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Physics for Scientists and Engineers (3rd Edition) |  | Author: Douglas C. Giancoli
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $174.47
Buy Used: $20.00
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 40417
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 3
Pages: 976
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5.1
Dimensions (in): 10.6 x 8.8 x 1.5
ISBN: 0132431068
Dewey Decimal Number: 530
EAN: 9780132431064
ASIN: 0132431068
Publication Date: January 30, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Physics for Scientists and Engineers combines outstanding pedagogy with a clear and direct narrative and applications that draw the reader into the physics. The new edition features an unrivaled suite of media and on-line resources that enhance the understanding of physics. Many new topics have been incorporated such as: the Otto cycle, lens combinations, three-phase alternating current, and many more. New developments and discoveries in physics have been added including the Hubble space telescope, age and inflation of the universe, and distant planets. Modern physics topics are often discussed within the framework of classical physics where appropriate. For scientists and engineers who are interested in learning physics.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
 Still a great reference December 22, 2005
Kevin D. (Florida, United States)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I used this book for my highschool AP Physics class in 2001-2002. I just finished the Fall 2005 school semester as a mechanical engineering major, and I have to say that this is by far the most worn-out book I own. I still occasionally pull it out. I own three other textbooks in physics at this level, and I've seen many others; I think this is the most well-written book I've seen for this material. If your instructor doesn't require this book, and if you can find a cheap used copy, I'd recommend getting this to supplement your studies. The pictures and diagrams are great. The text is clear. The formulas are easy to follow. Yes, the problems are rough, but they force you to have a good foundation in calculus, which is absolutely necessary in later courses. Most physics books have similar problems anyway. This isn't the book to get if you need help in math, which is the #1 reason for physics difficulties these days.
got me through UC Berkeley physics September 20, 2006
J. Horsman (Colorado)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I used an earlier version of this book when at UC Berkeley a few years ago. It was required for two of my classes and for the third, another book was required, but I always referred back to this one. In fact, I continued to refer to this book after graduating and working as a geophysicist at the USGS. The older version was very easy to follow with a list of useful equations right in the beginning. It did require a fairly good understanding of very basic physics which should come from a high school course. Perhaps the exercises are difficult, but that is only relevant when considering whether your instructor or TA is good or not.
I am now in graduate school and wishing I had not decided to sell this book a couple of years ago and will certainly purchase it again.
+++++++++Good Calc Based Text -- Modern Phys Lacks a Bit+++++ February 6, 2007
Scott Tait (WI)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've been using this book for years. I really like it a lot. There are many god things about it. It shows how calculus is used to derive formulas (remember less formulas, really) and solve many problems... good examples that are worth noting (so important). The calculus is almost a lack of what you'll see in Calc classes because it's seeing what's going on in a problem and describe it with calculus... mainly using integrals (set up equations with infinitesimals and taking the integral to solve for what you need). It'd be nice to find a good book on this, but anyway, I took advantage of getting the information from instructors who could explain it more thoroughly. If you follow the calc stuff in the book carefully you should get it, but be aware that you can integrate with respect to one of the other variables (like limits of integration with arc length s vice angle theta). Overall, I feel it could explain the calculus even more... then it would be very complete!
I think this book is very well written, clearly presented, and has pretty much all the classic examples and problems. I think it needs to clear up some modern physics stuff, though. I felt a little lost and needed to search other books on that stuff. BTW, it appears there is a new 2007 edition coming out with "Modern Physics" in the title... so that might be the one to get.
Anyhow, I love how this one has been around a while and it's a great reference for Univ Phys material. There are answer key/solution documents going around everywhere, but it would have been nice to see one in pdf format (the word one substitutes fonts and isn't in "pretty print" math format... a good version should be somewhere on the web... else I'm going to make one). Overall, I give this book a 4.75. The student solutions manual might be worth checking out (I didn't go that way). Thanks and best of luck.
Excellent Introductory book! May 3, 2002
Adam E. Orin (San Diego)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I used this book in my four-quarter introductory physics sequence in college. This book does exactly what it's meant to do: give the reader an introduction to the concepts of physics. The book is more qualitative than quantitative, and uses only basic calculus that the student should be learning at the same time they are taking an introductory phsyics course. The book is very colloqual, and is a good read.Some reviews complain that the book isn't rigorous enough, and glosses over material. They forget that this book is only meant to be an introduction to the ideas and basics of physics. Mathematical rigor should wait for upper division courses. Other reviews claim the book assumes too much of the student. I disagree. The book rarely goes beyond basic calculus. Some ideas may be unintuitive, but you just need to wrap your mind around them. Some of the problems are definitely tricky, but they help develop problem solving skills. Overall the book is a great reference on the concepts of phsyics. I still refer to it when I forget why a certain thing works a certain way.
It is a pleasure to read and learn from-a good reference November 12, 2006
STZ
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I could write probably pages about this book but I want to keep it short. If you want to learn physics (at college and university level), then go no further. This is THE BOOK. I had used it in class before and I still keep it as a reference. It is easy to read and very well organized. I highly recommend this book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
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