Generations of physics students, the authors included, have often lamented, concerning their physics courses, "I understood everything in lecture and the text but I still can't do the problems." This book that weaves problems and theory together will help you do the problems.

We explain not only how to do a problems but why we do them in a certain way. This gives you not just a collection of solved problems, but a collection of methods that can be used, modified, and built on to do other physics problems. We do not claim to present every problem you will ever encounter. We do present the methods that work for large groups of problems. If you learn the techniques we describe for problem solving you will know how to successfully attack the problems you will encounter on tests.

This is the one reference you need when doing your homework problems. It will show you how to work the problems and teach you methods that work on many problems.

The topics in the book are in the order of most physics texts. Each chapter begins with a theoretical discussion and problems are mixed in with the discussion as soon as possible. In many cases a suggested problem leads to a discussion of concepts.

We follow a "standard route" through the problems as much as possible. We avoid methods that work great on one problem, but not on others in favor of general approaches, even though they may be slower, that work on a large category of problems.

The book is intended as a complement to either the calculus-based or the non-calculus based elementary physics course. Calculus concepts (calculus concepts are easier than actual calculus problems) are introduced in the context of physics problems where they are much more understandable and should not be avoided out-of-hand by the student in the non-calculus course.

Learning physics is different from most other subjects. Most other subjects can be learned by reading and listening, with mastery demonstrated by writing. Physics is not like that. Learning physics requires listening and reading but the real learning comes when you do problems. Testing in physics is primarily through problem solving. And problem solving is what you will learn in this book.

Additional background information is available at the web site. When you get to the site click on the image of the book for more information or ordering.

The book can be ordered on line from amazon.com. Click on the link below to go directly to the How to Solve Physics Problems page at amazon.com.

We didn't plan it that way but there are mistakes in the first printing. If you see what you think is a mistake, click on the Errata link and view the corrections. If you find other mistakes, please let us know. We and future readers thank you.

• Errata
• Kinematics Sample Pages
• Heat Flow Sample Pages
• 
• Return to Books Page
• Return to Home Page