Introductory Physics: Building Understanding

By Jerold Touger

Book Overview

* Active learning exercises integrated throughout: Case Studies, Stop & Think, On-the-Spot Activities, etc. * Numerous worked-out examples, many of which have expanded, interactive web versions in which students may participate. * Emphasis on conceptual understanding as the key to quantitative problem solving. * Careful attention to use of language, story line, visual imagery, and active reflection as means to student understanding. * Text supported by extensive author-developed web-based interactive exercises. * WileyPLUS * Student-friendly illustrations and design. * End-of-chapter problem sets that evaluate both qualitative and quantitative understanding.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471940003
• ISBN13: 9780471940005
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 904 Pages
• Weight: 4.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.1" x 1.4" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Finally a good PER based textbook

There are now a handful of introductory physics textbooks out there whose design reflect an awareness of research conducted by the physics education research (PER) community and which don't drastically reduce or alter the breadth of topics addressed in the standard curriculum. Of these Touger's book is the most successful one I've seen, better than Knight or Cummings/Halliday, Resnick, Walker. I'm currently teaching a high school physics using Touger. The book has an excellent treatment of energy conservation and momentum conservation. It introduces stuff like circuits qualitatively first, then quantitatively. It also has a lot of check-your-understanding reading questions that are well formulated. Like many physics textbooks at the end of each chapter of Touger there are conceptual questions as well as conventional word problem. However, among the problems, there are a number of questions that ask students to reason using equations rather than "plug-n-chug." Some are phrased a little awkwardly, but overall, they address a need that most texts ignore. On the down side the book's a bit too busy in its design. It tries to span a wide range of abilities in its problems and reading so when teaching from it, one needs to be careful that assigned problems are appropriate for the students. I don't like some of the choices regarding scope and sequence. It also falls a bit short is in the online materials and the student workbook. They are okay, but not the best out there. Compared to the standard intro physics book (Walker; Giancoli) this book has much better written explanations. Compared to harder texts (Tipler; Halliday, Resnick, Walker; Serway) it's not quite a substitute but is probably an excellent supplement if the lecturer associated with the course is poor. Compared to Hewitt, it's more problem-solving focused, less descriptive. (I would also add "less infantilizing" though Hewitt fans might disagree.)