Physics for Scientists and Engineers Third Edition

Abstract

There are a large number of textbooks for the college and university student produced in the USA and here is one that I had not seen before even though it is now in the third edition. But it is so similar to many others. The standard version as reviewed here covers the usual topics of classical physics, namely kinematics, energy, waves and oscillations, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism and light. Also, as is usual with the American coverage, it includes fluids, special relativity and a short chapter on quantum theory and the atom. An extended version is available covering modern physics, astrophysics and cosmology. There is also available back-up material such as instructor's manual, CD-ROM, video and other extra teaching materialFull colour is used and the book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams and photographs. Calculus is used throughout the book, although this is limited to basic differentiation and integration. There is an extensive range of worked examples plus end-of-chapter questions and problems, with numerical answers given to the odd-numbered problems. The physics is illustrated with many everyday examples.The styles of course presentation and hence the styles of book used in the USA and the UK seem to be diverging. It is unlikely such a book as this would be used at A-level. This is not only because of the calculus, albeit simple, but because of the detailed coverage of classical topics. Increasingly there has been a trend in this country to be more selective in content, and yet at the same time to incorporate more modern topics such as solids, environmental and atmospheric physics, particle physics and cosmology, but described in a fairly elementary way. The book would be suitable for preliminary year and first-year university physics courses but its size and weight are daunting. I am not sure why physics described in such an encyclopaedic way is popular in the US but less so here. However, of its type this book is both attractive and comprehensive.David Lovett