Learning Physics

Physics Self Study

The usual process of learning physics at the university level is to do 3 passes through each area, each time going to more depth and mathematical sophistication.

Map of Physics

Undergraduate Years 1-2

The usual process of learning physics is to first learn basics in a year and a half long course that covers the basics of a broad range of physics topics using calculus-based methods. The first year would cover classical physics topics such as mechanics, electromagnetics, waves, thermodynamics and optics. Another half year would be spent on introducing modern physics such as special relativity and quantum mechanics.

Usually this is taught out of a single, large, textbook such as “Fundamentals of Physics with Modern Physics” by Halliday and Resnick or “University Physics with Modern Physics” by Young and Freedman. Sometimes the modern physics is taught from a different text such as one of the “Modern Physics” texts by Krane, Tipler or Harris.

Sometimes universities offer honors courses which provide a faster-paced introduction. The textbook “An Introduction to Classical Mechanics” by Kleppner and Kolenkow is an example of a textbook used in such courses, as is “Electricity and Magnetism” by Purcell and Morin.

Undergraduate Years 2-4

Intermediate-level courses using separate textbooks for each subject (e.g. Griffiths for electromagnetism, Taylor for mechanics) Example 2nd year choices include:

  • “Classical Mechanics” by Taylor or “Introduction to Classical Mechanics” by Morin
  • “Introduction to Electrodynamics” by Griffiths

Example 3rd year choices include:

  • “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics” by Griffiths
  • “Statistical Physics”

Example 4th year choices include:

  • condensed matter, nuclear physics, particle physics, quantum field theory and general relativity at 4th year
  • “Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein’s General Relativity” by Hartle

Graduate (MS/PhD)

Advanced courses using separate textbooks again (e.g. Jackson for electromagnetism, Goldstein for classical mechanics)

Physics Self Study

  1. Susan J. Fowler - So You Want to Learn Physics…
  2. John Baez - How to Learn Math and Physics
  3. Gerard ‘t Hooft - How to become a GOOD Theoretical Physicist - recommendations from a Nobel Prize winner
  4. ZapperZ - So You Want to be a Physicist - Discusses the whole process of becoming/being a physics major in college, all the way to going through a Ph.D program, and even beyond that in the land of postdoctoral work and employment.
  5. Chicago Undergraduate Physics Bibliography

Study Notes

  1. The Feynman Lectures on Physics
  2. David Tong: Lectures on Theoretical Physics
  3. MIT Physics Professor Edwin Taylor on the Principle of Least Action

Great Video Series

  1. The Theoretical Minimum - Stanford physics Professor Leonard Susskind
  2. Fundamentals of Physics I and II - Yale Professor Ramamurti Shankar
  3. Lectures by MIT Physics Professor Walter Lewin - complete 8.01x (Physics I: Classical Mechanics), 8.02x (Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism) and 8.03 (Physics III: Vibrations and Waves) lectures as presented by Walter Lewin in the fall of 1999, spring of 2002 and fall of 2004.