Re: Work and Energy

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

I don't think there have been any responses to this request yet, so I
will throw out a couple of suggestions.  I think at least the
following two texts are worth looking at for their treatments of work
and energy among other things:

"Matter and Interactions" (Wiley, 2000) by Chabay and Sherwood

and

"Physics: A Contemporary Perspective" (Addison-Wesley, 1997) by Knight

Both are nontraditional calculus-based texts.  Sorry that I don't
have any recommendations in the algebra-based arena.

> Here we go again! My students (algebra based intro course, mostly
> bio majors) are, as I expected, struggling with work and energy, the
> so-called "work-kinetic energy theorem," conservative and
> non-conservative forces, "work done by friction," etc. We use Serway
> and Faughn and I think the work and energy chapter is one of the
> weakest in the book. The authors either have not read the literature
> (Arons, et al) or they disagree with what Arons and others have to
> say. I have seen the next edition and there is little improvement.
> Among other things, the layout is so cluttered that, were I a
> student, I would have a hard time getting to the essential ideas.
>
> Recent phys-l postings have again raised some work-energy questions
> and this prompts my query. In your opinion, which of the intro texts
> handles this material best?
>
> John Milton
> DePaul University, Chicago


--
John Mallinckrodt        mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.