• Physics Fundamentals textbook is comprised of 30 Chapters, 960 pages, and 1500 photographs and illustrations.

• Physics LE online homework option available. Physics LE provides online homework and quizzes which utilize randomized values and intermediate problem-solving steps, along with automatic grading & record keeping. Physics LE also includes the Physics Fundamentals eTextbook, creating a very cost effective package.

• Numerous applications of physics to biology, technology, and sports; illustrating the relevance and applicability of physics to students’ lives.

• Abstract physical concepts are introduced by appealing to common experiences that illustrate the concepts.

• Illustrated questions and problems allow students to visualize the situations described.

• Over 300 worked examples—a general problem solving strategy is outlined and then reinforced in the solution of examples throughout the book.

• 2000 end-of-chapter questions and problems that range in difficulty from easy to challenging. Many reviewers have praised the originality and effectiveness of the problems.

• End-of-chapter conceptual questions present interesting situations that test students qualitative understanding of physics principles.

• 1,000 page eBook Physics Fundamentals Instructor Solutions Manual containing worked-out solutions for all chapter-end problems provided in PDF format (provided to instructors upon textbook adoption).

• Also included upon adoption, Photos and Illustrations collection containing digital files of all photos and illustrations contained in the textbook for use with PowerPoint presentations or other media presentations.

• Available separately for students—Student Study Guide with Selected Solutions (ISBN 978-0-9713134-6-0, eBook, $39.95). This 350 page solutions manual and study guide contains chapter reviews of important concepts and equations, helpful hints for problem solving, and detailed solutions to 400 end-of-chapter problems from the textbook. Problem solving skills are developed by helping the student conceptualize and understand the problem, and then providing a detailed step-by-step solution that clearly shows the thinking process involved.

• Additional support materials may be found on the Thinking in Physics website. Thinking in Physics is a research-based approach to teaching introductory physics developed by Dr. Coletta, involving strategies for improving scientific reasoning, conceptual understanding, and problem solving.

An Exceptional Physics Textbook:
Physics Fundamentals by Vincent Coletta meets the needs of all algebra-trigonometry based college physics courses. It is also appropriate for AP, Honors, and advanced high school physics courses. Physics Fundamentals is available in print (hardcover/full color) or as an eBook. Priced well below other physics textbooks, substantial cost savings can be realized with either format.

Over its 10 year development period, Dr. Coletta conducted extensive student reviews and thorough class testing to ensure the text is understandable and interesting to a wide-range of students. Dr. Coletta’s research in PER (Physics Education Research) has provided better understanding into student reasoning skills and strategies to address difficulties students encounter in learning physics. Thousands of students used Physics Fundamentals in manuscript form, and peer review panels examined the material for clarity and accuracy. This extraordinary development effort has produced a text that is exceptional in its use of direct, concise language to convey ideas and its explanation of difficult concepts.

Chapters open with an overview of how physics concepts relate to topics of interest to students. Wherever possible, abstract physical concepts are introduced by appealing to common experiences that illustrate the concepts. Numerous applications of physics to biology, technology, sports, and everyday life are included throughout each chapter.

Derivations are sometimes integrated in the text and sometimes presented at the end of a section or chapter. This flexible organization allows the author to present the mathematical explanation at the most appropriate place to enhance student understanding, and ensures that a level of qualitative understanding has been reached before the mathematical foundations of the concept are introduced.

The art program is unsurpassed in a physics textbook. 1500 photographs and illustrations help clarify physics concepts for today's visual learners. Three-dimensional perspective drawings are used extensively throughout the text and illustrations often accompany examples.

Two kinds of essays are provided throughout the text: In Perspective historical essays and Closer Look essays that involve physical concepts or applications. In Perspective essays are mainly short biographies of physicists who have made some of the most important discoveries in physics. They offer enough depth to humanize their subjects and sometimes to help understand what motivated their discoveries. Closer Look essays are discussions of physical principles and applications that encourage the student to think about subjects likely to arouse interest.

About the Author:
Dr. Vincent Coletta earned a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Notre Dame, and has been a Professor of Physics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles for over 40 years.  Professor Coletta chaired the LMU Physics Department for 11 years. In that capacity, he built the department’s Interactive Physics Classroom, with a unique design that facilitates interactive learning.  Dr. Coletta’s graduate research involved calculating long-range correlations between spins in many-body magnetic systems – a problem in statistical mechanics. His graduate research advisor was Professor Gerald Jones, an academic descendant of Uhlenbeck, Sommerfeld, and Boltzmann.

Dr. Coletta’s textbook, Physics Fundamentals, was first published in 1995, and has been used throughout the world. Over the past 20 years Dr. Coletta has been active in Physics Education Research – the scientific investigation of the learning and teaching of physics. He has analyzed test results from thousands of students in order to better understand the factors that influence their success in physics. This has led to publications in the American Journal of Physics, Physical Review, and The Physics Teacher. His current project, Thinking in Physics, is designed to enhance the reasoning skills of students at risk in introductory physics. This project has received National Science Foundation funding.

eTextbook (Lifetime Access): $79.00
Hardcover Print Textbook: $119.00

ISBN 978-0-9713134-5-3 (Hardcover Print)
ISBN 978-0-9713134-2-2 (eTextbook)

Physics LE Online Homework
Physics Fundamentals eTextbook included

College: $27.95 per student per semester

High School: $10.95 per student per year

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Table of Contents
Chapter 4: Newton's Laws of Motion
Chapter 7: Energy
Chapter 16: Mechanical Waves; Sound
Chapter 17: The Electric Field

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