Geometrical and Numerical Approaches

© 2024
Sanjeev Dhurandhar 0

IUCAA, Pune, India

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Aims at helping the reader understand the mathematical concepts required in physics
Emphasises the understanding of differential equations and complex analysis through a numerical/geometrical approach
Supports understanding through Python codes provided

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics (LNP, volume 1030)

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About this book

Modern mathematics has become an essential part of today’s physicist’s arsenal and this book covers several relevant such topics. The primary aim of this book is to present key mathematical concepts in an intuitive way with the help of geometrical and numerical methods - understanding is the key. Not all differential equations can be solved with standard techniques. Examples illustrate how geometrical insights and numerical methods are useful in understanding differential equations in general but are indispensable when extracting relevant information from equations that do not yield to standard methods.

Adopting a numerical approach to complex analysis it is shown that Cauchy’s theorem, the Cauchy integral formula, the residue theorem, etc. can be verified by performing hands-on computations with Python codes. Figures elucidate the concept of poles and essential singularities.

Further the book covers topology, Hilbert spaces, Fourier transforms (discussing how fast Fourier transform works), modern differential geometry, Lie groups and Lie algebras, probability and useful probability distributions, and statistical detection of signals. Novel features include: (i) Topology is introduced via the notion of continuity on the real line which then naturally leads to topological spaces. (ii) Data analysis in a differential geometric framework and a general description of χ2 discriminators in terms of vector bundles.

This book is targeted at physics graduate students and at theoretical (and possibly experimental) physicists. Apart from research students, this book is also useful to active physicists in their research and teaching.

Mathematics for physicists
Differential equations
topology and differential geometry
representations of groups
probability and data analysis

Table of contents (11 chapters)

Front matter.

Sanjeev Dhurandhar

Hilbert Spaces

Fourier analysis, complex analysis: hands on, understanding differential equations, solving differential equations, differential geometry and tensors, the rotation group, lorentz group and lie groups, probability and random variables, probability distributions in physics, the statistical detection of signals in noisy data, back matter, authors and affiliations, about the author.

Prof. Sanjeev Dhurandhar has published over hundred papers in top international journals such as Physical Reviews, MNRAS, Classical & Quantum Gravity, and also a review article (coauthored with M. Tinto) in Living Reviews published by Springer. About three quarters of the publications are on gravitational waves, mainly on their data analysis, and the rest are on various aspects of general relativity. Recently, he has published a book (Springer) entitled General Relativity and Gravitational Waves: Essentials of theory and Practice co-authored with Prof. Sanjit Mitra. The author led

the gravitational wave group at IUCAA from 1989 to 2011 until he superannuated. He has taught the Mathematical Physics course at IUCAA at graduate level to physics students for decades and also in the mathematics & physics department of Pune University in the1980s. He has also given courses on differential geometry, probability theory etc. during his career at IUCAA. He holds a Master’s degree in mathematics (he switched to physics for his Ph. D.).

The author is a recipient of several prestigious awards which include the Vijnan Bhushan Firodia Award for Outstanding Contributions to Science, the Meghnad Saha Memorial Gold Medal (The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, India) for Outstanding Contributions to Physics, Milners breakthrough prize (Milners Foundation U.S.A.) awarded for the detection of gravitational waves (shared with the Ligo Science Collaboration), etc. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the three prestigious Indian academies: (i) Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, (ii) the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, and (iii) National Academy of Sciences India, Allahabad.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Understanding Mathematical Concepts in Physics

Book Subtitle : Insights from Geometrical and Numerical Approaches

Authors : Sanjeev Dhurandhar

Series Title : Lecture Notes in Physics

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60394-5

Publisher : Springer Cham

eBook Packages : Physics and Astronomy , Physics and Astronomy (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-031-60393-8 Published: 17 July 2024

eBook ISBN : 978-3-031-60394-5 Published: 16 July 2024

Series ISSN : 0075-8450

Series E-ISSN : 1616-6361

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XVI, 351

Number of Illustrations : 15 b/w illustrations, 42 illustrations in colour

Topics : Theoretical, Mathematical and Computational Physics , Mathematical Physics , Analysis , Fourier Analysis , Topological Groups, Lie Groups

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Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks: Neighbors, classmates, employer speak

A 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania fired multiple shots at former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday evening.

A bullet grazed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's upper right ear , leaving him bloodied but not seriously injured. One rally attendee was killed in the gunfire and two others were "critically injured," authorities later said.

Here's what we know:

Who is the shooter at the rally?

The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the person behind the assassination attempt. Agency officials released little additional information, saying its investigation remains active and ongoing. They did not indicate what Crooks' motive might have been.

Crooks worked at a nearby nursing home. An administrator there told USA TODAY that the company was shocked to learn of the shooting and that Crooks had passed a background check for his job.

What did Thomas Crooks do at the crime scene?

During the shooting Saturday, Trump's right ear was injured, seconds before he was whisked off stage by Secret Service personnel. One man attending the rally was killed and two others were injured; Crooks was then killed by Secret Service agents , authorities said.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said on a call with media Sunday afternoon that authorities found "a suspicious device" when they searched the shooter's vehicle. Bomb technicians inspected the device and rendered it safe.

"I'm not in a position to provide any expertise on the specific components of any potential bombs or suspicious packages," Rojek added.

Rojek said law enforcement is sending the rifle and Crooks' cell phone, along with other evidence, to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia "for processing and exploitation."

"We're in the process of searching his phone," Rojek said.

Maps and graphics: What happened in the Trump assassination attempt

What is Crooks' background?

Crooks is registered to vote as a Republican in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, according to county voter records. His voter registration status has been active since 2021.

Federal Election Commission records show that in January 2021, Crooks made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project, a group working to increase voter turnout for Democrats.

