Introductory Physics: Summaries, Examples, and Practice Problems

Physics describes how motion works in everyday life. Clothes washers and rolling pins are undergoing rotational motion. A flying bird uses forces. Tossing a set of keys involves equations that describe motion (kinematics). Two people bumping into each other while cooking in a kitchen involves linear momentum. This textbook covers topics related to units, kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, circular and rotational motion, Newton’s general equation for gravity, and simple harmonic motion (things that go back and forth). A math review is also included, with a focus on algebra and trigonometry. The goal of this textbook is to present a clear introduction to these topics, in small pieces, with examples that readers can relate to. Each topic comes with a short summary, a fully solved example, and practice problems. Full solutions are included for over 400 problems. This book is a very useful study guide for students in introductory physics courses, including high school and college students in an algebra-based introductory physics course and even students in an introductory calculus-level course. It can also be used as a standalone textbook in courses where derivations are not emphasized. Key features: Organizes a difficult subject into short and clearly written sections. Can be used alongside any introductory physics textbook. Presents clear examples for every problem type discussed in the textbook. Michael Antosh teaches physics at the University of Rhode Island, USA. He obtained a Ph.D. in physics from Brown University.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Units and Significant Figures. Chapter 2: Motion in a Straight Line. Chapter 3: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions. Chapter 4: Introduction to Forces. Chapter 5: Specific Types of Forces, and Force Problems. Chapter 6: Energy, and Work. Chapter 7: Linear Momentum and Collisions. Chapter 8: Uniform Circular Motion (Moving in a Circle at a Constant Speed). Chapter 9: Rotation Motion and Forces. Chapter 10: Rotation: Energy, Momentum, and Rolling. Chapter 11: Newton's More General Theory of Gravity. Chapter 12: Simple Harmonic Motion.Chapter 13: Math Review.

About the Author :
Michael Antosh teaches physics at the University of Rhode Island, USA.

Review :
“Most "introductory physics" texts—whether algebra- or calculus-based—for high school or college students will feature sections devoted to, e.g., Newtonian mechanics, electricity and magnetism, light, atomic and nuclear physics, and perhaps also quantum physics and relativity. This book, however, is exclusively an algebra-based workbook on Newtonian mechanics…It is conceptually divided into a number of sections (i.e., motion, forces, and energy) with relevant topics gradually increasing in complexity. Straight-line motion is the subject of chapter 2 and motion in two or three dimensions is explored in chapter 3; forces are introduced in chapter 4 and their specific types are explained in chapter 5. Energy and work appear in chapter 6, with more complex interactions explained thereafter: "Linear Momentum and Collisions" (chapter 7); "Uniform Circular Motion" (chapter 8); "Rotation Motion and Forces" (chapter 9); "Energy, Momentum, and Rolling" (chapter 10). Newton's law of gravity is covered in chapter 11, harmonic motion in chapter 12, and the final chapter offers a "Math Review." Each chapter has a careful introduction and a series of straightforward problems with carefully worked-through solutions. This book may be a helpful adjunct for students struggling through the beginning of a high-school or college algebra-based course, whether in class or through self-study.” —A. M. Saperstein, emeritus, Wayne State University in CHOICE, November 2023.