Top
For courses in introductory calculus-based physics.
This ISBN is for the 18-week Mastering Combo Access Pack access card code. Pearson eText is included.
Precise. Highly accurate. Carefully crafted.
Physics for Scientists and Engineers combines outstanding pedagogy and a clear and direct narrative with applications that draw the student into the physics at hand. The text gives students a thorough understanding of the basic concepts of physics in all its aspects, from mechanics to modern physics. Each topic begins with concrete observations and experiences that students can relate to their everyday lives and future professions, and then moves to generalizations and the more formal aspects of the physics to show why we believe what we believe. The 5th Edition presents a wide range of new applications including the physics of digital, added approaches for practical problem-solving techniques, and new Mastering Physics resources that enhance the understanding of physics.
Personalize learning with Mastering Physics
This flexible digital platform combines unrivaled content, online assessments, and customizable features so you can personalize learning and improve results, one student at a time.
Plus, get anytime, anywhere access with Pearson eText
Pearson eText is an easy-to-use digital textbook available within Mastering that lets you read, highlight, take notes, and review key vocabulary all in one place, even when offline.
NOTE: This Mastering® Combo Access pack includes a Mastering access code plus a loose-leaf print version (delivered by mail) to complement your Mastering experience. In addition to this access code, you will need a course invite link, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Mastering.
Douglas C. Giancoli obtained his BA in physics (summa cum laude) from UC Berkeley, his MS in physics at MIT, and his PhD in elementary particle physics back at UC Berkeley. He spent 2 years as a post-doctoral fellow at UC Berkeley's Virus lab developing skills in molecular biology and biophysics. His mentors include Nobel winners Emilio Segre and Donald Glaser. He has taught a wide range of undergraduate courses, traditional as well as innovative ones, and continues to update his textbooks meticulously, seeking ways to better provide an understanding of physics for students. Doug's favorite spare-time activity is the outdoors, especially climbing peaks. He says climbing peaks is like learning physics: it takes effort and the rewards are great.
Complete version: 44 Chapters including 9 Chapters of modern physics.
Classic version: 37 Chapters, 35 on classical physics, plus one each on relativity and quantum theory.
3 Volume version: Available separately or packaged together.
- Volume 1: Chapters 1-20 on mechanics, including fluids, oscillations, waves, plus heat and thermodynamics.
- Volume 2: Chapters 21-35 on electricity and magnetism, plus light and optics.
- Volume 3: Chapters 36-44 on modern physics: relativity, quantum theory, atomic physics, condensed matter, nuclear physics, elementary particles, cosmology and astrophysics.
Sections marked with a star * may be considered optional.
1. Introduction, Measurement, Estimating
1.1 How Science Works
1.2 Models, Theories, and Laws
1.3 Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant Figures
1.4 Units, Standards, and the SI System
1.5 Converting Units
1.6 Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating
*1.7 Dimensions and Dimensional Analysis
2. Describing Motion: Kinematics in One Dimension
2.1 Reference Frames and Displacement
2.2 Average Velocity
2.3 Instantaneous Velocity
2.4 Acceleration
