<p>So I have made the fateful decision of wanting to self-study both the Mechanics and the E and M portion of the Physics C test next year. I’m assuming that I will need more than just a review book to succeed. Can anyone recommend the best Physics C textbook, or if one really isn’t needed, the best review book?</p>
<p>Fundamentals of Physics by Resnick, Halliday and Walker.</p>
<p>I used the Barron’s review book and received no lower than 5s on both tests for the 2009, 2004, and 1998 released exams (hopefully this is true for the 2011 tests too!). I had a reference textbook from my school but rarely used it, only for the case where I needed to look at examples with solutions.</p>
<p>Can you learn everything just by using a review book like Barron’s?</p>
<p>Well, I guess you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s missing all the pedagogy; they assume you already know what you’re doing and just plow through standard techniques and derivations. If you’ve already taken an honors physics course, you might have enough prior knowledge to jump in without a problem.</p>
<p>Barron’s is often confusing and wordy, but I think it’s the only review book you should use if you’re trying to study from it alone. The others aren’t half as rigorous.</p>
<p>I’ve personally used Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Serway and Beichner, which I turned to whenever I didn’t quite understand something in Barron’s. It was pretty good IMO, though I hear FoP is the standard. There are also the excellent MIT lectures available for free online ([MIT</a> OpenCourseWare | Physics | 8.01SC Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Fall 2010 | Home](<a href=“http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-2010/]MIT”>http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-2010/)) which can also clear up confusion.</p>
<p>So I should buy a textbook then? What is FoP? And will I be able to resell my textbook and get most of my money back?</p>
<p>FoP = Fundamentals of Physics</p>
<p>If you can, see if your school has one! My school supplied me with mine. </p>
<p>Also, don’t buy the books since it’s utter extortion. Just get a slightly older edition (which will have about the same content) used. It’ll cost around 20 bucks and you could probably resell it for almost the same price:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Used and New: Fundamentals of Physics](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0471216437/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1305340251&sr=1-5&condition=used]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0471216437/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1305340251&sr=1-5&condition=used)</p>
<p>My friend’s advice on this topic would be download a pdf for haliday resinik, now he can’t tell you where to get it but you are smart enough to find out.</p>
<p>It seems just about everyone on CC recommends the Fundamentals of Physics book; however, I got to say, my class used it and I found it rather hard to follow at times. If I were you, I would look at some videos online as someone mentioned above (MIT videos) and a review book as well (Princeton Review or AP Advantage, I’d recommend). </p>
<p>It isn’t too hard to get a 5 on the AP Physics exam considering the curve is incredibly generous and so I do not think you would want to spend too much time going over a book like Fundamentals of Physics, since it is riddled with minute details and the like.</p>
<p>My school loaned me the Serway/Jewett book (not sure of title); I found it to be pretty useful.</p>
<p>^Physics for Scientists and Engineers? That’s the textbook my physics teacher from last year loaned me.</p>
<p>^I believe that’s it. Personally, I wish Cutnell and Johnson wrote a textbook for Physics C material, since the book I got for Physics B (written by Cutnell and Johnson) was gold.</p>
<p>I am still really confused. I am getting a lot of textbook, review book, and video references. I still have no idea which path to choose. I am obviously aiming for a 5 if that makes any difference.</p>
<p>^I would recommend using videos (these were really useful for me: [Viren’s</a> Videos Free AP Physics Review Help](<a href=“http://www.apphysicslectures.com/]Viren’s”>http://www.apphysicslectures.com/)) first because there’s a “teacher” explaining and writing as you go. Turn to CC/other Internet forums/other Internet sites for supplemental information. If that doesn’t work, go to a textbook.</p>
<p>College board recommands some text books
[AP:</a> Physics C](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism – AP Students)</p>
<p>Six of these books titled as “Physics for Scientists and Engineers” </p>
<p>(1) Fishbane, Paul M., Stephen Gasiorowicz, and Stephen T. Thornton. 2005. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.</p>
<p>(2) Giancoli, Douglas C. 2000. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.</p>
<p>(3) Knight, Randall D. 2004. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics. Boston: Addison-Wesley.</p>
<p>(4) Serway, Raymond A., Robert J. Beichner and John J. Jewett. 2000. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5th ed. Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Publishing.</p>
<p>(5) Tipler, Paul A. and Gene P. Mosca. 2004. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5th ed. New York: W.H. Freeman.</p>
<p>(6) Wolfson, Richard, and Jay M. Pasachoff. 1999. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3rd ed. Boston: Addison-Wesley.</p>
<p>None of them is cheap, even for used book. I am so confused, which “Physics for Scientists and Engineers” I should buy?</p>