Online Physics Materials:a viable alternative to expensive books?

Tim Niiler, Ph.D.Penn State Brandywine

'We Americans assume that our economic system will always scam-per to provide us with the products we want. Special orders don’tupset us! I want my MTV! The truth is more complicated, espe-cially in our education system, which is paid for by the studentsbut controlled by the professoriate. Witness the perverse successof the bloated science textbook. The newspapers continue to com-pare our system unfavorably to Japanese and European education,where depth is emphasized over breadth, but we can’t seem to cre-ate a physics textbook that covers a manageable number of topicsfor a one-year course and gives honest explanations of everything ittouches on.

'The publishers try to please everybody by including every imag-inable topic in the book, but end up pleasing nobody. There is wideagreement among physics teachers that the traditional one-year in-troductory textbooks cannot in fact be taught in one year. Onecannot surgically remove enough material and still gracefully nav-igate the rest of one of these kitchen-sink textbooks. What is farworse is that the books are so crammed with topics that nearly allthe explanation is cut out in order to keep the page count below1100. Vital concepts like energy are introduced abruptly with anequation, like a first-date kiss that comes before “hello.”' - Benjamin Crowell

Cost to Students

● Survey of PHYS211 and PHYS250 classes for fall 2011 shows

– PHYS211● 1578 seats in Fall 2011 ● Cost of HRW is $223.95● 1578*$223.95 = $353,393.10

– PHYS250● 1064 seats in Fall 2011● Cost of Cutnell & Johnson is $208.95● 1064*$208.95 = $222,322.80

● Students are spending nearly $576 Thousand dollars in a fall semester for entry level physics textbooks across PSU (presuming the classes fill)!!!!

Books for PHYS211

● Halliday, Resnick, Walker → Standard● MIT's Open Course Ware● Schnick● Murdock● Crowell (Light and Matter)

Murdock – Mechanics

Murdock introduces calculus based formulae, but generally does not derive them. There are several examples in which he uses calculus to solve the problems presented. However, most of his problems are algebra based, albeit with a fair level of complexity.

Largely example based. Perhaps good as a recitation companion text?

Crowell - Mechanics

While Crowell doesn't focus on calculus, per se, there are a number of examples throughout the text that illustrate its usage for students who may find it of interest.

The book also sports a full table of contents, appendices, and an index. In short, it presents as a proper textbook.

Excellent examples and diagrams, but most importantly, a coherent narrative. Lacking in some topics (moment of inertia) required for PHYS211.

Calculus based example Sample Figure(not connected with example)

Schnick - Mechanics

This example continues for four pages describing first differential equation of motion, and then the “guess and check” method for solving the equation. There is plenty of textual explanation of the equations.

Very traditional in its approach, there are plenty of examples and derivations. This book is entirely appropriate for PHYS211.

MIT's Open Course Ware

The order is a bit different than HRW, but this is otherwise a great book. The derivations are thorough, there is appropriate use of calculus, and numerous worked examples.

Other than the occasional hand drawn figure, the book could easily be used for PHYS211

Comparison of Books(Elementary Mechanics – PHYS211 equiv)

Book Level Cost Pages Features AppropriateHRW C $223.95 351 10OCW C Free 557 11

A,C Free 428P,S,E,Di 7A,C Free 201 9-10A+ Free 172E,Di 6

P,S,E,Di,DeP,S,E,Di,De

CrowellSchnick P?,S?,E,Di,DeMurdock

A = Algebra basedA+ = Advanced algebraC = Calculus based

Features:P – Problem setsS – Solutions, partial or otherwiseE – Examples in textDi – Good quality diagramsDe - Derivations

Winner: MIT's Open Course Ware!

Books for PHYS212

● Halliday, Resnick, Walker → Standard● MIT's Open Course Ware● Schnick● Murdock● Crowell (Light and Matter)

Murdock

This book has some very good beginning and intermediate problems worked from beginning to end. However, there are no real proofs, and there is a lack of calculus.

Most importantly, the book only covers electricity and not magnetism. As such, it is inappropriate save as an aid to problem solving for the first half of PHYS212.

An aid to basic problem solving. Period.

Crowell

True to form, where calculus appears, it seems to be an afterthought. The book is arranged in a non-traditional order, which seems to work when taken as a whole.

Probably not suited to PHYS212 due to lack of mathematical proofs.

Schnick

Like Crowell, this book has a decidedly odd order that can be made to work. Illustrations are very good.

It seems a bit sparse on AC circuits, examples involving Maxwell's equations, and it ends with Ampere's and Faraday's Law.

Good book, but perhaps too short for PHYS212?

MIT's Open Course Ware (OCW)

This book has excellent illustrations, embedded flash or shockwave animations, many examples and worked problems often involving use of calculus, and any number of proofs.

It is organized almost exactly like HRW, and in many cases goes into more depth.

A drop in replacement for HRW in E&M.

Comparison of Books(Electricity and Magnetism – PHYS212 equiv.)

