What are some recommended textbooks for physics and math studies?

[balmung2]

I am currently looking for suggestions on physics and maths textbooks. The math textbook must cover calculus from the beginning. It can cover multiple subjects, or calculus-only, it does not matter as long as it is clear and easy to understand. The physics textbook must cover high school subjects. Preferably it will continue to cover university-level subjects as well. If one book can not cover both levels of physics subjects, I would be grateful if you could leave suggestions for multiple textbooks which cover high school and university level subjects between them.

Thank you.

 

[Infinitum]

Hi balmung2! Welcome to PF.

For physics :

Feynman lectures (the best)
Fundamentals of Physics - Halliday Resnick(probably best suited for you)
Conceptual Physics - Hewitt (quite less math requirement)

Math:
First course in Calculus by Serge Lang (preferable)
Stewart's Calculus

Once you have done one of these, do Calculus by Michael Spivak, or Tom Apostol.

 

[SolsticeFire]

Hey Balmung,

For physics text, I second Infinitum's suggestion of Feynman's Lectures. For math books I suggest you start off with:
What is Mathematics - Richard Courant. This book covers a wide variety of subjects without losing depth in any.
If you just want to learn calculus use Spivak's Calculus.
I have to disagree with Infinitum's suggestion of Stewart's Calculus. The book does not motivate any discussions and does not convey why calculus works at all. It will only give you a superficial understanding of the material after you are through with it.

 

[Infinitum]

Hey Balmung,

For physics text, I second Infinitum's suggestion of Feynman's Lectures. For math books I suggest you start off with:
What is Mathematics - Richard Courant. This book covers a wide variety of subjects without losing depth in any.
If you just want to learn calculus use Spivak's Calculus.
I have to disagree with Infinitum's suggestion of Stewart's Calculus. The book does not motivate any discussions and does not convey why calculus works at all. It will only give you a superficial understanding of the material after you are through with it.

That's why I added a 'preferable' tag to Serge Lang's book, its way better. I think before you start out Spivak, unless you are quite good at math, you need to have a basic understanding of the subject, and Lang's book provides this quite perfectly.

Being a high school student, like the OP, I learned the calculus basics from Stewart before switching to Spivak, and now, though I absolutely hate Stewart, I find the things I learned assisting me through Spivak's book, but maybe that's just me...

 

[rezeew]

I highly recommend the following textbooks for your physics and math studies:

1. "University Physics" by Young and Freedman - This textbook covers both high school and university level physics topics in a clear and comprehensive manner. It includes a wide range of examples, problems, and applications to help you understand the concepts.

2. "Calculus: Early Transcendentals" by James Stewart - This textbook covers calculus from the beginning and is suitable for both high school and university level students. It provides a thorough understanding of the subject with plenty of practice problems and real-world applications.

3. "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker - This textbook is a classic and has been used by many universities for their physics courses. It covers high school and university level topics in a detailed and easy-to-understand manner. It also includes numerous examples and exercises to reinforce your understanding.

4. "Calculus" by Michael Spivak - If you are looking for a more rigorous and challenging textbook for calculus, I highly recommend this one. It covers the subject in-depth and is suitable for advanced high school and university level students.

I hope these suggestions will help you in your search for the perfect physics and math textbooks. Remember to always choose a textbook that suits your learning style and provides a solid foundation for your studies. Best of luck!