Books to read for high school physics?

[patternman]

I basically started learning physics 4 months ago. I want to cover the whole physics school curriculum in the next 9 months, as well as the important chemistry and maths. I want to be prepared to start a physics degree in 9 months. I have around 4 hours a day(approx) to devote to it. I want to know all the good resources to learn these topics. I want to know the good books, websites and anything else. My focus is on understanding the theory and solving problems. Books that have lots of theory and/or lots of worked problems are what I love to read. I love examples and diagrams.

My background...
My maths is around pre-calculus/beginner calculus level. I found maths easy until this level but it. Though it isn't always easy anymore, it has become more fun and useful. The difficulty of some problems is balanced by the fun.

Despite being somewhat good at maths I have struggled a lot to understand basics physics concepts and still don't understand them enough. Actually I have seen some classmates chug along thinking I'm stupid, while I sat there wondering what energy even is.

So far the best physics books I have read have been:

Basic Physics - Karl F Kuhn
This book was a very good way to learn but isn't comprehensive enough.

Introduction to Advanced Physics - David Brodie
This book had good theory but not enough problems and answers

So here are my mental handicaps:
I struggle to memorize anything without context
I struggle to apply anything without knowing the theory behind it
I struggle to understand from words alone sometimes. Whereas you can just point to a diagram, then say this has x properties, that has y properties, and I'll understand instantly.

So summary books like CGP don't work well for me. I basically need to cover the whole A level physics as well as the important chemistry and maths topics needed for physics, for 16 -18/19 year olds in the UK. I can handle maths myself but am looking for help to find good physics and chemistry resources which I can study that will prepare me for the first year of a physics undergraduate course.

 

[QuantumCurt]

Honestly the best preparation is to get as much math completed as you possibly can. A college physics major will generally start from the ground up, and assumes no prior knowledge of physics. I don't know how possible it would be to cover it all in 9 months, but you can certainly get a good start on it. Kleppner and Kolenkow's "An Introduction to Mechanics" is a good source for learning the material contained in Physics I (classical mechanics), and following that up with Purcell's "Electricity and Magnetism" is a good coverage of the material contained in Physics II. You'll want to browse through some of the page previews on Amazon or something like that though. You may or may not find their structure to be to your liking.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I basically started learning physics 4 months ago. I want to cover the whole physics school curriculum in the next 9 months, as well as the important chemistry and maths. I want to be prepared to start a physics degree in 9 months. I have around 4 hours a day(approx) to devote to it. I want to know all the good resources to learn these topics. I want to know the good books, websites and anything else. My focus is on understanding the theory and solving problems. Books that have lots of theory and/or lots of worked problems are what I love to read. I love examples and diagrams.

My background...
My maths is around pre-calculus/beginner calculus level. I found maths easy until this level but it. Though it isn't always easy anymore, it has become more fun and useful. The difficulty of some problems is balanced by the fun.

Despite being somewhat good at maths I have struggled a lot to understand basics physics concepts and still don't understand them enough. Actually I have seen some classmates chug along thinking I'm stupid, while I sat there wondering what energy even is.

So far the best physics books I have read have been:

Basic Physics - Karl F Kuhn
This book was a very good way to learn but isn't comprehensive enough.

Introduction to Advanced Physics - David Brodie
This book had good theory but not enough problems and answers

So here are my mental handicaps:
I struggle to memorize anything without contextI struggle to apply anything without knowing the theory behind it
I struggle to understand from words alone sometimes. Whereas you can just point to a diagram, then say this has x properties, that has y properties, and I'll understand instantly.

So summary books like CGP don't work well for me. I basically need to cover the whole A level physics as well as the important chemistry and maths topics needed for physics, for 16 -18/19 year olds in the UK. I can handle maths myself but am looking for help to find good physics and chemistry resources which I can study that will prepare me for the first year of a physics undergraduate course.

I would recommend taking a look at David Cohen book called, "Precalculus a Problem Solving Approaching. I used the book for a pre cal class in community college and really enjoyed it. The author explains the material thoroughly without the sacrifice of rigor. Some of the end of sections problems can be extremely difficult.

After getting better at trig/algebra buy a calculus book. Stewart is a good introduction to calculus (I prefer thomas calculus with analytic geometry 3ed however). Soak up as much as you can. Remember is better to an understanding of fewer things than knowing how to plug and chug many things. Do not rush to learn everything. But ask yourself while doing problems. Do I understand why? If I don't understand why what do I understand? Etc. Think while u learn, just don't go at math speed trying to finish every book.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Thomas calculus 3rd edition is amazing but some of the language used in this edition or even the derivations for certain properties are not standard from what you see in today's book.

Maybe buy an old copy of stewart and a copy of thomas calculus with analytic geometry? Should not be more than 20 dollars.

Avoid physics book by Randall Knight, they suck.

 

[rezeew]

First of all, congratulations on taking on the challenge of learning high school physics in just 9 months! It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to achieve such a goal, and it's great that you have set a specific timeline for yourself.

In terms of resources, there are many great books and websites that can help you learn and understand high school physics. Here are some recommendations:

1. "Fundamentals of Physics" by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker - This is a comprehensive textbook that covers all the key topics in high school physics. It has a good balance of theory and worked examples, and also includes plenty of diagrams and illustrations to help with understanding.

2. "University Physics" by Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman - This is another popular textbook that covers all the major topics in high school physics. It also has a strong emphasis on problem-solving and includes a large number of practice problems.

3. Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) - This website offers free video lessons and practice problems on a wide range of subjects, including high school physics. The lessons are well-structured and easy to follow, and the practice problems allow you to test your understanding.

4. The Physics Classroom (www.physicsclassroom.com) - This website offers interactive tutorials, simulations, and practice problems on various topics in high school physics. It also has a section on "Concept Builders" which are interactive activities that help reinforce key concepts.

5. "Chemistry: The Central Science" by Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay, Bruce E. Bursten, and Catherine Murphy - This is a popular textbook for high school chemistry and is often used in college-level courses as well. It covers all the important topics in chemistry and has a good mix of theory and practice problems.

It's important to note that different resources work better for different people, so it's a good idea to try out a few and see which ones work best for you. Also, don't be afraid to seek help from a teacher or tutor if you need additional support in understanding certain concepts. Good luck with your studies!