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4302 results in General and Classical Physics

Page 42 of 216

The Mechanical Universe
  • Introduction to Mechanics and Heat
  • Richard P. Olenick, Tom M. Apostol, David L. Goodstein
  • Published online:
    28 May 2018
    Print publication:
    30 August 1985
  • This important textbook is based on, though independent of, an educational TV series The Mechanical Universe broadcast on public television in the United States. Its aim is to guide students and general readers to an understanding of how the physical world works; physics is presented as a human endeavour, with historical development forming a thread throughout the text. The prerequisites are minimal, only basic algebra and trigonometry since the necessary calculus is developed in the text, with physics providing the motivation. New concepts are introduced at the natural, logical point with many historical references to place physics in a social perspective. Many topics from twentieth-century physics are included, for example energy, low temperature physics, relativity and black holes. The book is attractively and profusely illustrated and will be welcomed by students and also by general readers for whom this will be a stimulating alternative to other, less-thorough treatments.

An Introduction to Mechanics
  • 2nd edition
  • Daniel Kleppner, Robert Kolenkow
  • Published online:
    28 May 2018
    Print publication:
    18 November 2013
  • For 40 years, Kleppner and Kolenkow's classic text has introduced students to the principles of mechanics. Now brought up to date, this revised and improved second edition is ideal for classical mechanics courses for first- and second-year undergraduates with foundation skills in mathematics. The book retains all the features of the first edition, including numerous worked examples, challenging problems and extensive illustrations, and has been restructured to improve the flow of ideas. It now features new examples taken from recent developments, such as laser slowing of atoms, exoplanets and black holes; a 'Hints, Clues and Answers' section for the end-of-chapter problems to support student learning; and a solutions manual for instructors at www.cambridge.org/kandk.

Thermal Physics
  • Energy and Entropy
  • David Goodstein
  • Published online:
    28 May 2018
    Print publication:
    19 February 2015
  • Written by distinguished physics educator David Goodstein, this fresh introduction to thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and the study of matter is ideal for undergraduate courses. The textbook looks at the behavior of thermodynamic variables and examines partial derivatives - the essential language of thermodynamics. It also explores states of matter and the phase transitions between them, the ideal gas equation, and the behavior of the atmosphere. The origin and meaning of the laws of thermodynamics are then discussed, together with Carnot engines and refrigerators, and the notion of reversibility. Later chapters cover the partition function, the density of states, and energy functions, as well as more advanced topics such as the interactions between particles and equations for the states of gases of varying densities. Favoring intuitive and qualitative descriptions over exhaustive mathematical derivations, the textbook uses numerous problems and worked examples to help readers get to grips with the subject.

  • Resources

  • Yoni Kahn, Princeton University, New Jersey, Adam Anderson
  • Book:
    Conquering the Physics GRE
    Published online:
    16 February 2018
    Print publication:
    01 March 2018, pp xii-xiv

  • Summary

    Here we collect all the texts we recommend and will refer to in the review chapters. If you're wondering why books by Griffiths show up so often, it's likely because he was on the question-writing committee for the Physics GRE several years ago. Anecdotally, we know that questions are recycled very often (which is why so few exams have been released), so it's likely that many of the questions you'll see on your exam were written by Griffiths or consciously modeled after his books.

  • • Classical Mechanics: Whatever book you used for freshman physics should suffice here. For a more in-depth review of advanced topics, try Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems by S.T. Thornton and J.B. Marion.

  • • Electricity and Magnetism: D.J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics. This book covers everything you'll need to know about electricity and magnetism on the GRE, except for circuits. For circuits and a review of the most basic electricity andmagnetism problems, which Griffiths glosses over, consult any standard freshman physics textbook. A good treatment of electromagnetic waves can also be found in R.K. Wangsness, Electromagnetic Fields. E. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism is an extremely elegant introduction emphasizing physical concepts rather than mathematical formalism, should you need to relearn the basics of any topic. Under no circumstances should you consult Jackson! It's far too advanced for anything you'll need for the GRE.

  • • Optics and Waves: Like classical mechanics, nearly all the relevant information is covered in your freshman physics textbook. Anything you're missing can be found in the relevant chapters of Introduction to Electrodynamics by Griffiths.

  • • Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics: No overwhelming recommendation here. Thermal Physics and Elementary Statistical Physics by C. Kittel, or Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics by F. Reif, are decent. Statistical Physics, by F. Mandl has some decent pedagogy and the nice feature of many problems with worked solutions. Fermi's Thermodynamics is a classic for the most basic aspects of the subject.

  • Preface

  • Yoni Kahn, Princeton University, New Jersey, Adam Anderson
  • Book:
    Conquering the Physics GRE
    Published online:
    16 February 2018
    Print publication:
    01 March 2018, pp ix-x

  • Summary

    Conquering the Physics GRE represents the combined efforts of two MIT graduate students frustrated with the lack of decent preparation materials for the Physics GRE subject test. When we took the exams, in 2007 and 2009, we did what any student in the internet age would do – searched the various online bookstores for “physics GRE prep,” “physics GRE practice tests,” and so on. We were puzzled when the only results were physics practice problems that had nothing to do with the GRE specifically or, worse, GRE practice books having nothing to do with physics. Undeterred, we headed to our local brick-and-mortar bookstores, where we found a similar situation. There were practice books for every single GRE subject exam, except physics. Further web searches unearthed www.grephysics.net, containing every problem and solution from every practice test released up to that point, and www.physicsgre.com, a web forum devoted to discussing problems and strategies for the test. We discovered these sites had sprung up thanks to other frustrated physicists just like us: there was no review material available, so students did the best they could with the meager material that did exist. This situation is particularly acute for students in smaller departments, who have fewer classmates with whom to study and share the “war stories” of the GRE.

    This book endeavors to fix that situation. Its main contribution is a set of three full-length practice tests and fully worked solutions, designed to be as close as possible in style, difficulty, content distribution, and format to the actual GRE exam. We have also included review material for all of the nine content areas on the Physics GRE exam: classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics and waves, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, atomic physics, special relativity, laboratory methods, and specialized topics. To our knowledge, this is the first time that reviews of standard undergraduate subjects such as classical mechanics and thermodynamics have been paired with less standard it material such as laboratory methods in the same text, specifically focused on aspects of these subjects relevant for the GRE. Exam-style practice problems and worked solutions are included for each review chapter, giving over 150 additional GRE-style practice problems in addition to the 300 from the exams. The shorter chapters have review problems at the very end, while the longer ones have review problems distributed throughout the chapter.

  • 8 - Specialized Topics

  • Yoni Kahn, Princeton University, New Jersey, Adam Anderson
  • Book:
    Conquering the Physics GRE
    Published online:
    16 February 2018
    Print publication:
    01 March 2018, pp 146-158

  • Summary

    The Specialized Topics questions on the Physics GRE are probably the most unique aspect of the test. It's hard to think of any other test (other than TV game shows) in which a full 10% is random assorted knowledge. This may seem daunting, but with smart preparation, these questions actually offer a huge advantage.

    The special topics questions are almost entirely pure knowledge recall, otherwise known as fact regurgitation. This is the kind of knee-jerk memorization you probably hated in high-school chemistry or biology. When confronted by a special topics question, you'll either know it or you won't. If you know it, that's one question down in under 10 seconds, which gives you a huge bonus on time for the more difficult calculational questions. If you don't know it, you probably won't be able to figure out the answer just by reasoning through it, and you may waste 5 or more minutes second-guessing yourself when stuck between two equally appealing answer choices. The optimum strategy, then, is to amass a basic knowledge of as many areas of cutting-edge physics as possible, just enough to make the associations between “buzzwords” and concepts that will allow you to recall the required knowledge.

    Luckily, this kind of studying is dead easy. Every couple days, take a break from your normal Physics GRE practice and just read. Pick up a basic textbook in an advanced subject you're unfamiliar with (for example, if you're aiming towards high-energy, choose an introductory solid-state physics or electrical engineering textbook), and don't bother working any problems; just read the book as if it were a novel. You might learn something new and interesting, but that's not really the point: by reading this way, you'll be forming connections and associations in your memory that you might not even be aware of. It's likely you won't be able to remember exactly what you read, but if prompted by a keyword that shows up on the GRE, your memory will spring into action with that feeling of “I've seen this somewhere before.” That's really all you need for these kinds of questions.

Page 42 of 216