undergraduate in physics
summary
The undergraduate physics curriculum in each undergraduate physics program covers the following subjects (along with some electives in advanced topics), and generally in the following order:
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introduction to mechanics
You are reading: Best books to learn physics
electrostatic
waves and vibrations
modern physics
classical mechanics
electrodynamics
quantum mechanics
thermodynamics and statistical mechanics
advanced electives in physics
I’ll cover the details of each of these fields below, including the best textbooks to use and any additional reading you might find useful on your journey. I’m also going to give some details about the math you’ll need to learn along with each topic.
1. introduction to mechanics
what is it about
An introductory mechanics course is the first physics course most people will take, and it is also the best place to begin independent study of physics. this is where you will start to learn how to see the world in mathematical terms, and the topics that will be covered are: the basics of motion in a straight line, motion in two dimensions, motion in three dimensions, newton’s laws, work , kinetic energy, potential energy, conservation of energy, momentum, collisions, rotation and rotational motion, gravitation and periodic motion.
the best textbooks to use
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university physics with modern physics of young people and freedmen (essential). work through all the “mechanics” chapters (in my edition, these are chapters 1-14). this is the best introductory book i have found, and you can also use it when learning electrostatics and modern physics. it contains lots of good examples of problems to solve, and the solutions are easy to find online. does a great job of introducing the relevant math, but you’ll need to learn calculus along with it. you don’t need to spend $250 on the new edition: amazon has many copies of edition 12 and 13 that contain the same material.
the math you will need to learn together with him
You will need to learn calculus while studying physics at university. my favorite introductory calculus book is thomas calculus, closely followed by stewart’s calculus. Work through each chapter and make sure you can solve the problems at the end of each chapter before moving on to the next.
2. electrostatic
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what is it about
This is where you will learn about the physics of electricity and magnetism (electromagnetism) in static situations (situations where there is no motion). Topics covered are: electric charges and electric fields, magnetism and magnetic fields, Gauss’s law, capacitance, resistance and conductance, inductance, current, and how circuits work.
the best textbooks to use
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university physics with modern physics of young people and freedmen (essential). work through the chapters on “electromagnetism” (in my edition, these are chapters 21-32). you can find inexpensive copies of the 12th and 13th editions.
the math you will need to learn together with him
Keep working through the calculus textbooks (thomas and stewart) as you learn the basics of electrostatics, but you should finish them by the time you finish the electromagnetism chapters in college physics. You absolutely must understand the basics of calculus before moving on to other physics topics.
3. waves and vibrations
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what is it about
The mechanics of vibrations and waves is complex and important enough to demand its own course of study. mastering this material is essential to learning about quantum mechanics, so don’t skip this topic! this is where you will learn about simple harmonic oscillators, damped harmonic oscillators, forced oscillations, coupled oscillators, waves, interference, diffraction, and scattering.
the best textbooks to use
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french vibrations and waves (essential) and king vibrations and waves (essential). these two books complement each other very well and contain different problems and solutions.
the math you will need to learn together with him
By now, you should have finished the introductory calculus books and be ready to move on to more advanced math. He should start working with Zill’s Advanced Engineering Mathematics, which is an amazing introduction to more advanced mathematical topics (Linear Algebra, Complex Analysis, Real Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, and Ordinary Differential Equations). the new edition is pretty good, but the old edition is just as good (and much cheaper!). The topics in this book are essential to understanding the rest of the topics in undergraduate physics: once you master them, you’ll know all the math you need to know to understand undergraduate physics.
4. modern physics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
The fourth physics class most college students take is often called “modern physics” and is an introduction to physics topics that will be taught in more detail later in the undergraduate physics curriculum. if you plan to study the advanced topics on your own, it is possible to skip this area, but covering these topics now in your independent studies will allow you to understand the advanced topics you hear so much about and that probably got you into physics in the first place! this is where you will learn the basics of thermodynamics, relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, and cosmology.
the best textbooks to use
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university physics with modern physics of young people and freedmen (essential). work through the “thermodynamics” section (chapters 17-20 in my edition of the book, and the “modern physics” section (chapters 37-44).
the math you will need to learn together with him
continue to work with zill’s advanced engineering math. Once you’ve mastered all the topics in this book, you’ll know all the math you need to know to understand undergraduate physics.
