Thinking Like a Physicist - Physics Problems for Undergraduates

N Thompson

IOP Publishing

1987

145 páginas

4h 50m

ISBN-10: 0852745133

A collection of problems and solutions, written by the staff of the Physics Departament of the University of Bristol, and edited by N. Thompson, PhD, FInstP. Emeritus Professor of Physics. University of Bristol.

This unique collection of problems and solutions, selected from examination and tutorial questions used in the University of Bristol, is the first book of its kind to address the art of problem solving in a truly constructive manner. The reader is encouraged to apply basic physical principles, judicious assumptions and approximations, and simplified models of complex situations, and to consider the limitations of the resulting solutions - in short to 'think like a physicist'. The problems are taken from all branches of the subject, but most deal with topics that are essentially elementary, and should therefore be within the competence of undergraduates at all stages. The inclusion of a full set of solutions ensures that the student cannot become 'lost' in a problems, and can therefore avoid much of the frustration associated with problem solving 'in the dark'.

Most students of physics will be familiar with the feeling of helplessness - even despair - experienced upon opening an examination paper and being confronted with a seemingly impenetrable set of questions, apparently designed to foil even the the most diligent and attentive of pupils. Many will also remember complaining, 'They didn't tell us that in the lectures; how were we supposed to know that?'. These common experiences highlight the difference between genuine physical insight and learning by rote: the student who applies the latter approach will come unstuck when faced with a problem outside his or her direct experience.

As a teaching and learning aid, this book will prove to be an invaluable acquisition for lecturers and students in physics and the physical sciences, and should therefore not be missed.