The Manga Guide to Physics

マンガでわかる [Manga de Wakaru]

by Hideo Nitta, Keita Takatsu, Trend-Pro Co. Ltd.

Megumi is an all-star athlete, but she's a failure when it comes to physics class. And she can't concentrate on her tennis matches when she's worried about the questions she missed on the big test! Luckily for her, she befriends Ryota, a patient physics geek who uses real-world examples to help her understand classical mechanics-and improve her tennis game in the process!

In The Manga Guide to Physics, you'll follow alongside Megumi as she learns about the physics of everyday objects like roller skates, slingshots, braking cars, and tennis serves. In no time, you'll master tough concepts like momentum and impulse, parabolic motion, and the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.You'll also learn how to:


Apply Newton's three laws of motion to real-life problems Determine how objects will move after a collision Draw vector diagrams and simplify complex problems using trigonometry Calculate how an object's kinetic energy changes as its potential energy increases If you're mystified by the basics of physics or you just need a refresher, The Manga Guide to Physics will get you up to speed in a lively, quirky, and practical way.

Genres: Science, Manga, Physics, Nonfiction, Comics, Stem, Education

248 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2006

About the author

新田英雄

Reviews

[Eric Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Manga Guide has more of a story than the electricity one, but less than the calculus one. The style is very wacky - like a comedy manga and it reminds me a lot of Azumanga Daioh with all the digressions, daydreams, and general surrealism. It does a good job explaining physics, especially if you're learning physics without calculus. Like many other books in this series, it uses real world examples (primarily tennis in this book) to explain the principles and why a student should bother learning physics if they aren't going to become an engineer or scientist.

[Maha Aoki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. It made a subject that I look at as pure torture in a way that I can understand. Through demos, Megu learns from Ryota the physics of a tennis game that she wants to win so bad.
Concepts such as momentum, energy, work, Newton's laws of motions, velocity and much more was clarified for me. I'm so glad I read this.
I got this from a library, but I just might buy it for future reference.

Definitely recommend!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this idea- using the graphic novel format to teach complex topics. I've been following the rise of the non-fiction graphic novel very closely. I think they are brilliant teaching tools. They can reach students who might otherwise be struggling.

[Eddie B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it really seems that this is the year I close my cold cases. I would have thought that I've started this book decades ago, but good old Goodreads is telling me that it was August 2017. So, this is not exactly a good review. I think I got some parts but some other parts (I kept skipping all those terrifying pages with no art and all equations) needed a simpler explanation from the author or a better background from the reader. I'd better try again with another manga guide and hopefully read it in less than eight years.

[Daken Howlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Semplice da comprendere ed estremamente interessante...avrei voluto averlo a portata di mano ai tempi del liceo...

[Stefano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatto piuttosto bene, con una storia simpatica e tutto il necessario sulla meccanica di base (avrei intitolato "Meccanica" e non "Fisica").

[Claire Binkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have liked to have kept this longer, but it's a library book. Maybe in the future I can look at it again with more care. I like the subject. I thought the FMC looked a little like CLAMP's Angelic Layer's MC, Misaki, and I had watched that anime a couple times.

Also, I thought the book brought a challenging subject slightly more levity. It has warnings whenever there are moments the reader needs to use Calculus (which I honestly have struggled through several times and may possibly continue to do)...

So please take a look at this book. You may be surprised at what you may find.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this book in hopes of suggesting it to read for my 9th/10th grad physics students. I thought the characters/drawings would be appealing. But I actually found the contents of the book more suitable for my 11th/12th grade physics students. It went into good depth and exploration of mechanics physics topics. This is a good supplemental text for late-High School or Physics 1 in college.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good coverage of mechanics physics topics (without calculus). Fun style with an embedded story to keep students reading.

[Julie-anne Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for your nerdy kids into science it’s more upper secondary science but it’s a fun way to develop and interest and understanding of the science concepts.

[Abigail Rossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to get you to fall asleep

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun learning book for Physics, but hardly a textbook.

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many genres of Japanese comics that it doesn't come as a surprise that there's a series dedicated to teaching subjects that are normally taught in schools.

The Manga Guide to Physics is a great introduction to physics. It has a very simple but entertaining storyline, one about the lead Megumi trying to learn physics so that she can defeat her opponent in a tennis match. Compared to thick physics textbooks, it's certainly a more interesting way to learn physics.

