Thirty years ago, this best-selling text defined the “conceptual” approach to introductory physics. From the course-defining author Paul Hewitt, the Ninth Edition Media Update shows how a compelling text and innovative media can be integrated to bring physics to life for non-science majors.
Hewitt's text engages students with analogies and imagery from real-world situations to build a strong conceptual understanding of physical principles ranging from classical mechanics to modern physics. With this strong foundation, students are better equipped to understand the equations and formulas of physics, and motivated to explore the thought-provoking exercises and fun projects in each chapter. Icons in the text direct students to The Physics Place website, which now features five new interactive and animated tutorials that help students visualize difficult topics, as well as video demonstrations, and hundreds of problems and activities to help students review the material. In addition to a Practicing Physics Workbook, each new copy of the Media Update also includes an Electronic Textbook CD-ROM, perfect for students who need to study on the go. A media grid at the front of the text shows how the media complements the text, giving students an easy-to-follow guide on how to use animated explanations and interactive exercises to consolidate and test their understanding.
Paul G. Hewitt was a Silver Medalist flyweight Boxing Champion for New England States at the age of 17. He was then a cartoonist, sign painter, and uranium prospector before beginning his physics studies.
Conceptual Physics was first published in 1971, while Hewitt was teaching at City College of San Francisco. He has also served as a guest lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and most recently at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Currently, Hewitt enjoys teaching at the City College of San Francisco and at San Francisco's science museum, The Exploratorium.