I wanted to know if anyone reading this is from NSW Australia. I am interested in studying Physics at uni but did not study it during high school. I studied 3 unit maths in year 11 and 2 unit in year 12 (stupid thing to drop) and also studied Biology and Chemistry.
Basically is it hard to pick up on the both Physics and the maths if I have never done it (of course I'm going to get school text books and study physics in my own time before i enroll)
If anyone can maybe recommend text books for both physics and maths that would bring my into line with what an undergraduate student should know before enrolling would be appreciated.
As an undergraduate freshman last year, we used Physics for Scientists and Engineers _with_ Modern Physics- 6th Edition by Serway/Jewett. Beware: it's a rather beefy textbook. 
For Calculus, we used Calculus-Concepts and Contexts by James Stewart. I used the 2nd edition but I am pretty sure the 3rd edition came out within the past year or so...You know how those college books are- it seems like they replace the same book every other year or so and simply change the problems at the end of the chapter. 
Good Luck
For Calculus, we used Calculus-Concepts and Contexts by James Stewart. I used the 2nd edition but I am pretty sure the 3rd edition came out within the past year or so...You know how those college books are- it seems like they replace the same book every other year or so and simply change the problems at the end of the chapter. Good Luck
Hey Beany, are you asking for textbooks for pre-undergrad (like high school) or undergrad? You'll need to start off wherever you left off. It seems pretty obvious, but if you don't build up a solid background in early maths and physics, it can be intimidating, or frustrating depending on whether or not you take a stab at it.
I want mainly a lead in from the start of year 12 (last year of high school if people outside of Australia reply) through to an introduction into uni so that when I do enroll in uni I will have an understanding of what to expect and will be able to handle the work.
Heyall.
First post here.
I'm currently a sophomore at a junior college in Illinois.
Judging by your post your about finished with high school.
The books we used for the engineering physics series were "Six Ideas That Shaped Physics" by Thomas A. Moore Two books per class. 204 was classical physics (conservation laws and Newtonian laws), 205 was introduction into electrodynamics, and irreversible processes, heat, magnetism, etc... and 206 was the physics of light or introduction to quantum mechanics and relativity.
Finishing the first calculus is a requirement for the first class.
Most of the class could be done by knowing how to integrate and derivate acceleration and position functions respectively. x(t)=x0+v0*t+1/2*a*t^2 and a lot of dealings with conservation of energy and momentum. F=m*a and 1/2m*v^2 are equations that should bring back fond memories for us all.
However its extremely difficult to comprehend everything without a grasp on cross and dot products from the calculus of several variables (calc 3). Center of mass problems and nasty integrals occur as well.
Also when your in them try to keep in mind that these are only introduction classes. Nobody leaves the introductory courses with a mastery of everything they introduce you to. I had the highest grade in the class and I missed over 1/2 the problems on the final.
As for the Math
The book we used for the first three calculus classes was by Robert T. Smith and Roland B. Minton simply titled "Calculus" from Mc-Graw Hill. I purchased it new and now 40 or so pages are missing and the front cover is taped on. I've done nearly every problem in the book.
One of the most fascinating problems in the book is an extra problem were we derive some things from relativity. I think some of the people on this forum might like this one. It was in chapter 8.8 problem number 27.
m(v)=m0/(1-v^2/c^2)^(1/2) where m0 is the rest mass and c is the speed of light. Show that m is approximately m0+(m0/(2c^2))v^2
Estimate how large v would half to be to increase the mass by 10%.
First post here.
I'm currently a sophomore at a junior college in Illinois.
Judging by your post your about finished with high school.
The books we used for the engineering physics series were "Six Ideas That Shaped Physics" by Thomas A. Moore Two books per class. 204 was classical physics (conservation laws and Newtonian laws), 205 was introduction into electrodynamics, and irreversible processes, heat, magnetism, etc... and 206 was the physics of light or introduction to quantum mechanics and relativity.
Finishing the first calculus is a requirement for the first class.
Most of the class could be done by knowing how to integrate and derivate acceleration and position functions respectively. x(t)=x0+v0*t+1/2*a*t^2 and a lot of dealings with conservation of energy and momentum. F=m*a and 1/2m*v^2 are equations that should bring back fond memories for us all.
However its extremely difficult to comprehend everything without a grasp on cross and dot products from the calculus of several variables (calc 3). Center of mass problems and nasty integrals occur as well.
Also when your in them try to keep in mind that these are only introduction classes. Nobody leaves the introductory courses with a mastery of everything they introduce you to. I had the highest grade in the class and I missed over 1/2 the problems on the final.
As for the Math
The book we used for the first three calculus classes was by Robert T. Smith and Roland B. Minton simply titled "Calculus" from Mc-Graw Hill. I purchased it new and now 40 or so pages are missing and the front cover is taped on. I've done nearly every problem in the book.
One of the most fascinating problems in the book is an extra problem were we derive some things from relativity. I think some of the people on this forum might like this one. It was in chapter 8.8 problem number 27.
m(v)=m0/(1-v^2/c^2)^(1/2) where m0 is the rest mass and c is the speed of light. Show that m is approximately m0+(m0/(2c^2))v^2
Estimate how large v would half to be to increase the mass by 10%.