Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Third Edition

Book Description

Physics for Scientists and Engineers combines outstanding pedagogy with a clear and direct narrative and applications that draw the reader into the physics. The new edition features an unrivaled suite of media and on-line resources that enhance the understanding of physics. Many new topics have been incorporated such as: the Otto cycle, lens combinations, three-phase alternating current, and many more. New developments and discoveries in physics have been added including the Hubble space telescope, age and inflation of the universe, and distant planets. Modern physics topics are often discussed within the framework of classical physics where appropriate. For scientists and engineers who are interested in learning physics.

Customer Reviews:

Good deal.......2005-09-15

I got a quick response to my email. Happy to do business with an organization doing some good in the community.

Outstanding.......2005-03-18

I had to use this book during my two semesters of non-calculus college physics, and my first reaction to this 1000+ page monster was mathematical FEAR. However, as I kept reading the book I realized that it explained the majority of concepts clearly even for a person with limited calculus knowledge. The book does an excellent job early on with Newton's three laws, but it gets a little confusing on statics.

The last half of the book was covered in my second semester, and it was also excellent in explaining the topics of thermodynamics, DC and RC circuits, Magnetism and Optics among others. Nevertheless, there were times when the explanation and examples of the book were not enough to answer some of the problems at the end of each chapter. Furthermore, my only complain about the book is that sometimes it uses what my instructor called "Shortcuts" in the sample problems without explaining how the author arrived to a given equation or derivation of a formula. Physics is by no means an easy subject and to do well at it you will need a great instructor and a great book - I was lucky enough to have both.

There are very few books that I keep after I take a class, but I have to say that this book is an invaluable reference that will be in my professional bookshelf for many years.

excellent book.......2004-12-28

This book is very easy to understand and fun to study from. Very helpful for beginners.

Decent but way expensive.......2004-06-16

I had to buy this book for my two general physics courses. I must say this book is the most expensive I've ever bought. This leads me to my first bad critique: this book is unnecessarily large and expensive. The book is full of useless pictures (all in vibrant expensive color), it has too many examples and 1/3 of the majority of the pages are blank. I don't recommend this book if your a poor college student. My second bad critique is that some examples aren't fully explained (particularly with the some equations). Third bad critique: some problems require knowledge that you won't find in the book. There was an instance where I ran into a problem (a double Atwood machine problem) that required knowledge of Newton's laws in non-inertial frames which the book does not provide. I managed to solve this problem with outside help but I must say I felt cheated. My last bad critique: this book has no errata yet!
Now for some good points. The authors exposition of the material is fairly straight-forward. The book is full of problems (some which overly challenging but good nevertheless), covers a great number of topics (45 chapters worth), and uses very little calculus (the majority of the problems involve highschool mathematics).

Not a very good physics book.......2004-06-04

If you're a beginner or not interested in physics stay away from this book. Its mostly geared towards people with high interest and a good reference. Otherwise, the book is very boring to read and all they do is throw formulas at you. Stay away at all costs.

A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics: Groups, Hilbert Space and Differential Geometry

Average customer rating:

A fast introduction to mathematics in physics
Jumping over the Gap
A serious, wide spectrum introduction to modern mathematical physics
Not a review, only a little more information

A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics: Groups, Hilbert Space and Differential Geometry
Peter Szekeres
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521829607

Book Description

Presenting an introduction to the mathematics of modern physics for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this textbook introduces the reader to modern mathematical thinking within a physics context. Topics covered include tensor algebra, differential geometry, topology, Lie groups and Lie algebras, distribution theory, fundamental analysis and Hilbert spaces. The book also includes exercises and proofed examples to test the students' understanding of the various concepts, as well as to extend the text's themes.

Customer Reviews:

A fast introduction to mathematics in physics.......2006-01-02

The book does not assume prior knowledge of the topics covered. However, the reader will find use of prior knowledge in algebra, in particular group theory, and topology. Compared to texts, such as Arfken Weber, Mathematical Methods for Physics, A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics is different, and emphasis is on proof and theory. The text is reasonably rigorous and build around stating theorems, giving the proofs and lemmas with occasional examples. The style is not the strictest, although making the text more reader friendly, it is easy to get confused with which assumptions have been made, and the direction of the proof. Sometimes only the "if" part is proven.