2.5 Motion at Constant Acceleration
2.6 Solving Problems
2.7 Freely Falling Objects
*2.8 Variable Acceleration; Integral Calculus
3. Kinematics in Two or Three Dimensions; Vectors
3.1 Vectors and Scalars
3.2 Addition of Vectors--Graphical Methods
3.3 Subtraction of Vectors, and Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar
3.4 Adding Vectors by Components
3.5 Unit Vectors
3.6 Vector Kinematics
3.7 Projectile Motion
3.8 Solving Problems Involving Projectile Motion
3.9 Relative Velocity
4. Dynamics: Newton's Laws of Motion
4.1 Force
4.2 Newton's First Law of Motion
4.3 Mass
4.4 Newton's Second Law of Motion
4.5 Newton's Third Law of Motion
4.6 Weight--the Force of Gravity; and the Normal Force
4.7 Solving Problems with Newton's Laws: Free-Body Diagrams
4.8 Problem Solving--A General Approach
5. Using Newton's Laws: Friction, Circular Motion, Drag Forces
5.1 Using Newton's Laws with Friction
5.2 Uniform Circular Motion--Kinematics
5.3 Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion
5.4 Highway Curves: Banked and Unbanked
5.5 Nonuniform Circular Motion
*5.6 Velocity-Dependent Forces: Drag and Terminal Velocity
6. Gravitation and Newton's Synthesis
6.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
6.2 Vector Form of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
6.3 Gravity Near the Earth's Surface
6.4 Satellites and "Weightlessness"
6.5 Planets, Kepler's Laws, and Newton's Synthesis
6.6 Moon Rises an Hour Later Each Day
6.7 Types of Forces in Nature
*6.8 Gravitational Field
*6.9 Principle of Equivalence; Curvature of Space; Black Holes
7. Work and Energy
7.1 Work Done by a Constant Force
7.2 Scalar Product of Two Vectors
7.3 Work Done by a Varying Force
7.4 Kinetic Energy and the Work-Energy Principle
8. Conservation of Energy
8.1 Conservative and Nonconservative Forces
8.2 Potential Energy
8.3 Mechanical Energy and Its Conservation
8.4 Problem Solving Using Conservation of Mechanical Energy
8.5 The Law of Conservation of Energy
8.6 Energy Conservation with Dissipative Forces: Solving Problems
8.7 Gravitational Potential Energy and Escape Velocity
8.8 Power
8.9 Potential Energy Diagrams; Stable and Unstable Equilibrium
*8.10 Gravitational Assist (Slingshot)
9. Linear Momentum
9.1 Momentum and Its Relation to Force
9.2 Conservation of Momentum
9.3 Collisions and Impulse
9.4 Conservation of Energy and Momentum in Collisions
9.5 Elastic Collisions in One Dimension
9.6 Inelastic Collisions
9.7 Collisions in 2 or 3 Dimensions
9.8 Center of Mass (cm)
9.9 Center of Mass and Translational Motion
*9.10 Systems of Variable Mass; Rocket Propulsion
10. Rotational Motion
10.1 Angular Quantities
10.2 Vector Nature of Angular Quantities
10.3 Constant Angular Acceleration
10.4 Torque
10.5 Rotational Dynamics; Torque and Rotational Inertia
10.6 Solving Problems in Rotational Dynamics
10.7 Determining Moments of Inertia
10.8 Rotational Kinetic Energy
10.9 Rotational plus Translational Motion; Rolling
*10.10 Why Does a Rolling Sphere Slow Down?
11. Angular Momentum; General Rotation
11.1 Angular Momentum?--?Objects Rotating About a Fixed Axis
11.2 Vector Cross Product; Torque as a Vector
11.3 Angular Momentum of a Particle
11.4 Angular Momentum and Torque for a System of Particles; General Motion
11.5 Angular Momentum and Torque for a Rigid Object
11.6 Conservation of Angular Momentum
*11.7 The Spinning Top and Gyroscope
11.8 Rotating Frames of Reference; Inertial Forces
*11.9 The Coriolis Effect
12. Static Equilibrium; Elasticity and Fracture
12.1 The Conditions for Equilibrium
12.2 Solving Statics Problems
*12.3 Applications to Muscles and Joints
12.4 Stability and Balance
