General Physics

by Morton M. Sternheim, Joseph W. Kane

Introduces physics to science students with a wide range of interests. Unlike many other physics texts, the coverage and emphasis here is influenced by the specific needs of science majors, including those in the life sciences, and thus treats topics such as geometric optics, mechanics of fluids and acoustics. The derivative is introduced in Chapter One and integrals are used sparingly until electricity and magnetism are covered. Entire chapters are devoted to applications of physics covering subjects such as nerve conduction, ionizing radiation and nuclear magnetic resonance, demonstrating the widespread utility of physics and the unity of science. To aid in comprehension, calculations involving calculus are carried out with a good deal of detail and discussion. Each chapter features a checklist of terms to define or explain as well as problems and exercises. Additional problems and exercises are located in the Supplementary Topics section.

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Jimyanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This textbook is a very thorough overview of basic physics; it covers a lot of ground and has a great many review questions at the end of each chapter for the student to use to measure their understanding of the material. It is, therefore, a perfectly adequate and possibly even better-than-adequate text for the subject. It does not, however, make much of any effort to resist devolving into impenetrable jargon after the first few chapters, so it becomes progressively more difficult to follow as it moves along. I would only rate a text 5 stars if it actually made an effort to be accessable to a student who was not prepared to deal with specialized terminology after being told once what the term meant.