Students familiar with algebra will notice that the emphasis is on group theory, interestingly the concept of ideals is left mostly untouched. For more on representation theory a good reference is Groups Representations and Physics by H.F. Jones where solutions to some of the exercises can be found, and examples of the use of the fundamental orthogonality theorem applied to characters of represenations.

The first 6 chapters are relatively straight forward, but in chapter 7 Tensors the text becomes much more advanced and difficult. Chapter 10 on topology offers some lighter material but the reader should be careful, these consepts are to re-appear in the discussion of differential geometry, differentiable forms, integration on manifolds and curvature. These are not the most simple subjects and it is clear that they deserve entire courses of their own.

The book has insight and makes many good remarks. However, chapter 15 on Differential Geometry is perhaps too brief considering the importance of understanding this material, which is applied in the chapters thereinafter. The book is suitable for second to third year student in theoretical physics.

Jumping over the Gap.......2005-12-30

Most physicists avoid mathematical formalism, the book attacks this by exposing mathematical structures, the best approach I've ever experience. After reading the first chapter of this books I can assure is a must for everyone lacking mathematical formation undergraduate or graduate.

It surely jumps over this technical gap experienced by most physics opening the gate for advanced books an mathematical thinking with physic intuition.

Unfortunately is very expensive, i hope i could have it some day.

A serious, wide spectrum introduction to modern mathematical physics.......2005-10-10

This book covers almost every subject one needs to begin a serious graduate study in mathematical and/or theoretical physics. The language is clear, objective and the concepts are presented in a well organized and logical order. This book can be regarded as a solid preparation for further reading such as the works of Reed/Simon, Bratteli/Robinson or Nakahara.

Not a review, only a little more information.......2004-12-11

Since I don't yet have this book, I cannot review it; however, I have found the contents of this book on the publisher's web site in case it would help anyone decide to purchase it or not.

Contents

Preface
1. Sets and structures
2. Groups
3. Vector spaces
4. Linear operators and matrices
5. Inner product spaces
6. Algebras
7. Tensors
8. Exterior algebra
9. Special relativity
10. Topology
11. Measure theory and integration
12. Distributions
13. Hilbert space
14. Quantum theory
15. Differential geometry
16. Differentiable forms
17. Integration on manifolds
18. Connections and curvature
19. Lie groups and lie algebras

I will return at a later date to properly review it in case I need to change the rating I gave it.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Physics With Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Extended Version

Average customer rating:

Excellent Intro to Physics
don't bother
pedantic
An Excellent introduction to physics

Physics With Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Extended Version
Richard Wolfson , and Jay M. Pasachoff
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0321035720

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Intro to Physics.......2007-01-13

As a physics hobbyist, I've used textbooks by Halliday and Resnick, Hugh D. Young, Sanny and Moebs, Isadore Lerner, and others. Each one has a different style and appeals to different types of learners. We're fortunate to have so many to choose from. Wolfson and Pasachoff (Third Edition) develops the subject of physics more slowly and carefully compared with other textbooks, while still being comprehensive and calculus-based. It is ideal for students who find it a bit more difficult to build physical intuition on their own, but could be seen as "simplistic" by students who don't find undergraduate physics to be as challenging. Despite this, all the "meat" of physics is included, along with plenty of challenging problems at the end of each chapter. Books like Wolfson and Pasachoff are important because they tend to encourage a wider range of students to continue their studies in physics. Some of the other textbooks tend to "weed out" students who otherwise might go on to be fine scientists or engineers. So kudos to Wolfson and Pasachoff for a comprehensive yet kinder and gentler introduction to physics.

don't bother.......2004-02-23

After taking 3 semesters in college physics, I found this book to be overly simple and extremely convoluted with worthless wordiness and comparisons. The book is confusing in its style and difficult to follow when trying to learn a particular section. The books approach to physics seems to be more of a "feel good" and neither quantitative nor qualitative and lacks substance. This book simply does not take a serious nor professional approach to physics. The "got it" sections appear, for the most part, useless. They do not make any points, review any parts of the chapter nor do they provide any further enlightenment of the subject. The questions are a mixed bag. Some are vague, some ok, but most are too verbose and do not reinforce the main points. The best parts of the book are the appendices and the tables. I'm sure Dr Wolfson is more then competent, but if you're serious about physics, go with Young or Knight.

pedantic.......2000-05-15

Some people may find this physics book more friendly than, say the Berkeley Physics course textbooks, but really this uses too many words to describe the concepts, and as a result, the time involved in reading about everything is much greater than necessary, and it then does not require a comprehensive understanding of the material. Its mechanics section is unbelievably pedantic. Of course, since electricity and Magnetism is inherently more difficult to understand, the extra words are not quite so superfluous. It is not at all difficult to learn HOW to do the problems without understanding why.