The different concepts of physics are explained and illustrated by using real life examples. You get to learn about how forces work in a tennis match, the safety distance to keep while driving a car, how to get yourself back to the space shuttle using just a wrench, etc. The situations are not too complex, but always towards explaining a certain concept, and does so effectively.

There are four chapters, namely Law of Action and Reaction, Force and Motion, Momentum and Energy. The content is presented one part in manga format, and after each chapter a summary which is more technical in text format with diagrams.

This is a helpful and engaging teaching tool, one that successfully tackles a seemingly intimidating and dense subject as physics. I showed the book to my colleague who used to be a physics teacher and he was very impressed.

This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in learning physics.

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting Manga-style book that teaches some of the basic concepts of classical physics.

At the beginning, one character has just been defeated in a game of tennis while being bothered by the physics involved in tennis. Another character offers to coach her in physics, so that she can defeat her opponent the next time they meet.

Beginning with Newton's Third Law (action and reaction), they move on Newton's Second and First Laws (on force, mass and inertia) and tie that in to momentum and energy. Having learned them, she is now ready to use physics in the tennis match against her opponent.

The graphics attempt to explain what Newton's Laws mean and how they work and mostly succeed. But it probably better for the reader to be already familiar with the laws and treat this book as giving them a deeper and more practical appreciation of how the laws work.

Boxes with more detailed understanding of the physical laws are provided and the end of the chapters.

[Anand Mandapati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun way to re-learn the basics of physics (specifically statics and dynamics). I wanted a refresher after not having done anything with this stuff since college more than a quarter century ago. The book has a very weak, but sufficient, story to drive the teaching along. It covers Newton's three laws of motion, the basics of vectors and scalars, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum, impulse, and kinetic and potential energy. I wish it had also covered angular momentum but it's not too hard to figure out on your own with the material in this book. You do need to be decent at algebra to read this book and it has some calculus though they warn you about it and you could consider it optional if you wish to skip it. This was better than reading about the material in a more dry, but comprehensive text.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neanche un miracolo riuscirebbe a far sì che la sottoscritta capisse qualcosa di fisica...

È un preambolo necessario questo. Perché Soobie, cucciola, appena vede formule e numeri va in confusione. Il suo cervello non è fatto per questo cose.

Quindi, sì, per un po' sono riuscita vagamente a seguire le spiegazioni sulle leggi di Newton. Poi dal mio cervello sono uscite i proverbiali sbuffi di fumo e mi son limitata a seguire la storiella della protagonista e del suo insegnante di fisica. Ma è sempre lui che insegna qualcosa a lei? Mai il contrario. Soliti maschilisti!!

Va beh, ormai ci ho preso gusto. Leggerò anche gli altri. Appena mi arriveranno.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a "manga guide." While there was a lot of information in the manga, there was a lot of pages that made me think "text book." The pictures were helpful and the manga helpful for the concepts, but for actually using the concepts for anything, you gotta rely on the "text book" pages.

And honestly, I found the muscle-men kinda creepy... No face. Just muscles. ...*shudder*

[Yoki · Rating 5 out of 5]

i did not finish reaiding it

but it is fun and relate physics to real life (specially sport yay :) )

and after the manga they give you more informations in details

the manga drawing is good and the story teller are good and fun

they even copied sherlock holmes and watson lol

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acabei pegando junto com o de dinâmica dos fluidos :3
Uma pena que o capítulo de movimento circular e sistemas não inerciais não coube no mangá. Queria muito ter visto como ia ficar.

(li a versão em português)

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It rocks. That's all I can say. Anything that introduces physics to kids in a fun way is awesome. And it's just as good as it looks.

[De Stewart-otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that has my daughter absorbed in physics for three hours on a Saturday afternoon ranks at least four stars with me.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it, I skipped the textbooks sections ><. A very instructive comic though!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little childish, but still more fun then trying to read an actual physics book over the summer

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to start learning about physics

[Andrew Semrau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job of explaining physics, without ever boring the reader.

[Mills College Library]

530 N733 2009

[Houy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book magically changed my perspective of Physics :)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and I learned a lot thoroughly enjoyed !!

[Paweł]

.

[JacesLaces · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a lil silly… I didn’t do the science problems after each lesson.