12.5 Elasticity; Stress and Strain
12.6 Fracture
*12.7 Trusses and Bridges
*12.8 Arches and Domes
13. Fluids
13.1 Phases of Matter
13.2 Density and Specific Gravity
13.3 Pressure in Fluids
13.4 Atmospheric Pressure and Gauge Pressure
13.5 Pascal's Principle
13.6 Measurement of Pressure; Gauges and the Barometer
13.7 Buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle
13.8 Fluids in Motion; Flow Rate and the Equation of Continuity
13.9 Bernoulli's Equation
13.10 Applications of Bernoulli's Principle: Torricelli, Airplanes, Baseballs, Blood Flow
13.11 Viscosity
*13.12 Flow in Tubes: Poiseuille's Equation, Blood Flow
*13.13 Surface Tension and Capillarity
*13.14 Pumps, and the Heart
14. Oscillations
14.1 Oscillations of a Spring
14.2 Simple Harmonic Motion
14.3 Energy in the Simple Harmonic Oscillator
14.4 Simple Harmonic Motion Related to Uniform Circular Motion
14.5 The Simple Pendulum
*14.6 The Physical Pendulum and the Torsion Pendulum
14.7 Damped Harmonic Motion
14.8 Forced Oscillations; Resonance
15. Wave Motion
15.1 Characteristics of Wave Motion
15.2 Types of Waves: Transverse and Longitudinal
15.3 Energy Transported by Waves
15.4 Mathematical Representation of a Traveling Wave
*15.5 The Wave Equation
15.6 The Principle of Superposition
15.7 Reflection and Transmission
15.8 Interference
15.9 Standing Waves; Resonance
15.10 Refraction
15.11 Diffraction
16. Sound
16.1 Characteristics of Sound
16.2 Mathematical Representation of Longitudinal Waves
16.3 Intensity of Sound: Decibels
16.4 Sources of Sound: Vibrating Strings and Air Columns
*16.5 Quality of Sound, and Noise; Superposition
16.6 Interference of Sound Waves; Beats
16.7 Doppler Effect
*16.8 Shock Waves and the Sonic Boom
*16.9 Applications: Sonar, Ultrasound, and Medical Imaging
17. Temperature, Thermal Expansion, and the Ideal Gas Law
17.1 Atomic Theory of Matter
17.2 Temperature and Thermometers
17.3 Thermal Equilibrium and the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
17.4 Thermal Expansion
*17.5 Thermal Stresses
17.6 The Gas Laws and Absolute Temperature
17.7 The Ideal Gas Law
17.8 Problem Solving with the Ideal Gas Law
17.9 Ideal Gas Law in Terms of Molecules: Avogadro's Number
*17.10 Ideal Gas Temperature Scale--?a Standard
18. Kinetic Theory of Gases
18.1 The Ideal Gas Law and the Molecular Interpretation of Temperature
18.2 Distribution of Molecular Speeds
18.3 Real Gases and Changes of Phase
18.4 Vapor Pressure and Humidity
18.5 Temperature of Water Decrease with Altitude
18.6 Van der Waals Equation of State
18.7 Mean Free Path
18.8 Diffusion
19. Heat and the First Law of Thermodynamics
19.1 Heat as Energy Transfer
19.2 Internal Energy
19.3 Specific Heat
19.4 Calorimetry--?Solving Problems
19.5 Latent Heat
19.6 The First Law of Thermodynamics
19.7 Thermodynamic Processes and the First Law
19.8 Molar Specific Heats for Gases, and the Equipartition of Energy
19.9 Adiabatic Expansion of a Gas
19.10 Heat Transfer: Conduction, Convection, Radiation
20. Second Law of Thermodynamics
20.1 The Second Law of Thermodynamics--??Introduction
20.2 Heat Engines
20.3 The Carnot Engine; Reversible and Irreversible Processes
20.4 Refrigerators, Air Conditioners, and Heat Pumps
20.5 Entropy
20.6 Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
20.7 Order to Disorder
20.8 Unavailability of Energy; Heat Death
20.9 Statistical Interpretation of Entropy and the Second Law
*20.10 Thermodynamic Temperature; Third Law of Thermodynamics
20.11 Thermal Pollution, Global Warming, and Energy Resources
21. Electric Charge and Electric Field
21.1 Static Electricity; Electric Charge and Its Conservation
21.2 Electric Charge in the Atom
