Bad Physics Textbook

[whartonmd]

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My professor is requesting us to buy a College Physics 9th edition textbook (linked below). Have any of you used this book? I read some bad reviews about this book so trying to figure out if its worth it to buy. Is there any physics book that is recommended by former physic students that will help teach the fundamentals and show step by step example problems that will be helpful in learning concepts?


http://www.amazon.com/College-Physics-Volume-Raymond-Serway/dp/0840068484/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

[moneytree]

You might have to buy the book anyway if you have problems assigned out of it.

Check out Professor Lewin's lectures on MIT Open Courseware. I didn't need a book after watching those. He's the best.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bangersandmash]

I was required to buy that book for physics. Bought the full version. Used it for Physics I because my professor was horrendous, didn't need it for physics II. It really isn't helpful if your professor is good and most of the problems in the book were well beyond the difficulty of my tests.

 

[kalbrecht17]

I was required to buy that book for physics. Bought the full version. Used it for Physics I because my professor was horrendous, didn't need it for physics II. It really isn't helpful if your professor is good and most of the problems in the book were well beyond the difficulty of my tests.

you are lucky. my teacher pulled problems specifically from the text so that he made sure we were doing them. made for some very difficult tests.

 

[DietSexy5000]

His sixth edition (http://www.amazon.com/College-Physi...=1344440746&sr=1-1&keywords=serway+and+faughn) is significantly better. This newest one, I feel, regressed a lot. If you want the best intro physics book, albeit it uses calculus, check out fundamentals of physics. Great conceptual and mathematical coverage (http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-...1-7&keywords=fundamentals+of+physics+halliday)

 

[unnamedlord]

I never needed a physics book apart for hw problems assigned from book. Physics is about understanding and if you can't do that for general physics then there are plenty of sources around such as khanacademy.org . For courses such as Quantum theory, it is hard to understand the book without listening to the prof anyways.

 

[shaq93]

I used that book last year and didnt have any problems with it......

 

[SpaceHamsterBoo]

His sixth edition (http://www.amazon.com/College-Physi...=1344440746&sr=1-1&keywords=serway+and+faughn) is significantly better. This newest one, I feel, regressed a lot. If you want the best intro physics book, albeit it uses calculus, check out fundamentals of physics. Great conceptual and mathematical coverage (http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-...1-7&keywords=fundamentals+of+physics+halliday)

+1 for halliday and resnick.

I used this in place of the alg. physics textbook for my course and my teacher gave me a nod of affirmation

 

[MossyFiber]

I used it, I liked it. I'm a mathy person that was taking more basic physics classes (physics for premeds lol) so the extra detail in the book helped me to not be bored out of my skull even though it wasn't tested on the exam. The examples in the book were a lot more involved than what we had to know for the class.