Book Level Cost Pages Features AppropriateHRW C $223.95 327 10

A,C Free 219P,S,E,Di 6OCW C Free 504 11

A,C Free 332 9A+ Free 172E,Di 6

P,S,E,Di,DeCrowell

P,S,E,Di,DeSchnick P,S,E,Di,DeMurdock

A = Algebra basedA+ = Advanced algebraC = Calculus based

Features:P – Problem setsS – Solutions, partial or otherwiseE – Examples in textDi – Good quality diagramsDe - Derivations

Winner: MIT's Open Course Ware!

Books for PHYS213

● Halliday, Resnick, Walker → Standard● Schnick● Tatum● Crowell (Light and Matter)

Crowell

This material is presented as part of a 20 page appendix. There is no presentation of fluid-dynamics.

Good examples, but waaaaay too short for any course dedicated to fluids and thermo.

Schnick

Schnick's treatment of fluids and thermo is very brief. There is generally one example per every concept presented. However, the calculus is lacking, and in thermo, only topics through the 1st Law are presented and there is no coverage of ideas such as thermal expansion.

Short and sweet, but perhaps too limited in scope for PHYS213.

Tatum

This is somewhat advanced material that relies heavily on calculus. In fact, the first three chapters in the thermo book are about topics such as partial derivatives and the like.

Tatum has an additional text that contains elements of hydrostatics, but not fluid dynamics.

(Note that HRW has only 25 pages in fluids)

A lengthy exposition on thermo with a deficit in fluids. Could be adapted with extra materials (Schnick?) for PHYS213.

Comparison of Books(Fluids & Thermodynamics – PHYS 213 equiv)

Book Level Cost Pages Features AppropriateHRW C $223.95 10

A,C Free 20P,S,E,Di 3Tatum C Free 246 9

A Free 26 6

P,S,E,Di,DeCrowell

P,S,E,Di,DeSchnick P,S,E,Di,De

**Tatum – most complete in thermo – only has 21 pages of hydrostatics, no fluid dynamics at all.

A = Algebra basedA+ = Advanced algebraC = Calculus based

Features:P – Problem setsS – Solutions, partial or otherwiseE – Examples in textDi – Good quality diagramsDe - Derivations

Winner: Tatum.(However, supplementation with Schnick is recommended for fluid mechanics)

Books for PHYS214

● Halliday, Resnick, Walker → Standard● Schnick● Crowell (Light and Matter)

Schnick

Level appropriate treatment of optics and waves which is in some ways better than that offered in HRW.

Generally a great treatment of optics, waves, and interference phenomena – but NO modern physics!

Crowell

As usual, the order is a bit strange (compared to the current textbooks. That said, the explanations are excellent, and there is a more detailed treatment of most subject matter. What is lacking are detailed examples of some of the more complex concepts,

Superior explanations – but the math is sporadic and jumps around from algebra 1 level to calculus.

Comparison of Books(Waves, Optics, Modern Physics – PHYS214 equiv.)

Book Level Cost Pages Features AppropriateHRW C $223.95 10

A,C Free 268 8-9A,C Free 80 7

P,S,E,Di,DeCrowell P,S,E,Di,DeSchnick P,S,E,Di,De

**Schnick –Optics/Interference no other modern physics....

Winner: CrowellSupplementation with Schnick in the area of optics may be useful

A = Algebra basedA+ = Advanced algebraC = Calculus based

Features:P – Problem setsS – Solutions, partial or otherwiseE – Examples in textDi – Good quality diagramsDe - Derivations

Physics 250?(Mechanics/Fluids/Thermo/Waves)

● Recommended:– Schnick (for required proofs and theory) and

Murdock for worked examples

– Possible to use Crowell with Murdock for examples, but this would require much effort on part of instructor due to odd ordering.

Comparison of Books(E & M/Optics/Modern Physics – PHYS251 equiv)

● Recommended (look familiar?)– Schnick (for required proofs and theory) and

Murdock for worked examples

– Possible to use Crowell with Murdock for examples, but this would require much effort on part of instructor due to odd ordering.

Final Evaluations

● Crowell– Great book, just a really odd order

– It's not clear what level the book is written for● Could be used in PHYS001 ● or PHYS250/251 with appropriate

supplementation

– Seems to be appropriate (again with some supplementation) for PHYS214

– http://www.lightandmatter.com

Final Evaluations

● Murdock– Problem based approach to physics

– Great supplement for mechanics courses

– Great supplement for 1st half of E & M courses

– Probably not good just on its own.

– http://iweb.tntech.edu/murdock/books.html

Final Evaluations

● Schnick

– Generally a good book in the areas of ● Mechanics● E & M● Optics/Waves/Interference

– HRW is slightly better

– OCW beats it hands down in Mechanics and

E & M– http://www.anselm.edu/internet/physics/cbphysics/index.html

Final Evaluations

● MIT's Open Course Ware– GREAT books that can serve as drop in

replacements for HRW in ● Mechanics● E & M

– Work in progress – we expect more from MIT in other areas shortly

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-physics-ii-electricity-and-magnetism-spring-2007/readings/

Final Evaluations

● Tatum– Excellent advanced level books

● Geometrical Optics● Classical Mechanics● Thermodynamics● Celestial Mechanics

– http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~tatum/

Bottom line?

● OpenSource/Free textbooks for physics have come a long way in the Iast couple of years and may be ready for prime time dependent on your style/class format

● will post links in ANGEL as well as the actual pdfs of the books on request.