University Physics

University Physics is an introductory, calculus-based textbook for students of science and engineering. It keeps to the material a first course needs and introduces each topic when it becomes necessary for solving problems, so students build their toolkit as they go. The aim is to lay groundwork that later, more advanced study can build on.

Calculus gets unusual attention here. Extended, integrated discussions revisit key concepts and show how calculus is actually used in physics, which helps students who are still learning the mathematics alongside the science. Appendices and review sections support this, so a student does not need to have mastered calculus before starting.

The authors, Shane Larson and Ron Hellings, also bring in a few subjects normally saved for upper-level undergraduates, damped oscillations among them, and explain them in accessible terms. The book is open about the idealizations that introductory physics relies on, and it gives keen students a glimpse of what lies beyond them.

The text includes clear illustrations and a large set of questions. Instructor resources are available, and the book is designed to give teachers room to shape their own approach to the introductory material.