21.3 Insulators and Conductors
21.4 Induced Charge; the Electroscope
21.5 Coulomb's Law
21.6 The Electric Field
21.7 Electric Field Calculations for Continuous Charge Distributions
21.8 Field Lines
21.9 Electric Fields and Conductors
21.10 Motion of a Charged Particle in an Electric Field
21.11 Electric Dipoles
*21.12 Electric Forces in Molecular Biology: DNA Structure and Replication
22. Gauss's Law
22.1 Electric Flux
22.2 Gauss's Law
22.3 Applications of Gauss's Law
*22.4 Experimental Basis of Gauss's and Coulomb's Laws
23. Electric Potential
23.1 Electric Potential Energy and Potential Difference
23.2 Relation between Electric Potential and Electric Field
23.3 Electric Potential Due to Point Charges
23.4 Potential Due to Any Charge Distribution
23.5 Equipotential Lines and Surfaces
23.6 Potential Due to Electric Dipole; Dipole Moment
23.7 E?Determined from V
23.8 Electrostatic Potential Energy; the Electron Volt
23.9 Digital; Binary Numbers; Signal Voltage
*23.10 TV and Computer Monitors
*23.11 Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
24. Capacitance, Dielectrics, Electric Energy Storage
24.1 Capacitors
24.2 Determination of Capacitance
24.3 Capacitors in Series and Parallel
24.4 Storage of Electric Energy
24.5 Dielectrics
*24.6 Molecular Description of Dielectrics
25. Electric Current and Resistance
25.1 The Electric Battery
25.2 Electric Current
25.3 Ohm's Law: Resistance and Resistors
25.4 Resistivity
25.5 Electric Power
25.6 Power in Household Circuits
25.7 Alternating Current
25.8 Microscopic View of Electric Current
*25.9 Superconductivity
*25.10 Electrical Conduction in the Human Nervous System
26. DC Circuits
26.1 EMF and Terminal Voltage
26.2 Resistors in Series and in Parallel
26.3 Kirchhoff's Rules
26.4 EMFs in Series and in Parallel; Charging a Battery
26.5 RC Circuits?--?Resistor and Capacitor in Series
26.6 Electric Hazards and Safety
26.7 Ammeters and Voltmeters--?Measurement Affects Quantity Measured
27. Magnetism
27.1 Magnets and Magnetic Fields
27.2 Electric Currents Produce Magnetic Fields
27.3 Force on an Electric Current in a Magnetic Field; Definition of B?
27.4 Force on an Electric Charge Moving in a Magnetic Field
27.5 Torque on a Current Loop; Magnetic Dipole Moment
27.6 Applications: Motors, Loudspeakers, Galvanometers
27.7 Discovery and Properties of the Electron
27.8 The Hall Effect
27.9 Mass Spectrometer
28. Sources of Magnetic Field
28.1 Magnetic Field Due to a Straight Wire
28.2 Force between Two Parallel Wires
28.3 Definitions of the Ampere and the Coulomb
28.4 Ampère's Law
28.5 Magnetic Field of a Solenoid and a Toroid
28.6 Biot-Savart Law
28.7 Magnetic Field Due to a Single Moving Charge
28.8 Magnetic Materials--?Ferromagnetism
28.9 Electromagnets and Solenoids--?Applications
28.10 Magnetic Fields in Magnetic Materials; Hysteresis
*28.11 Paramagnetism and Diamagnetism
29. Electromagnetic Induction and Faraday's Law
29.1 Induced EMF
29.2 Faraday's Law of Induction; Lenz's Law
29.3 EMF Induced in a Moving Conductor
29.4 Electric Generators
29.5 Back EMF and Counter Torque; Eddy Currents
29.6 Transformers and Transmission of Power
29.7A Changing Magnetic Flux Produces an Electric Field
*29.8 Information Storage: Magnetic and Semiconductor
*29.9 Applications of Induction: Microphone, Seismograph, GFCI
30. Inductance, Electromagnetic Oscillations, and AC Circuits
30.1 Mutual Inductance
30.2 Self-Inductance; Inductors
30.3 Energy Stored in a Magnetic Field
30.4 LR Circuits
30.5 LC Circuits and Electromagnetic Oscillations
30.6 LC Oscillations with Resistance (LRC Circuit)
30.7 AC Circuits and Reactance
30.8 LRC Series AC Circuit; Phasor Diagrams
