Physics for Absolute Beginners
TLDRThe video script discusses the challenges of self-studying physics, a subject notorious for its difficulty. The speaker shares their personal struggles with the subject and then offers a comprehensive list of recommended books for those looking to learn physics independently. The books highlighted range from foundational texts like 'Physics by Giancoli', which is praised for its thorough content and solutions to odd-numbered problems, to more specialized volumes such as 'Feynman Lectures on Physics' known for its in-depth explanations by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman. The script emphasizes the importance of practice and understanding of calculus when studying physics. It also recommends 'College Physics' for beginners and 'Conceptual Physics' for those with little math background. The speaker encourages viewers to engage with the content and share their experiences in the comments section, fostering a community of learners.
Takeaways
- 📚 **Mastering Physics**: The speaker emphasizes that physics is a challenging subject and shares personal experiences of feeling lost and confused while learning it.
- 📚 **Book Recommendations**: The video provides a list of books that can be used to learn physics independently, with varying levels of prerequisite knowledge.
- 📚 **Prereq Knowledge**: Some books require knowledge of calculus, but there are options that do not, making them accessible to a wider audience.
- 📚 **Learning Calculus**: It is suggested that learning calculus is beneficial for a deeper understanding of physics, even if it's not a prerequisite for all books.
- 📚 **Giancoli's Book**: 'Physics by Giancoli' is highly recommended as an excellent resource for learning physics, suitable for college students and self-study.
- 📚 **Modern Physics**: 'Shams outline' is mentioned for its straightforward approach to modern physics, including exercises and solutions.
- 📚 **Classic Textbooks**: Books like 'Fundamentals of Physics' by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker are considered classics and are recommended for their comprehensive content.
- 📚 **Feynman Lectures**: 'The Feynman Lectures on Physics' are highlighted for their insightful explanations by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, though they lack exercises.
- 📚 **Applied Physics**: 'Shams on Applied Physics' is recommended for its motivational start with easy problems and its progression to more complex topics.
- 📚 **Engineering and Science Physics**: Another recommended resource is the 'Shams for Physics for Engineering and Science', praised for its wide range of physics topics.
- 📚 **No-Calculus Option**: 'College Physics' is suggested for those who have not studied calculus, allowing them to start learning physics without this prerequisite.
- 📚 **Conceptual Physics**: For absolute beginners or those with less math knowledge, 'Conceptual Physics' is an option, though it may lack content compared to others.
Q & A
What is the speaker's experience with physics?
-The speaker describes their experience with physics as a really dark one, feeling lost, confused, and as if everyone else was understanding it except for them.
What is the first book the speaker recommends for learning physics on one's own?
-The first book recommended by the speaker is 'Physics' by Giancoli, which is considered excellent for self-study and is used in colleges to teach physics to college students.
What is the significance of having answers to odd-numbered problems in a physics book?
-Having answers to odd-numbered problems is significant because physics, like math, is a difficult subject. It allows students to work through sections, attempt the odd problems, and then check their answers at the back of the book, which is a valuable resource for self-study.
What is the Shams outline and how does it work?
-The Shams outline is a book that provides an introduction, definitions, and explanations of concepts, followed by exercises with solutions for practice, and additional supplementary problems. It is typically used for studying modern physics in a college course.
What is the main complaint about the 'Fundamentals of Physics' by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker?
-The main complaint about this book is that there are better books available that have more content. For example, the Giancoli book is said to contain significantly more material.
Why is it recommended to learn some calculus before diving into physics?
-Learning calculus is recommended because it provides a better understanding of the formulas used in physics and is often a prerequisite knowledge for more advanced physics topics.
What is the main advantage of the 'Feynman Lectures on Physics'?
-The main advantage of the 'Feynman Lectures on Physics' is that it provides explanations from the legendary Nobel Prize winner, Richard Feynman, offering a unique perspective on how he thinks about and describes physics concepts.
What is the purpose of the '3000 Solved Problems in Physics' book?
-The purpose of this book is to provide a large number of solved problems in physics, which is beneficial for someone who wants to practice a lot of problems or is studying for an exam.
