Schaum's 3,000 Solved Problems in Physics

An Excellent Aid, Problems Not Just Solved, But Explained!

In anticipation of my son taking high school Physics, I went looking for a workbook. In previous years, he'd had some trouble with science and math textbooks which gave too few and not varied enough examples for completing homework. He was often searching on the internet for how to solve a problem. I had three requirements: 1. Huge variety of problems 2. Not just the answers given, but the work shown 3. Not just the work shown, but reasoning given where appropriate Schaum's "3,000 Solved Problems in Physics" answers all three requirements and does more. The solution is shown directly under the problem. The idea is that you put a piece of paper over the solution while you attack the problem. Here's a sample problem from the Chapter on "Coulomb's Law and Electric Fields" to show how the reasoning is given. [Note, I can't figure out how to make superscript on this webpage review. The [-12], [-19] and [-15] are actually superscript -12, etc., with no brackets.] 25.51 An oil drop carries six electronic charges, has a mass of 1.6 x 10[-12]g, and falls with a terminal velocity in air. What magnitude of vertical electric field is required to make the drop move upward with the same speed as it was formerly moving downward? SOLUTION: When the drop falls at its terminal velocity, the air friction force equals -mg. To make it move upward with the same speed, one has to overcome gravity as well as air friction in the downward direction, so it takes a force of 2mg upward. Each electron carries 1.6 x 10[-19]C of negative charge. F = Eq = 2mg E(6 x 1.60 x 10[-19]) = 2(1.6 x 10[-15])(9.8) and one more complicated formula with the ending answer 32.7 kN/C Diagrams and graphs aplenty where needed. There's 39 chapters. Physics covers a lot territory, and though I imagine this book doesn't cover every single word problem you'd ever come across, is still a thorough book. Also, the organization of this workbook is very good. At the beginning of the book is a chart for each chapter. Take...