Description Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics is a finely tuned, practical introduction to physics which includes practical problems that relate physics to everyday life. Along with math, the book presents qualitative reasoning, pictorial and graphical reasoning, and reasoning by analogy as tools in the pursuit of learning physics.
With this text, Professor Knight's objective is to integrate physics education research into the classroom in a way that supports a range of learning approaches.
Updates to the Fifth Edition
The 4-step problem-solving approach shifts to Model/Visualize/Solve/Review, using a final step of "Review," instead of "Assess," to better reflect the content of the final step.
Model boxes provide models of complex, real-world situations in simple yet reasonable idealizations for solving problems and in a manner that enables reapplication in other similar problems.
Enhanced Chapter Previews summarize the pertinent topics and learning objectives of the chapters with the aim of addressing questions students are most likely to ask themselves while studying the material for the first time.
Advanced topics are covered in optional sections to further expand the learning material. Topics include rocket propulsion, gyroscopes and precession, the wave equation (such as for electromagnetic waves), the speed of sound in gases, and more details on the interference of light.
Tactics Boxes give step-by-step procedures for developing specific skills (drawing free-body diagrams, using ray tracing, etc.).
Available separately for purchase is Mastering Physics for Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics, Global Edition, the teaching and learning platform that empowers instructors to personalize learning for every student. When combined with Pearson's trusted educational content, this optional suite helps deliver the desired learning outcomes. The latest edition of Mastering Physics for Physics for Scientists and Engineers comes with Dynamic Study Modules, Ready-to-Go Study Tools, book-specific Tutorials, Interactive Prelecture Videos,
25 Video Tutor Solutions, and more.
ENHANCED: 20% of Enhanced End-of-Chapter (EOC) Questions and 300 EOC Questions are coded with wrong-answer feedback. Revised EOC problem sets offer more challenging problems to expand the range of physics and math skills students use to solve problems.
NEW: 10 Reading Questions per chapter, created by Randall Knight, provide wrong-answer feedback, check students’ familiarity with key concepts and motivate them to do assigned reading before class.
NEW: Interactive Prelecture Videos introduce key topics with embedded assessment to help students prepare before lecture and professors to identify student misconceptions. Expanded animated whiteboard prelecture videos provide active classroom content. Quantitative Prelecture Videos help students learn how to solve problems for a specific concept.
NEW: Ready-to-Go Study Tools in the Study Area help students master the toughest topics. Students can use on their own, even when their professor doesn’t assign.
NEW: 25 Video Tutor Solutions, specific to the text, walk students through the problem-solving process and link to relevant content. All are available in the Study Area and assignable in Mastering.
NEW: Book-specific Tutorials specific to each chapter of Physics for Scientists and Engineers are assignable in Mastering Physics.
Features of Pearson eText for the 5th Edition
NEW: 25 Video Tutor Solutions (VTS) for Physics for Scientists and Engineers walk students through the problem-solving process, provide links to relevant content in the text, and can be accessed using embedded links in the eText. Select VTSs are provided as optional links in related end-of-chapter problems.
Table of Contents I. Newton’s Laws
1. Concepts of Motion
2. Kinematics in One Dimension
3. Vectors and Coordinate Systems
4. Kinematics in Two Dimensions
5. Force and Motion
6. Dynamics I: Motion Along a Line
7. Newton’s Third Law
8. Dynamics II: Motion in a Plane
II. Conservation Laws
9. Work and Kinetic Energy
10. Interactions and Potential Energy
11. Impulse and Momentum
III. Applications of Newtonian Mechanics
12. Rotation of a Rigid Body
13. Newton’s Theory of Gravity
14. Fluids and Elasticity
IV. Oscillations and Waves
15. Oscillations
16. Traveling Waves
17. Superposition
V. Thermodynamics
18. A Macroscopic Description of Matter
19. Work, Heat, and the First Law of Thermodynamics
20. The Micro/Macro Connection
21. Heat Engines and Refrigerators
VI. Electricity and Magnetism
22. Electric Charges and Forces
23. The Electric Field
24. Gauss’s Law
25. The Electric Potential
26. Potential and Field
27. Current and Resistance
28. Fundamentals of Circuits
29. The Magnetic Field
30. Electromagnetic Induction
31. Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
32. AC Circuits
VII. Optics
33. Wave Optics
34. Ray Optics
35. Optical Instruments
VIII. Relativity and Quantum Physics
36. Relativity
37. The Foundations of Modern Physics
38. Quantization
39. Wave Functions and Uncertainty
40. One-Dimensional Quantum Mechanics
41. Atomic Physics
42. Nuclear Physics
Randy Knight taught introductory physics for thirty-two years at Ohio State University and California Polytechnic State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Physics. Professor Knight received a PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics before joining the faculty at Ohio State University. A growing awareness of the importance of research in physics education led first to Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach and later College Physics: A Strategic Approach. Professor Knight’s research interests are in the fields of laser spectroscopy and environmental science. When he’s not in front of a computer, you can find Randy hiking, traveling, playing the piano, or spending time with his wife Sally and their five cats.