College Physics [Hardcover]

Jerry D. Wilson (Author), Anthony J. Buffa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0130676446 | ISBN-13: 978-0130676443 | Edition: 5

This reader-friendly book presents the fundamental principles of physics in a clear and concise manner. Emphasizing conceptual understanding as the basis for mastering a variety of problem-solving tools, it provides a wide range of relevant applications and illustrative examples. This book discusses mechanics, thermodynamics, oscillations and wave motion, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics. For anyone wishing to learn more about the fundamentals of physics and how physical principles apply to a variety of real-world situations, devices, and topics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This clearly-written, student-friendly text has achieved wide popularity because of its strong pedagogical orientation. The text: carefully developes problem-solving skills by means of unusually thorough step-by-step explantions of its worked examples; emphasizes conceptual understanding, reinforced by numerous Conceptual Examples; includes an abundance of real-world applications that sustain student interest and insight; features a concise treatment that focuses on the essential core material, with a minimum of digressions, superfluous features, etc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

This reader-friendly book presents the fundamental principles of physics in a clear and concise manner. Emphasizing conceptual understanding as the basis for mastering a variety of problem-solving tools, it provides a wide range of relevant applications and illustrative examples. This book discusses mechanics, thermodynamics, oscillations and wave motion, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics. For anyone wishing to learn more about the fundamentals of physics and how physical principles apply to a variety of real-world situations, devices, and topics.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1040 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (July 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130676446
• ISBN-13: 978-0130676443
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good start for studying physics, March 2, 2001

By 

Student in California (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: College Physics (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

For someone looking to get an overview of basic physics, this book is great. The problems in the back of each chapter start out easy then become more and more challenging. In several chapters there are photos of some physics instructors doing experiments we all want to do; one of the best is an experiment where someone is sitting in a chair holding a very large CO2 fire extinguisher and... rockets off! It does a very good job of explaining Newton's laws. (every action has an equal and opposite reaction) If you purchase this text, make sure to get the associated study guide. It not only provides a review of each chapter, it goes through step by step problem solving on slected odd numbered problems. The only caveat is that some of the wording is vague; there was an attempt to explain physics without calculus. As a result, some subjects must be taken on faith. If life sciences is your major then this text does a great job of explaining physics.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Algebra Based Physics Text, December 29, 2002

By 

MDtoMD "book addict" (Warren, Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: College Physics (Hardcover)

Physics is a difficult subject. This text does an admirable job of making a difficult subject easier.

There are advantages and disadvantages to disallowing the writer to use calculus in writing the material. Some formulas require calculus to derive and so must be either taken on faith as true, or the derivations looked up in a calculus based test. Fortunately the times when this issue comes up are few enough to not seriously hamper the flow of the book.

This book may be read as a first book on Physics. I strongly recommend the book Conceptual Physics by Hewitt for a running start at the subject.

Members of the lay public interested in physics may read both of these texts, as they are at introductory level and contains material on classical as well as modern physics.

The units are in SI ( metric ) which simplifies the math.

The Wilson and Buffa text has Color photos of natural phenomenon and situations that illustrate the physics under discussion. There examples are intermixed throughout showing how to work problems involving the principles involved.

I believe this book is an important part of a well rounded education. Physics is NOT an easy topic. If it were, then Newton would have developed theories on relativity and gravity waves. This book does what it was designed to do, that is assist beginners in starting their journey.

I read the book. I found it to be fun.

Katherine Rogers
Yes, Real girls do physics.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Easy to Understand, August 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: College Physics, Volume 2 (4th Edition) (Paperback)

One of this book's authors is a professor at my university. While he himself did not teach my physics class, he definitely conveyed our school's philosophy of "learn by doing" through the use of numerous pictures, diagrams, and straightforward exercises at the end of each chapter. I thought the book explains the general ideas and concepts of physics very well, without requiring a calculus background to understand the material.