An Excellent introduction to physics.......2000-04-22

This book provides simple explanations of phyical theories. It does not waste words and various subjects are clearly and succintly covered. This is in contrast to the big 2000 page door stops written by Hugh D. Young, where some simple physics takes months to understand. Most of all, this book stirs interest in the subject. I'm no physicist or mathematician, but I think I understood some things like "the rate of change of momentum is proportinal to a Force." How simple! In the author's own words, "this book builds a flexible understanding rather than a memorization of details." In college I used Young's book, and the only way I could pass in that class was by memorizing the highlighted formulas.

This is the best introduction to physics besides Lev Landau's books that I have come across. The only bad thing about this book is that answers are not provided for the questions section becasuse the answers are not numerical but require a thoughtful explanation. However, the problems section has answers to odd numbered numerical problems. It is all here in this book. Try it.

Average customer rating:

Wow. All the colours blinded me.

Excellent Textbook!

Successful textbook

Solid introduction to college physics for scientists and engineers

To learn the fundamentals of physics

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Extended Version Chapters 1-46 (with PhysicsNow and InfoTrac )
Raymond A. Serway , and John W. Jewett
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534408443

Book Description

This best-selling, calculus-based text is recognized for its carefully crafted, logical presentation of the basic concepts and principles of physics. PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS, Sixth Edition, maintains the Serway traditions of concise writing for the students, carefully thought-out problem sets and worked examples, and evolving educational pedagogy. This edition introduces a new co-author, Dr. John Jewett, at Cal Poly ? Pomona, known best for his teaching awards and his role in the recently published PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS, Third Edition, also written with Ray Serway. Providing students with the tools they need to succeed in introductory physics, the Sixth Edition of this authoritative text features unparalleled media integration and a newly enhanced supplemental package for instructors and students!

Customer Reviews:

Wow. All the colours blinded me........2007-03-30

Wow. The book was so illustrated and so colourful, I got distracted. And, boy, do they like to write...I guess it also combats illiteracy!

I foresee a crucial change in forthcoming editions: the style of the guy's pants in the elevator will go out of fashion and they will have to issue a new edition (it will cost more, however, because printing technology will allow you to see the guy in 3D).

I personally find the "features" in these American-style textbooks to be nothing but distractions. Besides, the level of physics students went down, not up, as physicists will tell you. So how are the pedagogical "features" helping? Accordingly, in truth, the level of the books went down. The reality is that they're targeting a certain niche market here, keep that in mind. Granted, this book has been around. But, for real, it's overpriced and if that is what they made you buy, well, I'm sorry. On the bright side, you could be using Halliday's, in which case you'd be even worse off. Seriously though, this book is representative of a slew of books that are full of fluff and overpriced.

If you feel adventurous, get yourself something with less colour and more math, straight out of the 70s, like Alonso and Finn, or McKelvey and Grotch. I garantee you will get to calculate the apparent weight of fishes in elevators. Besides, come to think of it, hey, all the good math and physics books from Springer and Kluwer are in black-and-white!

Excellent Textbook! .......2006-10-27

I really am impressed with this textbook. It is one of the most organized texts I have ever used in college. The authors and publisher do an excellent job of "formatting" the topics. All equations are very well marked and numbered. Many other texts throw an equation in the middle of a paragraph and you can never find it when you need it. Not so in this book! You will always find just what you are looking for.

They also do a great job of explaining the topics, with many many examples in each chapter. They provide "quick quizzes" in each chapter with answers at the end of the chapter that allows you to see how you are doing. They make liberal use of colors and illustrations which all help to ease the strain on the eye, and help the mind follow along.

Overall, VERY GOOD BOOK! This book will never leave my library reference collection.

Successful textbook.......2006-08-18

This is one of the most popular and most useful calculus based physics textbook in the market. Normally if you have a textbook and some problem books such as Thinking like a physicist, Problems for Physics Students etc and work through as many problem as you can, you shall have no problem mastering the concepts and getting A's from your class.

