Book Description
The Physics of the Natural Philosophers blends conceptual physics with algebra-based problem-solving for a one-semester introductory course appropriate for students planning to major in physics as well as nonmajors taking it as a terminal science course. The introduction to classical physics topics-including mechanics, vibrations and waves, electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, and heat-requires only a basic algebra background with a small amount of trigonometry. This text serves two audiences: students who need additional problem-solving skills before taking the standard algebra- or calculus-based courses, and students who need science general education credits and who likely will not go on in physics coursework. New majors will be mainly attracted by the standard problem-solving emphasis, while liberal arts students will appreciate the coverage of the history of physics, philosophy of science, and short biographies of famous classical physicists, from Aristotle to Faraday. The in-text examples and exercises at the end of the chapters present interesting and unusual problems. For example, the section on projectile motion offers an example from the JFK assassination using data from the Warren Commission Report. Many of the questions are conceptual physics questions, but most of the problems are traditional problems, making The Physics of the Natural Philosophers an excellent choice for a one-semester introduction to the field.
