The Physics of Everyday Phenomena: A Conceptual Introduction to Physics, 8/e
W. Thomas Griffith,
Pacific University Juliet W. Brosing,
Pacific University
ISBN: 0073513903 Copyright year: 2015
What's New
We have made several significant changes to the eighth edition. As the book has evolved, however, we have tried to remain faithful to the principles that have guided the writing of the book from the outset. One of these has been to keep the book to a manageable length, in both the number of chapters and the overall content. Many books become bloated as users and reviewers request more and more pet topics. We have tried to add material judiciously and have pared material elsewhere so that the overall length of the book has not changed.
As many of you may realize, creating clear, meaningful conceptual questions is difficult and we are proud of the many conceptual questions we have developed. We consistently get praise from reviewers and users alike about the value of these questions. Thus we have not changed the conceptual questions with this edition, but we have added nine new ones at the ends of chapters 2, 4, 12, and 19.
Several reviewers have asked over the years that we change the numbers in the exercises so that students are not just copying the answers from their friends whom took the class the year before. Several other reviewers have asked that we not change the numbers in the exercises as they have built up solutions that they don’t want to revise. We have compromised and changed the numbers in 137 of the even numbered exercises and 27 synthesis problems at the end of the chapters. We have kept the numbers the same in all the odd numbered ones (and those answers appear in Appendix D).
The example boxes have been praised by many users. As many of the students whom use this book are somewhat math phobic, we strive to make the example boxes helpful and clear. Every edition we make improvements in these boxes, and we have not only improved several for this edition, but also added three new ones. We have expanded example box 3.3 to help students understand how to interpret their answers when a ball is thrown up and then comes back down below the starting point. We have also expanded the first example box in chapter 9 so the computation of the area is clearer, and we have updated example box 9.2 so that it now deals with a scuba diver. We have added two new example boxes in this chapter, one dealing with applying Archimedes’ Principle, and one with the continuity equation. In chapter 11, example box 11.2 has been expanded to discuss work and efficiency of a steam engine. In chapter 17, a new example box has been added dealing with a real image and negative magnification.
The everyday phenomenon boxes are a way to help students see the connections between the physics they are learning and the everyday world. We have replaced the everyday phenomenon box 19.2 that was about the nuclear accident at Chernobyl with the more recent (2011) disaster in Japan, when the nuclear reactors at Fukushima were impacted by the tsunami.
In addition to these specific changes, we have updated the photos and diagrams for a more modern look. We have also revised the text in many places to enhance understanding of some of the more difficult concepts.
Building an Energy Emphasis. Although this book remains a basic conceptual physics text, we are working to make the book better serve instructors who want to teach a conceptual physics course with an energy emphasis. A syllabus for instructors wishing to teach a course with an energy emphasis can be found on the companion website. We plan to continue building this emphasis in future editions.
Continued Refinements in Artwork and Textual Clarity. Although the textual clarity of this text has been extensively praised by many reviewers and users, it can always be improved. Reviewers continue to point out places where either the art or the text can be improved, and we have responded to many of these suggestions. To this end, we have made many changes, often subtle, to both the art and the text.
2015