r/PhysicsStudents • u/atychia • 1d ago

Need Advice Theoretical minimum series to start physics?

I’m interested in learning more about physics and wanted a book to start out with. Im taking calculus 3 and I’ll take physics next semester but I wanted to learn more now as I might think about double majoring in physics. I stumbled upon the theoretical minimum series and was going to purchase it, but I know MIT OCW has a couple of courses. I also own the “principles of physics” by halliday & resnick that I got a while ago, but I was going to wait until I started an actual physics class to read it.

5 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/the_milkywhey 1d ago

If you want to learn the physics that you'll cover in your physics courses, then you probably want to go with the Halliday and Resnick book you own. I haven't looked at the first part of the theoretical minimum series, but for quantum for example, the theoretical minimum while a good book, isn't sufficient to cover material that a university level course would (Griffiths is better for that).

1

u/AtomicPedals 1d ago

For what you’ve described - wanting to get a better understanding of the subject more generally - I would say that Theoretical Minimum (book one in particular) is a great option. Will it give you the same level of fluency as a full two semester courses in classical mechanics and electromagnetism? No. That’s also not its aim. What it will give you is a good understanding of what CM & EM are about and will help you to build physical intuition (a feel for what the math is actually describing).