5. classical mechanics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
This is where you learn the real heart of classical mechanics, which you learned in the first topic (Introduction to Mechanics). You will learn the topics in much greater depth, and you will learn how to use different mathematical formalisms of classical mechanics (the Lagrangian formalism and the Hamiltonian formalism) to solve problems in mechanics.
the best textbooks to use
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classical taylor mechanics (essential). this is a fantastic introduction to classical mechanics.
morin’s introduction to classical mechanics with problems and solutions (supplement). Morin’s book is a good complement to Taylor’s and contains some great problems to solve.
problems and solutions in introductory mechanics by morin (supplement). even more great problems (with solutions) to solve, and contains some great problem-solving strategies.
classic croquette mechanics (supplement). another great book to complement taylor.
A Student’s Guide to Lagrangians and Hamiltonians (Supplement). This book can help you a lot if you get stuck in understanding the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms of classical mechanics. you need to master the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms if you want to understand quantum mechanics later!
the math you will need to learn together with him
if you haven’t finished working with zill yet, you should master the topics it contains by the time you finish studying classical mechanics.
6. electrodynamics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
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Previously, you learned about electrostatics: the study of static (non-moving) electricity and magnetism. By now, you know the math to understand electrodynamics, which encompasses everything related to classical electricity and magnetism. you’ll cover electrostatics again, then you’ll learn about laplace’s equation, multipole expansions, polarization, dielectrics, lorentz’s force law, biot-savart’s law, magnetic vector potential, electromotive force, electromagnetic induction , Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves and radiation, and special relativity.
the best textbooks to use
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griffith’s introduction to electrodynamics (essential). This is the book on undergraduate electrodynamics, and one of the best physics textbooks ever written. be very careful to solve each of the problems in the book.
div, grad, curl and all that by schey (supplement). this is a short textbook on vector calculus that is very useful when it comes to working with vectors in electrodynamics.
a student’s guide to maxwell’s equations by fleisch (supplement). maxwell’s equations are essential to understanding electrodynamics, and this book is the best supplement on the subject.
7. quantum mechanics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
At this point, you’re ready to really dive into the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and its applications, one of the most beautiful, interesting, and thought-provoking topics in all of physics. you will learn to see the world at a whole new level: the quantum level. You will learn about the wave function, the Schrödinger equation, perturbation theory, the variation principle, the wkb approximation, the adiabatic approximation, and dispersion.
the best textbooks to use
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griffith’s introduction to quantum mechanics (essential). This is, without a doubt, the undergraduate book on quantum mechanics, written by the same Griffiths who wrote the Introduction to Electrodynamics. it’s written in the same concise and beautiful style, and every problem is worth solving.
8. thermodynamics and statistical mechanics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
Thermodynamics is the field of physics that deals with the kinetics (dynamics) related to heat and energy, while statistical mechanics deals with the microscopic principles that underlie the laws of thermodynamics. this is where you will learn about the laws of thermodynamics, entropy, the canonical ensemble, maxwell distributions, the planck distribution, fermi-dirac statistics, bose-einstein statistics, and phase transitions.
By the time you’ve finished this topic, you’ll have mastered all the fundamentals of undergraduate physics!
the best textbooks to use
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Introduction to Statistical Mechanics by Bowley and Sanchez (essential). this is a really amazing, concise and clear introduction to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics – the best I have come across so far!
9. advanced electives in physics
See Also: Audiobooks narrated by Ron McLarty | Audible.com
what is it about
no physics education is complete without learning about additional fun topics in physics, including (but not limited to): astronomy (the study of galaxies, stars, and planets), astrophysics (the application of physics principles to astronomy), cosmology (the origins of the universe), electronics, particle physics (the study of the fundamental particles of the Standard Model), and string theory (a theory that assumes that two-dimensional objects called “strings” are the building blocks of fundamental construction of the universe).
You can choose what you would like to learn based on your interests. this is the most exciting part: you understand all the fundamentals of undergraduate physics, and you can choose advanced books on other physics topics and you will be able to understand them. You will also be able to read (and understand) some articles on Arxiv, which is the place where almost all research articles in physics are published.
the best textbooks to use
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astronomy: the cosmic perspective by bennet and donahue. a wonderful, fun, and well-written introduction to astronomy that can be understood by anyone who has studied the first subject in undergraduate physics (introductory mechanics).
astrophysics: an introduction to modern astrophysics by carroll and ostile. a super comprehensive introduction to modern astrophysics for students studying the undergraduate physics curriculum.
Cosmology: Ryden’s introduction to cosmology. my favorite introductory cosmology book!
Electronics: Basic Electronics for Scientists and Engineers by Eggleston. accessible to anyone who has worked with the basic concepts of electrodynamics.
Particle Physics: Griffith’s introduction to elementary particles. Written by the same Griffith who gave us Introduction to Electrodynamics and Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, this book is the perfect introduction to the fundamentals of particle physics and a joy to work with.
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