30.9 Resonance in AC Circuits
30.10 Impedance Matching
*30.11 Three-Phase AC
31. Maxwell's Equations and Electromagnetic Waves
31.1 Changing Electric Fields Produce Magnetic Fields; Displacement Current
31.2 Gauss's Law for Magnetism
31.3 Maxwell's Equations
31.4 Production of Electromagnetic Waves
31.5 Electromagnetic Waves, and Their Speed, Derived from Maxwell's Equations
31.6 Light as an Electromagnetic Wave and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
31.7 Measuring the Speed of Light
31.8 Energy in EM Waves; the Poynting Vector
31.9 Radiation Pressure
31.10 Radio and Television; Wireless Communication
32. Light: Reflection and Refraction
32.1 The Ray Model of Light
32.2 Reflection; Image Formation by a Plane Mirror
32.3 Formation of Images by Spherical Mirrors
32.4 Seeing Yourself in a Magnifying Mirror (Concave)
32.5 Convex (Rearview) Mirrors
32.6 Index of Refraction
32.7 Refraction: Snell's Law
32.8 The Visible Spectrum and Dispersion
32.9 Total Internal Reflection; Fiber Optics
*32.10 Refraction at a Spherical Surface
33. Lenses and Optical Instruments
33.1 Thin Lenses; Ray Tracing and Focal Length
33.2 The Thin Lens Equation
33.3 Combinations of Lenses
33.4 Lensmaker's Equation
33.5 Cameras: Film and Digital
33.6 The Human Eye; Corrective Lenses
33.7 Magnifying Glass
33.8 Telescopes
33.9 Compound Microscope
33.10 Aberrations of Lenses and Mirrors
34. The Wave Nature of Light: Interference and Polarization
34.1 Waves vs. Particles; Huygens' Principle and Diffraction
34.2 Huygens' Principle and the Law of Refraction
34.3 Interference--?Young's Double-Slit Experiment
34.4 Intensity in the Double-Slit Interference Pattern
34.5 Interference in Thin Films
34.6 Michelson Interferometer
34.7 Polarization
*34.8 Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD)
*34.9 Scattering of Light by the Atmosphere
34.10 Lumens, Luminous Flux, and Luminous Intensity
*34.11 Efficiency of Lightbulbs
35. Diffraction
35.1 Diffraction by a Single Slit or Disk
35.2 Intensity in Single-Slit Diffraction Pattern
35.3 Diffraction in the Double-Slit Experiment
35.4 Interference vs. Diffraction
35.5 Limits of Resolution; Circular Apertures
35.6 Resolution of Telescopes and Microscopes; the ? Limit
35.7 Resolution of the Human Eye and Useful Magnification
35.8 Diffraction Grating
35.9 The Spectrometer and Spectroscopy
*35.10 Peak Widths and Resolving Power for a Diffraction Grating
35.11 X-Rays and X-Ray Diffraction
*35.12 X-Ray Imaging and Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
*35.13 Specialty Microscopes and Contrast
36. The Special Theory of Relativity
36.1 Galilean.Newtonian Relativity
36.2 The Michelson.Morley Experiment
36.3 Postulates of the Special Theory of Relativity
36.4 Simultaneity
36.5 Time Dilation and the Twin Paradox
36.6 Length Contraction
36.7 Four-Dimensional Space.Time
36.8 Galilean and Lorentz Transformations
36.9 Relativistic Momentum
36.10 The Ultimate Speed
36.11 E = mc2; Mass and Energy
36.12 Doppler Shift for Light
36.13 The Impact of Special Relativity
37. Early Quantum Theory and Models of the Atom
37.1 Blackbody Radiation; Planck's Quantum Hypothesis
37.2 Photon Theory of Light and the Photoelectric Effect
37.3 Energy, Mass, and Momentum of a Photon
37.4 Compton Effect
37.5 Photon Interactions; Pair Production
37.6 Wave.Particle Duality; the Principle of Complementarity
37.7 Wave Nature of Matter
37.8 Electron Microscopes
37.9 Early Models of the Atom
37.10 Atomic Spectra: Key to the Structure of the Atom
37.11 The Bohr Model
37.12 de Broglie's Hypothesis Applied to Atoms
38. Quantum Mechanics
38.1 Quantum Mechanics--A New Theory
