College Physics

Throughout "College Physics", the authors reinforce the idea that physics explains how the real world works instead of giving the impression that physics is a self-contained system disconnected from reality. Because the beginning of a text sets up student expectations that are hard to change, the concept of force is introduced early in College Physics. This helps students to understand why we are interested in kinematic quantities, rather than just seeing physics as a series of equations to memorize and manipulate. Students then begin to realize that what may seem like a new concept may really be an extension, application, or specialized form of a concept previously introduced. The goal is for students to see physics as a small set of fundamental concepts that can be applied in many different situations, rather than a collection of loosely related facts and equations.