Physics TextBook Recommendations (1 Viewer)

JoannaS2

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Hey guys, i am considering buying some physics textbooks and i am not sure which ones to buy for yrs 11 and 12. So, do you guys have any suggestions?

I am also wondering if the excel and macquarie revision guides are enough for exams, as some textbooks are too thick with too much info and are usually expensive.

Thanks in advance!! :)
 

iMAN2

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Hi Joanna,
Have you checked which textbooks your school is providing you? If you have, which ones are they giving?

Good textbooks:
Jacaranda Physics
Physics in Context
Excel Physics (more of a supplementary text)

A past paper book such as Creelman Physics.
 

Aerath

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Yup, what iMAN2 said. I used Jacaranda Physics, and then had Success One (Odlum and Garner book - the blue one - or Creelman are better though, in my opinion, but the Asianess in me thought brand new $10 Success One was too good to give up).
 

annabackwards

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^
LOL

Physics in Focus is also very good as it goes through the syllabus dot point by dot point, but there are some mistakes here an there (little ones like in diagrams etc etc) :)
 

kaz1

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Yeah Jacaranda and Odlum and Garner past paper book are the way to go. If you do Astrophysics as an option read over the answers in OG a few times and you're pretty much guaranteed 22+/25.
 

cutemouse

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I used McMillian and Jacaranda as a supplement for my own study purposes.

Our school uses Jacaranda though, but our teacher never used the textbook to teach us (just used the syllabus and taught us systematically by going through dot points).
 

youngminii

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Tbh you might as well start learning year 12 stuff now and fail your year 11 Physics exams
They are useless

Oh and Jacaranda wins :p
Dot point is pretty good too
 

Aerath

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Um, youngminii speaks truth. Though, pay attention to magnetism, black body radiation, the gist of the equations of motion for Moving About. And if you have Astrophysics as your option, Cosmic Engine. But on the whole, Yr 11 is useless.
 

Jacob1991

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jacaranda is the way to go - very detailed and well explained. Dotpoint is also good, but gets a bit dodgy at parts esp. for Q2Q.
 

shady145

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and if you find yourself with little time to study and need to cover a whole option or two over 1 or 2 days, surfing series are straight to the point (but sometimes elave out info) and have some good detail <---- it saved me in chemistry for trials
 

cutemouse

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Tbh you might as well start learning year 12 stuff now and fail your year 11 Physics exams
They are useless
Not really. Technically, they can examine Year 11 work in the HSC, as it is assumed knowledge. But they don't often do that.

Take for example this year's HSC. The multiple choice question (last one IIRC) that asked you to select the correct graph for variations to electric field strength in a uniform field. In my opinion that is Year 11 work.

Also, another one that reminds me from many years ago is a question asking you to sketch a velocity-time graph for a ball that is thrown upwards.

Furthermore, I would think that the first two modules of Year 11 help with the first two modules of Year 12. For example, if you do not have any understanding of forces acting on an object (namely F=ma) and the equations of motion (v^2=u^2+2aS, etc) then how would you do projectile motion questions, especially hard ones? (namely the one in this year's HSC).

I believe that Year 11 prelim course is a foundation to the Year 12 HSC course.
 

shady145

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Not really. Technically, they can examine Year 11 work in the HSC, as it is assumed knowledge. But they don't often do that.

Take for example this year's HSC. The multiple choice question (last one IIRC) that asked you to select the correct graph for variations to electric field strength in a uniform field. In my opinion that is Year 11 work.

Also, another one that reminds me from many years ago is a question asking you to sketch a velocity-time graph for a ball that is thrown upwards.

Furthermore, I would think that the first two modules of Year 11 help with the first two modules of Year 12. For example, if you do not have any understanding of forces acting on an object (namely F=ma) and the equations of motion (v^2=u^2+2aS, etc) then how would you do projectile motion questions, especially hard ones? (namely the one in this year's HSC).

I believe that Year 11 prelim course is a foundation to the Year 12 HSC course.
well i didnt find it much use
 

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