38.2 The Wave Function and Its Interpretation; the Double-Slit Experiment
38.3 The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
38.4 Philosophic Implications; Probability Versus Determinism
38.5 The Schrödinger Equation in One Dimension-- Time-Independent Form
*38.6 Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation
38.7 Free Particles; Plane Waves and Wave Packets
38.8 Particle in an Infinitely Deep Square Well Potential (a Rigid Box)
38.9 Finite Potential Well
38.10 Tunneling through a Barrier
39. Quantum Mechanics of Atoms
39.1 Quantum-Mechanical View of Atoms
39.2 Hydrogen Atom: Schrödinger Equation and Quantum Numbers
39.3 Hydrogen Atom Wave Functions
39.4 Multielectron Atoms; the Exclusion Principle
39.5 Periodic Table of Elements
39.6 X-Ray Spectra and Atomic Number
*39.7 Magnetic Dipole Moment; Total Angular Momentum
39.8 Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
39.9 Lasers
*39.10 Holography
40. Molecules and Solids
40.1 Bonding in Molecules
40.2 Potential-Energy Diagrams for Molecules
40.3 Weak (van der Waals) Bonds
40.4 Molecular Spectra
40.5 Bonding in Solids
40.6 Free-Electron Theory of Metals; Fermi Energy
40.7 Band Theory of Solids
40.8 Semiconductors and Doping
40.9 Semiconductor Diodes, LEDs, OLEDs
40.10 Transistors: Bipolar and MOSFETs
40.11 Integrated Circuits, 14-nm Technology
41. Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity
41.1 Structure and Properties of the Nucleus
41.2 Binding Energy and Nuclear Forces
41.3 Radioactivity
41.4 Alpha Decay
41.5 Beta Decay
41.6 Gamma Decay
41.7 Conservation of Nucleon Number and Other Conservation Laws
41.8 Half-Life and Rate of Decay
41.9 Decay Series
41.10 Radioactive Dating
41.11 Detection of Particles
42. Nuclear Energy; Effects and Uses of Radiation
42.1 Nuclear Reactions and the Transmutation of Elements
42.2 Cross Section
42.3 Nuclear Fission; Nuclear Reactors
42.4 Nuclear Fusion
42.5 Passage of Radiation Through Matter; Biological Damage
42.6 Measurement of Radiation--Dosimetry
*42.7 Radiation Therapy
*42.8 Tracers in Research and Medicine
*42.9 Emission Tomography: PET and SPECT
*42.10 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR); Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
43. Elementary Particles
43.1 High-Energy Particles and Accelerators
43.2 Beginnings of Elementary Particle Physics--Particle Exchange
43.3 Particles and Antiparticles
43.4 Particle Interactions and Conservation Laws
43.5 Neutrinos
43.6 Particle Classification
43.7 Particle Stability and Resonances
43.8 Strangeness? Charm? Towards a New Model
43.9 Quarks
43.10 The Standard Model: QCD and Electroweak Theory
43.11 Grand Unified Theories
43.12 Strings and Supersymmetry
44. Astrophysics and Cosmology
44.1 Stars and Galaxies
44.2 Stellar Evolution: Birth and Death of Stars, Nucleosynthesis
44.3 Distance Measurements
44.4 General Relativity: Gravity and the Curvature of Space
44.5 The Expanding Universe: Redshift and Hubble's Law
44.6 The Big Bang and the Cosmic Microwave Background
44.7 The Standard Cosmological Model: Early History of the Universe
44.8I nflation: Explaining Flatness, Uniformity, and Structure
44.9 Dark Matter and Dark Energy
44.10 Large-Scale Structure of the Universe
44.11 Gravitational Waves--LIGO
44.12 Finally . . .
Appendix A Mathematical Formulas
Appendix B Derivatives and Integrals
Appendix C Numerical Integration
Appendix D More on Dimensional Analysis
Appendix E Gravitational Force Due to a Spherical Mass Distribution
Appendix F Differential Form of Maxwell's Equations
Appendix G Selected Isotopes
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
Need Help? Copyright © 1999-2026