Solid introduction to college physics for scientists and engineers.......2006-08-03

Next to older editions of Haliday and Resnick, this is probably the best introductory physics text for "college level physics," and I have seen and used most of them after 20+ years of teaching physics. The material in this text does require previous experience with physics (high school or first term algebra-trig based general physics) plus knowledge of introductory calculus. (Limits, continuity, derivatives and integrals - first year calculus, frequently taken concurrently.) I have taught from, and used earlier versions of the text and have found them, (and this), to be good, reliable texts, with good, clear explanations and contemporary applications, with few or no complaints from students. (Physics is a dry subject for many students - this text should help make it a little more palatable, if not interesting.)

The material covered will be challenging for those who do not have the prerequisite background in mathematics, since free and frequent use of derivatives and integrals is made throughout the text, and facility with trigonometry and algebra is assumed. There's a lot of material covered in 38 chapters, from measurements and mechanics through light and optics. (The 39th chapter introduces special relativity, but is frequently skipped by many instructors, though I always present this topic since many students are fascinated by it, as well as by Einstein - thanks to PBS and Discovery specials. However, relativity is usually the first topic covered in the follow-on modern physics course.)

There are many well done diagrams, graphs, drawings and photographs to help visualize the explanations and examples. Special "blue boxes" highlight historical notes and include pictures of historical figures. Qualitative (conceptual) 'Questions' follow each chapter as well as 'Problems' (color coded by degree of difficulty), some iconed for computer/calculator numerical solution or simulation or on-line "coaching" using the free PhysicsNow web-based learning system. The reading material in each section is also complemented with 'Quick Quizzes' with answers at the end of each chapter. Many complementary example problems are worked completely in the reading and appendices are included at the end of the text for all essential mathematical techniques, including derivatives, integrals and error propagation. The back and front covers (with adjacent heavy pages) provide essential and easily accessible information on units, conversions, physical or useful constants and symbology used in the text.

The text contains no chapters on atomic or nuclear physics (Bohr atomic theory, quantum mechanics, periodic table structure, etc.) because these are topics also usually covered in a separate follow-on modern physics course for "scientists and engineers."

I rated the text 4 stars because it is divided into 39 chapters, rather than ~30, which would be more helpful, I think, for a two 15-week semester or three 10-week quarter sequence of courses in "college physics" for scientists and engineers.

To learn the fundamentals of physics.......2006-05-01

I had used Serway's textbook before the second author joined. Different editions may exhibit slight differences, but this book is very suitable for those who want to gain a solid fundamental in physics. I believe this book is intended to address freshmen and sophomores, who major in math, sciences and engineering and it executes this task very successfully. It requires knowledge of calculus for better understanding.

The chapters do not contain excessively long, boring discussions; rather, they are presented with adequate discussions. Worked-out problems are especially beneficial to understand the concepts. If one solves and understands these examples, they can attack the end-of-chapter problems more easily. The end-of-chapter problems are classified into 3 categories; standard difficulty, medium difficulty and challenging problems. Therefore, a student can make use of his time according to the level of difficulty of his course, background etc. If you little time to practice and a fair knowledge of the subject matter, you could easily start with medium level problems and try the harder ones as well.

Some chapters contain some interesting articles about everyday physical phenomena which are related to the concepts presented. Hence, the student has a chance to relate theory and life and get a more profound comprehension of physics.

Answers to odd-numbered problems are given in the back of the book, so you can check your results. Many numbers used in these problems are not hard to tackle without a calculator. A smart student can solve many problems with a pencil and paper.

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Vol. 2 (Third Edition)

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Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Vol. 2 (Third Edition)
Douglas C. Giancoli , and Giancoli
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130215198

Book Description

Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Saunders Golden Sunburst Series)

Average customer rating:

Poorly bound history book
too much history, not enough concepts
Won't be using it again...
New 2005 3rd edition is excellent for self-study
great book if you already know the material

Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Saunders Golden Sunburst Series)
Stephen T. Thornton , and Andrew Rex
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534417817

Book Description

In addition to featuring the latest discoveries, MODERN PHYSICS presents a contemporary and comprehensive approach to physics with a strong emphasis on applications. The authors discuss the experiments that led to key discoveries in order to illustrate the process behind scientific advances and to give you a historical perspective. A sound theoretical foundation in quantum theory is included to help you succeed in upper division courses.

Customer Reviews:

Poorly bound history book.......2006-10-03

The history is nice, but that's something the professor should be interjecting. Also, this book is poorly manufactured. I bought it brand new and several pages had fallen out of the binding just weeks after purchase.

too much history, not enough concepts.......2006-03-07

The authors spend far too much space devoted to history and they spend far too little time considering student conceptual understanding. There are better books on the history of modern physics and there are much better texts when dealing with modern physics concepts.

