Description
In writing this Ninth Edition of Physics for Scientists and Engineers, we continue our ongoing efforts to improve the clarity of presentation and include new pedagogical features that help support the learning and teaching processes. Drawing on positive feedback from users of the Eighth Edition, data gathered from both professors and students who use Enhanced WebAssign, as well as reviewers’ suggestions, we have refined the text to better meet the needs
of students and teachers.
This textbook is intended for a course in introductory physics for students majoring in science or engineering. The entire contents of the book in its extended version could be covered in a three-semester course, but it is possible to use the material in shorter sequences with the omission of selected chapters and sections. The mathematical background of the student taking this course should ideally include one semester of calculus. If that is not possible, the student should be enrolled in a concurrent course in introductory calculus.
Changes in the Ninth Edition
A large number of changes and improvements were made for the Ninth Edition of this text. Some of the new features are based on our experiences and on current trends in science education. Other changes were incorporated in response to comments and suggestions offered by users of the Eighth Edition and by reviewers of the manuscript. The features listed here represent the major changes in the Ninth Edition.
Enhanced Integration of the Analysis Model Approach to Problem Solving. Students are faced with hundreds of problems during their physics courses. A relatively small number of fundamental principles form the basis of these problems. When faced with a new problem, a physicist forms a model of the problem that can be solved in a simple way by identifying the fundamental principle that is applicable in the problem. For example, many problems involve conservation of energy, Newton’s second law, or kinematic equations. Because the physicist has studied these principles and their applications extensively, he or she can apply this knowledge as a model for solving a new problem. Although it would be ideal for students to follow this same process, most students have difficulty becoming familiar with the entire palette of fundamental principles that are available. It is easier for students to identify a situation rather than a fundamental principle.