Randall D. Knight

I have a bachelor's degree in physics, and I now teach high school physics. I firmly believe that physics is learned best with calculus, but Iowa standards don't allow me to teach calculus in high school physics, even in AP Physics. Given that constraint, this is an excellent textbook for high school physics. All of the equations in the book are algebra based, but the explanations provide a foundation for physics with calculus. For example, students are taught to find the area under a line (using geometry) which sets the stage for finding the area under a curve (using calculus). In spite of the textbook's name, this is not an appropriate textbook for college physics classes; university students need to study calculus before beginning physics if they want to have any success in their physics careers. I recommend University Physics, by Young and Freedman, for college students. Both textbooks are produced by Pearson, and that is apparent in the formatting of the textbook. This book provides explanations, example problems, and homework sets exactly as I expect it to given my four years of experience with University Physics. Content which appears in both books (i.e. the less advanced material) is even covered in the same manner in each textbook; this allows me to differentiate instruction for advanced students by pulling more difficult versions of the same content from the more advanced text.… (meer)