Downside
1) The problem and question sets leave much to be desired. I am hard pressed to find any question/problem that tests a student's conceptual understanding. Virtually all of the questions can be answered by skimming through the text and finding the appropriate sentences. They require little if any active thought from the students. The problem sets are for the most part simple plug-N-chug problems (there are also mathematical proofs). All most exclusively, the authors explicitly define each numerical value as opposed to describing a story or circumstance where students would have to determine this.
2) Often the key concept is lost. For example, the authors spend a great deal of space (with little explanation that students can follow) developing the Rutherford scattering equation. To me, the key issue is that the plum pudding model can not predict the large scattering angles observed in Rutherford's experiments and if one wishes to theoretically model the experimental results one requires a nucleus.
3) History stressed over physics. Great discoveries from the Cavendish Lab bear 2 pages with a neat table mentioning the discoveries and the Nobel prizes. Fourier Series and Gaussians (both later used to describe waves and wavefunctions) bears 1/3 of a page total.

Upside
1) I suppose its better than no text at all.

Won't be using it again..........2005-12-08

I just finished a Modern Physics course using this book and was not happy with it at all. The exposition is less than clear in many places and the problem set is sub-standard in my opinion. Some sections were so poor that I found myself searching through other texts for a better treatment of the subject. That was when I stumbled upon a 1981 version of "Concepts of Modern Physics" by Arthur Beiser. To my dismay, Thornton's text seems to be a cheap knock-off of this much older (and better) text. Or, perhaps it's just a case of most Modern Physics texts being very similar. All I know is I won't be using this text again.

New 2005 3rd edition is excellent for self-study.......2005-07-15

I'm about to finish the on-line course taught by one of the authors, Steve Thornton (University of Virginia).

The book lends itself to self-study and the 3rd edition is partly the result of Dr. Thornton's teaching an on-line course for several summers. Many of the students are traditional physics and engineering undergraduates, but many others are career high school physics teachers that give Dr. Thornton feedback from a teacher's viewpoint.

The publishers publish a Student Solutions Manual which shows worked out solutions for about 25% of the problems which I recommend. Answers to many other end-of-chapter problems are listed (without explanation) in the back of the text book. Dr. Thornton's course web site has additional worked out problems, streaming mini-lectures, syllabus, and simulations -- see .modern.physics.virginia.edu. There's also a Yahoo discussion group, "modern_physics" for the course (you have to be a student in the course to actually post questions).

Many of the end-of-chapter problems have a simple "twist" to them that requires some thought; you can't just mindlessly "plug and chug" your way through equations.

Previous reviewers have panned earlier editions for allegedly sloppy editing and errors. I've worked probably 200 examples and end-of-chapter problems and caught zero typos. The web site's errata page for the 3rd edition shows just 2 typos. That's about as tight an editing job as I've seen in any large science or engineering textbook.

This book can be used by any smart student that's had freshman physics and calculus. Where multivariable calculus or differential equations are needed, the authors walk readers through the mathematical calculations more thoroughly and with greater explanation.

I highly recommend the book, the solutions manual and the on-line course.

great book if you already know the material.......2002-04-15

Andy Rex, one of the text's authors, was in my Physics Department when I attended the University of Puget Sound, so I naturally used this textbook when I took Modern Physics (taught by another professor). The book is not good for students who are in the process of learning the material it presents for the first time. It is history- and derivation-heavy, but nearly devoid of analysis and ignores "the big picture." It was a wonderful reference when I was doing graduate work -- I already had a very solid background in Calculus, dimensional analysis, Quantum Mechanics, and so forth -- but it is not a good textbook if you are learning the material for the first time.

Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

A decent introductory textbook
Good book for the non-scientist
Too much filler, too little content
In amazing Physics' world, an amazing book!

Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Second Edition
John Taylor , Chris Zafiratos , and Michael A. Dubson
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 013805715X

Book Description

Refreshingly contemporary, this beginning-level introduction to modern physics covers all the important topics of relativity, quantum mechanics, systems with two or more atoms, and subatomic physics—but does so in a manner that won't overwhelm readers who are new to the subject. Explanations of concepts are exceptionally readable (often enlivened with humor), and an abundance of high-quality worked examples and practice problems give readers the hands-on practice necessary to master applications. The Space and Time of Relativity. Relativistic Mechanics. Atoms. Quantization of Light. Quantization of Atomic Energy Levels. Matter Waves. The Schrödinger Equation in One Dimension. The Three-Dimensional Schrödinger Equation. Electron Spin. Multielectron Atoms; the Pauli Principle and the Periodic Table. Atomic Transitions and Radiation. Molecules. Solids—Theory. Solids—Applications. Statistical Mechanics. The Structure of Atomic Nuclei. Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions. Elementary Particles. For anyone needing an introduction to, or refresher of, modern physics.