What is the speaker's opinion on the 'Conceptual Physics' book?
-The speaker finds 'Conceptual Physics' to be the easiest book among those presented but does not consider it the best due to its lack of content and the absence of calculus.
What is the main takeaway from the video for someone who wants to start learning physics?
-The main takeaway is that there are various books available for different levels and needs, and the speaker recommends starting with a comprehensive book like 'Physics' by Giancoli or another thick book with substantial content for a solid foundation in physics.
What does the speaker suggest for those who are not STEM majors and need to take a physics course?
-The speaker suggests using a book like 'College Physics' for self-study as a supplement to their course, especially if they are not STEM majors and do not have a strong background in calculus.
Outlines
📚 Physics Self-Study Recommendations
The speaker shares their personal struggles with physics and offers book recommendations for those looking to learn physics independently. They emphasize the importance of a good study schedule and mention that some books require prior knowledge of calculus, while others do not. The Giancoli book is highlighted as an excellent resource for both self-study and as a supplement to college physics courses. The speaker also suggests learning calculus to better understand physics concepts and provides links to the books mentioned in the video description.
📚 Diverse Physics Books for Different Levels
The video script discusses various physics books suitable for different learning stages. It covers books like the Feynman Lectures on Physics, which provides in-depth explanations without exercises, and the Shams outline, which is beginner-friendly and starts with basic concepts. The script also mentions the Resnick and Walker book as a classic choice and the value of books that include solved problems for practice. The importance of effort in learning physics is highlighted, along with the benefits of understanding calculus for a deeper comprehension of the subject.
📚 Books for Beginners and Non-STEM Majors
The speaker recommends books for individuals with little math background or those who are not in STEM fields. They discuss 'Conceptual Physics' as a beginner-friendly option, despite it lacking content and calculus. The Young's textbook is presented as a solid choice with exercises and answers, suitable for a full physics sequence in college. The script emphasizes the value of books that provide answers to exercises, which aids in self-study and learning from mistakes. The speaker encourages viewers to share their recommendations in the comments section to help others and reminds viewers to subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Physics
💡Study Schedule
💡Calculus
💡Physics Books
💡Giancoli Book
💡Modern Physics
💡Feynman Lectures
💡Problem Solving
💡STEM Majors
💡Conceptual Physics
💡Self-Study
Highlights
The speaker emphasizes the difficulty of learning physics on one's own, sharing a personal experience of feeling lost and confused.
Suggests using books and a good study schedule to learn physics independently.
Mentions that some physics books require pre-existing knowledge of calculus, while others do not.
Highly recommends 'Physics by Giancoli' as an excellent comprehensive book for learning physics, suitable for college students and self-study.
The Giancoli book is praised for its extensive content, practice problems, and solutions to odd-numbered problems.
The layout and readability of the Giancoli book are highlighted as beneficial for learning.
The speaker discusses the value of learning calculus to better understand physics concepts and formulas.
Introduces 'Shams on Modern Physics' as a straightforward book focusing on problem-solving with examples and solutions.
Talks about 'Fundamentals of Physics' by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, noting it is a classic despite having less content than some other books.
Feynman Lectures on Physics are introduced for their insightful explanations by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman, though they lack exercises.
The speaker shares a personal anecdote about struggling with learning physics and calculus simultaneously.
Recommends 'Shams on Applied Physics' for its motivational start with easy concepts and its no-fluff approach to learning physics.
Praises 'Shams for Physics for Engineering and Science' for its comprehensive content, including quantum mechanics and nuclear physics.
Introduces 'Three Thousand Solved Problems in Physics' as a resource for extensive practice, though it requires effort from the learner.
Mentions 'College Physics' as a book that allows readers to start learning physics without prior knowledge of calculus.
Suggests 'Conceptual Physics' as an easy entry point for beginners who are not confident in math.
Recommends 'Physics by Young' as a textbook with exercises and answers, useful for a full physics sequence in college.
Encourages viewers to share their advice on physics books in the comments section to help others.
Transcripts
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