Understanding Physics ? Second edition is a
comprehensive, yet compact, introductory physics textbook aimed at
physics undergraduates and also at engineers and other scientists
taking a general physics course. Written with today's students in
mind, this text covers the core material required by an
introductory course in a clear and refreshing way. A second colour
is used throughout to enhance learning and understanding. Each
topic is introduced from first principles so that the text is
suitable for students without a prior background in physics. At the
same time the book is designed to enable students to proceed easily
to subsequent courses in physics and may be used to support such
courses.
Mathematical methods (in particular, calculus and vector
analysis) are introduced within the text as the need arises and are
presented in the context of the physical problems which they are
used to analyse. Particular aims of the book are to demonstrate to
students that the easiest, most concise and least ambiguous way to
express and describe phenomena in physics is by using the language
of mathematics and that, at this level, the total amount of
mathematics required is neither large nor particularly
demanding.

'Modern physics' topics (relativity and quantum mechanics) are
introduced at an earlier stage than is usually found in
introductory textbooks and are integrated with the more 'classical'
material from which they have evolved. This book encourages
students to develop an intuition for relativistic and quantum
concepts at as early a stage as is practicable.

The text takes a reflective approach towards the scientific
method at all stages and, in keeping with the title of the text,
emphasis is placed on understanding of, and insight into, the
material presented.