Essential University Physics: Volume 1 (4th Edition)

Book Preface

Introductory physics texts have grown ever larger, more massive, more encyclopedic, more colorful, and more expensive. Essential University Physics bucks that trend—w ithout compromising coverage, pedagogy, or quality. The text benefits from the author’s four decades of teaching introductory physics, seeing firsthand the difficulties and misconceptions that students face as well as the GOT IT? moments when big ideas become clear. It also builds on the author’s honing multiple editions of a previous calculus-based textbook and on feedback from hundreds of instructors and students.

Goals of This Book

Physics is the fundamental science, at once fascinating, challenging, and subtle—and yet simple in a way that reflects the few basic principles that govern the physical universe. My goal is to bring this sense of physics alive for students in a range of academic disciplines who need a solid calculus-based physics course—whether they’re engineers, physics majors, premeds, biologists, chemists, geologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, or other majors. My own courses are populated by just such a variety of students, and among my greatest joys as a teacher is having students who took a course only because it was required say afterward that they really enjoyed their exposure to the ideas of physics. More specifically, my goals include:

●● Helping students build the analytical and quantitative skills and confidence needed to apply physics in problem solving for science and engineering.

●● Addressing key misconceptions and helping students build a stronger conceptual understanding.

●● Helping students see the relevance and excitement of the physics they’re studying with contemporary applications in science, technology, and everyday life.

●● Helping students develop an appreciation of the physical universe at its most fundamental level.

●● Engaging students with an informal, conversational writing style that balances precision with approachability.

New to the Fourth Edition

The emphasis in this fourth-edition revision has been on pedagogical features, including substantial updates to the end-of-chapter problem sets, learning outcomes, annotated equations, and new, contemporary applications. In addition, I’ve responded—as I have in previous editions—to the many suggestions made by my colleagues, by instructors around the world, and by reviewers engaged to help make this the most student-friendly and pedagogically useful edition of Essential University Physics. And, as always, I’ve been on the lookout for new developments in physics and technology to incorporate into the text.

●● Chapter opening pages have been redesigned to include explicit lists of learning outcomes associated with each chapter. Learning outcomes appear at the appropriate section headings and are also keyed with specific problems.

●● End-of-chapter problem sets each have between 15% and 20% new problems. Many of the new problems are of intermediate difficulty, featuring multiple steps and requiring a clear understanding of problem-solving strategies. I’ve also increased the number of estimation problems and of problems involving symbolic rather than numerical answers. Still other new problems feature contemporary real-world situations.

●● Among the most exciting of the new features—and one that gave me both great challenges and great professional satisfaction—are the Example Variation (EV) problems. These two sets of four related problems in each chapter, each set based on one of the chapter’s worked examples, help the student make connections, enhance her understanding of physics, and build confidence in solving problems different from ones she’s seen before. The first problem in each set is essentially the example problem but with different numbers. The second presents the same scenario as the example but asks a different question. The third and fourth problems repeat this pattern but with entirely different scenarios. Working these problems ensures first that the student understands the worked example and then gradually takes her out of her comfort zone to explore new physics, more challenging math, and more complex problem solving.

●● Students should perceive a physics textbook as more than a list of equations to consult in solving assigned problems. Essential University Physics has always helped students avoid this unfortunate approach to physics. Earlier editions had a few instances where I felt an equation was so important that I developed a separate figure that was essentially an “anatomy” of the equation, with annotations pointing to and explaining the terms in the equation. The new edition extends this approach with annotated key equations, giving life to and understanding of all the most important and fundamental equations as statements about the physical universe rather than mere math into which numbers get plugged.

●● A host of new applications connects physics concepts that students are learning with contemporary technological and biomedical innovations, as well as recent scientific discoveries. A sample of new applications includes the acceleration of striking rattlesnakes, gravitational wave detection and multimessenger astronomy, earthquake resonance effects, the New Horizons mission to Pluto, the audacious Starshot project, the graded-index lenses of squids’ eyes, and environmental and energy issues.

●● As with earlier revisions, I’ve incorporated new research results, new applications of physics principles, and findings from physics education research.

●● Finally, this edition includes the 2019 revision of the SI—the international system of units—which represents the most significant change the SI has undergone in more than a century.

Brief Contents

Chapter 1 Doing Physics 1
PART ONE Mechanics 15 Chapter 2 Motion in a Straight Line 16 Chapter 3 Motion in Two and Three Dimensions 34 Chapter 4 Force and Motion 54 Chapter 5 Using Newton’s Laws 74 Chapter 6 Energy, Work, and Power 94 Chapter 7 Conservation of Energy 113 Chapter 8 Gravity 134 Chapter 9 Systems of Particles 150 Chapter 10 Rotational Motion 175 Chapter 11 Rotational Vectors and Angular Momentum 196 Chapter 12 Static Equilibrium 211
PART TWO Oscillations, Waves, and Fluids 228 Chapter 13 Oscillatory Motion 229 Chapter 14 Wave Motion 250 Chapter 15 Fluid Motion 274
PART THREE Thermodynamics 294 Chapter 16 Temperature and Heat 295 Chapter 17 The Thermal Behavior of Matter 313 Chapter 18 Heat, Work, and the First Law of Thermodynamics 328 Chapter 19 The Second Law of Thermodynamics 345
PART FOUR Electromagnetism 367 Chapter 20 Electric Charge, Force, and Field 368 Chapter 21 Gauss’s Law 389
Chapter 22 Electric Potential 414 Chapter 23 Electrostatic Energy and Capacitors 434 Chapter 24 Electric Current 449 Chapter 25 Electric Circuits 467 Chapter 26 Magnetism: Force and Field 488 Chapter 27 Electromagnetic Induction 516 Chapter 28 Alternating-Current Circuits 545 Chapter 29 Maxwell’s Equations and Electromagnetic Waves 564
PART FIVE Optics 588 Chapter 30 Reflection and Refraction 589 Chapter 31 Images and Optical Instruments 603 Chapter 32 Interference and Diffraction 624
PART SIX Modern Physics 647 Chapter 33 Relativity 648 Chapter 34 Particles and Waves 674 Chapter 35 Quantum Mechanics 694 Chapter 36 Atomic Physics 711 Chapter 37 Molecules and Solids 730 Chapter 38 Nuclear Physics 749 Chapter 39 From Quarks to the Cosmos 777
Appendix A. Mathematics A-1 Appendix B. The International System of Units (SI) A-9 Appendix C. Conversion Factors A-11 Appendix D. The Elements A-13 Appendix E. Astrophysical Data A-16
Answers to Odd-Numbered Problems A-17 Credits C-1 Index I-2