The Physics Problem Solver (Problem Solvers Solution Guides) [Paperback]

Joseph Molitoris (Author), Staff of Research and Education Association (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0878915079 | ISBN-13: 978-0878915071 | Publication Date: December 31, 1978 | Edition: Revised

The Problem Solvers are an exceptional series of books that are thorough, unusually well-organized, and structured in such a way that they can be used with any text. No other series of study and solution guides has come close to the Problem Solvers in usefulness, quality, and effectiveness. Educators consider the Problem Solvers the most effective series of study aids on the market. Students regard them as most helpful for their school work and studies. With these books, students do not merely memorize the subject matter, they really get to understand it. Each Problem Solver is over 1,000 pages, yet each saves hours of time in studying and finding solutions to problems. These solutions are worked out in step-by-step detail, thoroughly and clearly. Each book is fully indexed for locating specific problems rapidly. Comprehensive problems for topics covered by Physics I to IV, including statics, dynamics, heat, electricity and magnetism, wave motion, acoustics, optics, and atomic and nuclear physics. Numerous pictorial diagrams are included with complete illustrative explanations. Problem-solving strategies are included at the beginning of every chapter for each topic covered.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

REA’s Problem Solvers is a series of useful, practical, and informative study guides. Each title in the series is complete step-by-step solution guide. The Physics Problem Solver enables students to solve difficult problems by showing them step-by-step solutions to Physics problems.

The Problem Solvers cover material ranging from the elementary to the advanced and make excellent review books and textbook companions.

The Physics Problem Solver is the perfect resource for any class, any exam, and any problem!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book can be an invaluable aid to physics students as a supplement to their textbooks. The book is subdivided into 37 chapters, each dealingwith a separate topic. The subject matter is developed beginning with fundamental concepts of vector quantities and extending through all major fields currently studied in physics. For students in science and engineering, advanced problems and solution techniques have been included.

Each chapter in the book starts with a section titled "Basic Attacks and Strategies for Solving Problems in this Chapter." This section explains the principles which are applicable to the topics in the chapter. By reviewing these principles, students can acquire a good grasp of the underlyingtechniques and strategies through which problems related to the chapter may be solved.

HOW TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND
A TOPIC THOROUGHLY

1. Refer to your class text and read the section pertaining to the topic. You should become acquainted with the principles discussed there. These principles, however, may not be clear to you at the time.

2. Then locate the topic you are looking for by referring to the"Table of Contents" in the front of this book.

3. Turn to the page where the topic begins and review the problems under each topic, in the order given. For each topic, the problems are arranged in order of complexity, from the simplest to the more difficult. Some problems may appear similar to others, but each problem has been selected to illustrate a different point or solution method.

To learn and understand a topic thoroughly and retain its contents, it will be generally necessary for students to review the problems several times. Repeated review is essential in order to gain experience in recognizing the principles that should be applied, and to select the best solution technique.

HOW TO FIND A PARTICULAR PROBLEM

To locate one or more problems related to particular subject matter, refer to the index. In using the index, be certain to note that the numbers given there refer to problem numbers, not to page numbers. This arrangement of the index is intended to facilitate finding a problem more rapidly, since two or more problems may appear on a page.

If a particular type of problem cannot be found readily, it is recommended that the student refer to the "Table of Contents," and then turn to the chapter which is applicable to the problem being sought. By scanning or glancing at the material that is boxed, it will generally be possible to find problems related to the one being sought, without consuming considerable time. After the problems have been located, the solutions can be reviewed and studied in detail.

For the purpose of locating problems rapidly, students shouldacquaint themselves with the organization of the book as found in the "Table of Contents."

In preparing for an exam, it is useful to find the topics to be covered in the exam from the "Table of Contents," and then review the problems under those topics several times. This should equip the student with what might be needed for the exam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1200 pages
• Publisher: Research & Education Association; Revised edition (December 31, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878915079
• ISBN-13: 978-0878915071
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.7 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for physics students!, September 1, 2001

By 

"ujjs" (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Physics Problem Solver (Problem Solvers Solution Guides) (Paperback)

I thought the Physics Problem Solver was nothing less of miraculous! I'm a student who is learning on his own, so it often helps that after I learn a subject in physics from the book I'm using (Resnick & Halliday) I want more problems to make sure I know the material - this book fits the bill so excellently! Problems on every undergraduate aspect of physics that you can think of - starts each section with easy problems to get you into it and then gradually gets harder until an understanding of calculus is required.
In short, I think this book is excellent and I would recommend it to any physics student.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially good for AP Physics and Intro. College courses, July 27, 2002

By 

J. D. Lowrey (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Physics Problem Solver (Problem Solvers Solution Guides) (Paperback)

As a physics and astronomy major in college, I wanted to say how much this book helped me in the years past. This book is undoubtedly the BEST textbook "supplement" that a student in AP Physics (B or C) or a beginning physics major can have! This Problem Solver is exactly what it says it is - a book full of physics problems worked out in detailed solutions. All too often I hear people complain that these books are not very helpful because they're not organized better, etc. But that's nonsense! If you're in one of the above-mentioned courses and it's late one night and you're stuck on a homework problem...there's a VERY GOOD chance that there's a problem in this book that you can use to work through the solution. This book should not be used as a study guide, but as a reference source for anywhere from beginning to more advanced problems. The wide range of difficulty level is the best reason to have this book because rarely do textbooks have examples that are difficult. Textbooks like to show "easy" examples in then the student gets stuck on the more challenging homework assignments and exams. This book is well worth the money!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Supplementary Practice, but that is it., December 23, 2002

By 

"soreloser" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Physics Problem Solver (Problem Solvers Solution Guides) (Paperback)

I am currently an engineering student, but I bought this book back in my highschool days for an AP Physics C class. I'd like to say that this book covers about every topic you can possibly imagine in physics at the introductory level. But even so, I'd rate it as just average. It may have some good interesting problems, but not many will find it worth the money. You may not even use more than a tenth of the book.

First of all, I dislike the layout of the book. The text is some courier font which makes it very difficult to read and thus difficult looking. The book is divided into chapters based on topic. The topics are pretty specific: Kinematics, Dynamics, Statics, etc. It starts out the chapter by 'trying' to teach you about that subject, but it fails entirely. The problems start out as easy as F = ma, but then suddenly jumps to extreme difficulty. I topped physics back in highschool and aced the APs, but I still found many of the problems extremely challenging. Just be warned that you had better be good in physics and also guessing as the solutions are also often anything but clear. It jumps around assuming you know whatever they are doing. Most of my friends who have borrowed the book have been unable to utilize it at all due to its difficulty.

In conclusion, if you are above average to excellent in physics, have nothing better to do, then you may want to just pick up this book as an extra supplement to challenge yourself or learn new methods in doing things. It maybe more useful in college where they split physics into more specific courses like dynamics, statics, electric circuits, etc. But by that time this book would be insufficient anyways. I just don't know what market the publishers were publishing for, as it is generally AP irrelevant, GCE irrelevant, and either too easy or too hard.