Customer Reviews:

A decent introductory textbook.......2006-07-31

I used Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers for a sophomore-level modern physics course in an engineering curriculum. I liked the textbook. The authors' approach seemed to stress the experimental bases for modern theories of relativity and of atomic theory/quantum mechanics. I really preferred this approach to that of other textbooks -- postulating the governing laws of each and then proceeding to derive their consequences -- because it made the subjects less abstract.

While another reviewer has criticized the book's figures and its end-of-chapter exercises, I found the figures that present experimental data very helpful, and I thought the exercises were just fine -- many prompted the reader to work through derivations rather than to perform "plug-and-chug" computations. In addition, I enjoyed reading the biographical vignettes about historically important scientists that dot the book's chapters, although some readers might find these a bit corny, or a bit distracting.

While other textbooks treat relativity and quantum mechanics in a more detailed and sophisticated way, I think this book covers those topics adequately, with a level of depth and with mathematics (i.e. vector calculus and differential equations) appropriate for an undergraduate in engineering or the physical sciences.

Good book for the non-scientist.......2004-11-29

This book is good if you want to know the general concepts of modern physics without going through all of the work to get there. Results are presented, but the way in which they are reached is far from rigorous. Also, the exercises in the book are entirely unchallenging. While this book is good for the layman, if you want to actually understand modern physics look elsewhere.

Too much filler, too little content.......2002-06-25

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who already owns an introductory physics text such as Halliday and Resnick or the Feynman Lectures...the quantity of material beyond the scope of those books is very disappointing. The authors seem more interested in pretty pictures and impressive graphs than content. The only chapter I found useful was the chapter on nuclear physics. If you can find this book used for a bargain, it might be worth the money, but at the full price, purchase at your own risk.

In amazing Physics' world, an amazing book!.......1998-11-27

A clear, historical and contamporary book

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, with Modern Physics

Average customer rating:

Good, but not perfect

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, with Modern Physics
Raymond A. Serway
Manufacturer: Thomson Brooks/Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534409490

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not perfect.......2004-05-17

For my undergrad calculus based physics classes, I studied in books by three different authors: Serway, Halliday-Resnick and Tippler. Even though the contents and explanations are about the same, the great feature about Serway is that it usually provides more examples than Halliday-Resnick and Tippler.
I do not think that Serway differs significantly from the books that are used most often in universities. No book will give you an A+ without spending some. My advice is that you should study from different physics books to prepare yourself as best as possible for a test or a quiz. Yet, I cannot dismiss that Serway has done a great job compiling all the topics and providing excellent examples and illustrations. If you are interested to learn undergrad physics, Serway, Halliday-Resnick and Tippler are the way to go. Choose the book whose cover picture is the one that you like.

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Volume 2: Electricity, Magnetism, Light, and Elementary Modern Physics (Physics for Scientists and Engineers)

Average customer rating:

Decent text, unacceptable number of solutions errors

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Volume 2: Electricity, Magnetism, Light, and Elementary Modern Physics (Physics for Scientists and Engineers)
Paul A. Tipler , and Gene Mosca
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0716708108

Customer Reviews:

Decent text, unacceptable number of solutions errors.......2006-11-10

The text is fairly straightforward and example problems are very helpful. The multitude of end-of-chapter problems are helpful as well, but the problem solutions in the back of the book have a particularly high number of errors. With most science texts, one might expect an error here or there, generally one or two errors per book, but in this book I find one or two (sometimes more) errors per chapter. Of course, I'm talking about solutions; I haven't discovered any errors in the text itself. My other qualm is that the end-of-chapter equations list excludes some important equations, requiring unnecessary digging back through the chapter.

I give this book three stars, though, because the quality of text is good; if it weren't for the solutions errors, I'd give it four stars. Among the physics books I've used in this and previous classes, this book is the easiest to learn from. Buy it used, wait for a new edition, or be sure you have a professor who realizes what the errors are.

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