hello misc

I am interested in learning more about Physics, recreationally.

Do you have any recommendations as to foundation/ College-level textbooks or online resources through which I can begin my studies?

Also, any recommendations as to which topics I should cover first in order to have a solid base from which I can specialise in the future would be much appreciated.

I studied it in High school and have since had a persisting interest in it as a subject. Now I want to delve deeper than pop-physics and podcasts.

Areas of interest are primarily astronomy/cosmology and particle physics, however I appreciate one cannot just dive into these topics without requisite knowledge if one wants to truly understand it.

Have any of you misc autodidacts successfully grasped physics?

A vague structure and short list of resources provided by those with experience and knowledge will be far more effective than me blindly googling random things. Illuminating torch vs stumbling around in the darkness.

Came in to say this. Amazing resource.

Do it properly - watch the lectures, do the problem sets, watch the recitations to make sure you got the problems right (or at least know why they were wrong).

On rc. That MIT resource is amazing.

If you are starting from no knowledge, start with:

Algebra
Calculus
Classical Physics
Differential Equations
Thermodynamics

^Absolutely required^


After you've learnt everything above, this is a good book for beginners on general relativity:

A first course in general relativity (Schutz)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521887054

This is more your speed brah

Kind of just depends how deep you want to go into the subject. Any thorough study of physics will have a lot of math...this is the side of physics that doesn’t get covered in most popular treatments.

Most high school physics start with trig-based kinematics problems and work/energy problems. You can do a whole lot with just these notions from Newton:

-F= GMm/r^2
-His 3 laws

A next step would be learning calculus and doing things like deriving Kepler’s Laws from Newton’s gravitation. Most good calculus textbooks should have this sort of derivation.

The best intro to relativity I have ever read is Einstein’s himself- he wrote a nontechnical intro just called “Relativity: the Special and General Theory”

https://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Sp.../dp/048641714X

It all depends how deep you wish to go. A full understanding of general relativity involves differential geometry and tensor calculus.

This is glossing over a lot of things like electromagnetism and thermodynamics...I think standard physics textbooks are still the best way to start with this stuff. The most important thing is to do problems.

As for quantum, unless you intend to do a thorough study of linear algebra, diffy-q, and group theory, a place to start would be just to survey the various experiments that were performed around the early to mid 1900s dealing with the subatomic.

[QUOTE=MaiGainsbrough post_id=1616096351][b]If you are starting from no knowledge, start with:[/b]

Algebra
Calculus
Classical Physics
Differential Equations
Thermodynamics

^Absolutely required^
[/img][/QUOTE]this - physics is basically just a lot of math and unless you have a working knowledge up through advanced calculus, you won't really understand it. Differential equations less so, unless you are really into Laplace transforms.

Do you have a telescope?

Also, try to find a local astronomy club. They are more common than you might think.

[QUOTE=PenorBrahNoHomo post_id=1616097001]This is more your speed brah

[img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcHSL03MCPs/Tj-9pHJr-sI/AAAAAAAAAFs/DHMNO0eiJmI/s640/Physics+For+Dummies.bmp[/mg][/QUOTE]"Thanks" he said, sarcastically.
[QUOTE=MaiGainsbrough post_id=1616096351][b]If you are starting from no knowledge, start with:[/b]

Algebra
Calculus
Classical Physics
Differential Equations
Thermodynamics

^Absolutely required^


After you've learnt everything above, this is a good book for beginners on general relativity:

[b]A first course in general relativity (Schutz)[/b]
[URL=https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521887054]https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521887054[/URL]

[img]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bKWpCSTjL._SX379_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg[/ig][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=numberguy12 post_id=1616111341]Kind of just depends how deep you want to go into the subject. Any thorough study of physics will have a lot of math...this is the side of physics that doesn’t get covered in most popular treatments.

Most high school physics start with trig-based kinematics problems and work/energy problems. You can do a whole lot with just these notions from Newton:

-F= GMm/r^2
-His 3 laws

A next step would be learning calculus and doing things like deriving Kepler’s Laws from Newton’s gravitation. Most good calculus textbooks should have this sort of derivation.

The best intro to relativity I have ever read is Einstein’s himself- he wrote a nontechnical intro just called “Relativity: the Special and General Theory”

[URL=https://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Special-General-Theory-Physics/dp/048641714X]https://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Sp.../dp/048641714X[/URL]

It all depends how deep you wish to go. A full understanding of general relativity involves differential geometry and tensor calculus.

This is glossing over a lot of things like electromagnetism and thermodynamics...I think standard physics textbooks are still the best way to start with this stuff. The most important thing is to do problems.

As for quantum, unless you intend to do a thorough study of linear algebra, diffy-q, and group theory, a place to start would be just to survey the various experiments that were performed around the early to mid 1900s dealing with the subatomic.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=HYDRAE post_id=1616112471]this - physics is basically just a lot of math and unless you have a working knowledge up through advanced calculus, you won't really understand it. Differential equations less so, unless you are really into Laplace transforms.[/QUOTE]
I was anticipating a lot of maths and I'm planning to study it in conjunction. Thanks for the rough guide, just what I was looking for as these fields are huge and very daunting to the uninitiated.
[QUOTE=Ironmanlet post_id=1616113261]Do you have a telescope?

Also, try to find a local astronomy club. They are more common than you might think.[/QUOTE]I do not own a telescope but I'll certainly look a club up, although, light pollution in London is pretty bad