Intro Physics Textbooks

Don't Panic

This a page to keep track of intro physics textbooks.

The actual fact is that almost all intro physics textbooks of the last 30 years (if not 50 years) are virtually alike in content aside the from the algebra-based-calculus-based divide. Some are a little better, some are a little worse, but for content they are much the same.

The Books

1. Jearl Walker, Halliday & Resnick: Fundamentals of Physics, 9th edition (AKA HRW)
   The original authors, Halliday & Resnick, have been phased out---they are just the title of book now.

   HRW is the longstanding standard intro physics book.

   It's good but so are all the earlier editions and other similar books like Serway.

2. Serway, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Chapters 1--39, 7th edition, 2008. Price. None listed, but it's a fortune.
   1. Publisher: Thomson Education.
   2. Amazon: $183.95. No reader review. Long editorial description.
   3. Note Serway, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Chapters 1--39, 6th edition is almost the same text.

      Chapters 6 and 7 look a little remixed and some other sections might be changed a bit.

      In terms of content using a 6th edition would be fine.

      But you will have to adjust that sections might be a bit re-ordered.

      Also problems might be changed or re-ordered.

      This is no difficulty for any physics 211,212,213 courses I teach, since I use my own problem bank and do NOT rely on the textbook problems. But other instructors may assign homework questions from the textbook. So if you need to take other courses in the physics 211,212,213 sequence, you may have to get the questions from someone else which could be a hassle.