Physics Book

Potency

Hey,
I'm looking for a good physics book just to learn a bit of physics out of interest. At the moment I'm in transition year, and going to do physics for the leaving (hoping to get a start too). I had a look at physics for dummies and it really looks complicated. I know the complex looking equations and whatnot may be explained but I'd imagine some concepts would be hard for me to grasp. Is there any books you would recommend that would help me to get a start? Thanks

Evan93

Well, you could get the leaving cert textbook which is Real World Physics, it's a great book with loads of explanation. You could also buy the rapid revision book which will have everything more or less simplified down and it's cheaper.


You could also download the syllabus and search wikipedia just to get an outline of what's involved in the course.

Exam papers could give you an insight to what's on the course but they would probably not make a lot of sense since you have no knowledge of the course yet.

Good luck.

H2student

I would not recommend rapid revision for Physics I think it is inferior to revise wise physics and again that is inferior to Exam Edge(which is written by the author of Real World Physics). Plus it was published a month ago so it tells you what formulae you have to learn what you don't have to because of the new log tables.

I agree that you should get the lc textbook since you're going to do it anyway, it'll save you money buying another book that is probably irrelevant to the LC and Real World Physics is pretty basic and easy to follow.

BL1993

I doubt you are going to start studying the subject intensively or get much done between now and the new school year so why not check out this site:

http://www.thephysicsteacher.ie/leavingcertphysicshome.html

It contains a summaries of all the chapters on the Physics course for the LC. It will allow you to get an insight of what you will be doing over the next two years and it will allow you to start getting your head around the course as a whole and discover what you need to know for your LC.

Hope that helps.

RexMundi

If you are doing it out of interest, don't get a LC book. Leaving Cert physics is not exactly the most scintillating read...

Richard Feynman's "6 Easy Pieces" (excerpts from his lectures which are brilliant)
Hawkings "A Brief History of Time"
Richard A Muller's "Physics for Future Presidents"

are all very good and accessible.

Also I've just bought Michio Kaku's "Physics Impossible" about which I have heard many good things. I haven't read it so I won't give it a personal endorsement but from all accounts it is very interesting.

Making It Bad

RexMundi wrote: »

If you are doing it out of interest, don't get a LC book. Leaving Cert physics is not exactly the most scintillating read...

Richard Feynman's "6 Easy Pieces" (excerpts from his lectures which are brilliant)
Hawkings "A Brief History of Time"
Richard A Muller's "Physics for Future Presidents"

are all very good and accessible.

Also I've just bought Michio Kaku's "Physics Impossible" about which I have heard many good things. I haven't read it so I won't give it a personal endorsement but from all accounts it is very interesting.

Yep, you'll only be bored with a LC physics book. This way it will be interesting and educational.

Appleguy

Fundamentals of Physics Halliday Resnick and Walker. Does LC stuff and a couple of years of college stuff too.


http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Physics-David-Halliday/dp/0471105589