Physics I For Dummies

Bought for one of my kids. The For Dummies books are always a great add in to tutoring. Complicated stuff explained in laymen's terms.

Great book very helpful for grade 12 physics

I am not a physicist, although I do have an academic science background which has involved teaching aspects of biophysics to undergraduate students. Many students in my classes struggled with physics because they hadn't really grasped some very basic, fundamental aspects of physical science. Yet, an understanding of these basic scientific principles is essential in understanding lots of processes in other sciences like biology and chemistry as well as engineering and it is an important transferrable skill. This book bridges those gaps.I like Steven Holzner's books because they have an engaging style and are written in the way that a good teacher would teach the subject. Physics for Dummies covers some elementary, fundamental areas such very basic Newtonian mechanics, harmonic motion, angular kinetics, thermodynamics etc. It takes a mathematical approach which does not involve calculus. It is not university physics. I would say it is more or less AS Level stuff. Other reviewers have mentioned mistakes in some of the calculations and formulae in the text but I came across very few. There aren't many textbooks that don't have a few mistakes in them. In fact, if you are following the subject with understanding the mistakes will be obvious.I think the pace of the text is just right for someone who only has pre-calculus maths. Some aspects of linear algebra (vectors), simple algebraic rearrangements and basic trigonometry are covered in Chapters 2 and 4. If you struggle with algebra, or need some gentle revision, you'll need to get up to speed with these things in order to follow the rest of the book.I would recommend this book to:- (i) students who are not studying physics but need to know basic things, (ii) anyone who wants to brush up on the basic physics they once knew but have forgotten and (iii) anyone who just wants to learn a bit more about how the world around them works. There are lots of examples that are relatable to real life which are often told in a deliberately corny style.

Not soo good for school students but good general one

To gain a basic understanding of the language of physics - especially with time available during current lockdown