Born Sept. 20, 2003, Crooks does not have a criminal record in Pennsylvania, nor has he been sued there, according to state court records. There is no record of him in federal court databases, either.

Where did Thomas Crooks work?

Crooks worked as a dietary aid, a job that generally involves food preparation, at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, less than a mile from his home. In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Sunday, Marcie Grimm, the facility's administrator, said she was "shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement."

"Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean," Grimm said. "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence."

The facility is owned by Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare. A job posting from the company for a dietary aid in the Pittsburgh area puts the pay at $16 an hour.

Thomas Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

Crooks' home address is listed in Bethel Park, a suburb in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, voter records show. That three-bedroom brick house has been owned since 1998 by Matthew and Mary Crooks, who appear to be his parents. Telephone calls to the couple were not returned overnight.

Near the Crooks home, Dean Sierka, 52, said he had known Crooks and his parents for years, as neighbors separated by only a few houses. Sierka’s daughter attended school with Crooks from elementary school through Bethel Park High School, and said she remembers him as quiet and shy.

Dean and his daughter said they would see Crooks at least once a week, often when Crooks was walking to work.

“You wouldn’t have expected this,” Dean Sierka said. “The parents and the family are all really nice people.”

At Bethel Park High School

Thomas Crooks graduated two years ago from Bethel Park High School, the Bethel Park School District confirmed. He was included in a 2022 local news article about recipients of a National Math & Science Initiative Star Award at the public high school, which enrolls about 1,300 students.

Jason Kohler attended Bethel Park High School with Crooks and said he remembers the 20-year-old sat alone at lunch and was “bullied almost every day.” Kids picked on Crooks for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Kohler, 21, said.

Since hearing Crooks has been named as the shooter, Kohler has been speaking with classmates who knew him, most of whom are stunned by the news.“It’s really hard to comprehend,” he said.

Sean Eckert said he went to school with Crooks from 5th through 12th grade. He said Crooks always went by “Tom.“

They shared classes together in elementary and middle school. Eckert said Crooks, though "fairly smart," was quiet and rarely spoke up.

Eckert said Crooks did not seem to have many friends. He didn't recall Crooks being playing any sports, being involved in any clubs or student groups or going to popular campus events. He often wore hunting clothes, so Eckert assumed he hunted.

No one in Eckert's group text from high school seemed to know Crooks very well, he said. They were shocked that someone from their town had done this. They were even more surprised that it was Tom Crooks.

Nursing aide turned sniper: Thomas Crooks' mysterious plot to kill Trump

The gaming-oriented online site Discord said Sunday that it had found an account that appeared to be linked to the shooting suspect. The site removed the account, which “was rarely utilized, has not been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views,“ according to a statement from a Discord spokesperson, adding that the company will coordinate closely with law enforcement.

Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a shooting club about 8 miles from his home. It is a sprawling complex of 180 acres with rifle, pistol and archery ranges, an area for dog training and a clubhouse, according to the club website.An attorney for the club, Robert Bootay III, confirmed Crooks' membership in an email to USA TODAY, but would not offer additional details.

Where is Bethel Park, Pennsylvania?

Bethel Park is a suburb of Pittsburgh and home to more than 32,000 people – about one thousand fewer than four years ago, according to the latest Census estimates.

The majority-white, mostly college-educated community has a median household income of $102,177.

Described as a charming retreat from the hustle and bustle of the big city to its north, Bethel Park boasts tree-line streets, friendly neighborhoods and a low crime rate.

Bethel Park is about 42 miles south of Butler, where the Trump rally was held. The leafy suburban street was alive with law enforcement overnight amid a multi-agency response to the shooting. A member of the Allegheny County bomb squad told reporters his team was headed into the house around midnight, but did not say why.

For hours afterward, the scene remained quiet, with deer passing under the police tape and an occasional neighbor stepping out of their house to see what was happening.

John Wolf, a local construction superintendent who lives down the road, said he’d talked with several worried neighbors.

“People are scared,” Wolf said.

How did Crooks shoot at Trump?

Crooks had been positioned on a rooftop more than 100 yards from the rally site, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle from the scene.

Joseph Price, special agent in charge of the ATF in Pittsburgh, said the weapon used by the shooter was a rifle.“It was nothing special,” he said in an interview in the parking lot of the Butler Township Municipal Building.

Law enforcement is following up on a “number of suspicious occurrences,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police, including accounts from witnesses who said they tried to flag police about the activity of a person outside the rally moments before the shooting.

The FBI said in a news release that the situation “remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

Contributing: Stephanie Warsmith, Tim Evans, Aysha Bagchi, Jessica Guynn, Bryce Buyakie

COMMENTS

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PhD Program in Physics, The Graduate Center CUNY . c) To determine the normal frequencies, we look for the solutions to det(k!2M)=0 (22) We get!2 = k m (1cos )(23)!2 + = k m (1+cos )(24) d) Plugging the normal frequencies back into (22), we obtain, up to arbitrary normalizations: k!2
Thomas Matthew Crooks, Trump rally shooter: What we know about him
The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the person behind the assassination attempt. Agency officials released little additional information, saying its ...

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16 results in Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics

Introduction to Quantum Fields on a Lattice

Quantum Chromodynamics and the Pomeron

Knots and Feynman Diagrams

An Introduction to Chaos in Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics

Dirac Operators and Spectral Geometry

Lattice Models of Polymers

Self-Organized Criticality

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Is the Universe Open or Closed?

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Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics

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Modern Cosmology and the Dark Matter Problem

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Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks: Neighbors, classmates, employer speak

Who is the shooter at the rally?

What did Thomas Crooks do at the crime scene?

What is Crooks' background?

Where did Thomas Crooks work?

Thomas Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

At Bethel Park High School