Understanding Physics (PDF)

Understanding Physics - Second edition is acomprehensive, yet compact, introductory physics textbook aimed atphysics undergraduates and also at engineers and other scientiststaking a general physics course. Written with today's students inmind, this text covers the core material required by anintroductory course in a clear and refreshing way. A second colouris used throughout to enhance learning and understanding. Eachtopic is introduced from first principles so that the text issuitable for students without a prior background in physics. At thesame time the book is designed to enable students to proceed easilyto subsequent courses in physics and may be used to support suchcourses.

Mathematical methods (in particular, calculus and vectoranalysis) are introduced within the text as the need arises and arepresented in the context of the physical problems which they areused to analyse. Particular aims of the book are to demonstrate tostudents that the easiest, most concise and least ambiguous way toexpress and describe phenomena in physics is by using the languageof mathematics and that, at this level, the total amount ofmathematics required is neither large nor particularlydemanding.

'Modern physics' topics (relativity and quantum mechanics) areintroduced at an earlier stage than is usually found inintroductory textbooks and are integrated with the more 'classical'material from which they have evolved. This book encouragesstudents to develop an intuition for relativistic and quantumconcepts at as early a stage as is practicable.

The text takes a reflective approach towards the scientificmethod at all stages and, in keeping with the title of the text,emphasis is placed on understanding of, and insight into, thematerial presented.