College Physics, Global Edition, 11th edition

Published by Pearson (January 7, 2026) © 2026

  • Hugh D. Young Carnegie Mellon University
  • Philip W. Adams Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge
  • Raymond Joseph Chastain University of Louisville
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Title overview

For courses in Physics.

For more than five decades, Sears and Zemansky's College Physics has provided the most reliable foundation of physics education for students around the world. With the 11th Edition, author Phil Adams incorporates data from thousands of surveyed students detailing their use and reliance on worked examples, video tutorials, and need for just-in-time remediation when working homework problems and preparing for exams.

Driven by how students actually use the text and media today to prepare for their exams, the new edition adds worked examples and new Example Variation Problems in each chapter to help students see patterns and make connections between problem types. They learn to recognise when to use similar steps in solving the same problem type and develop an understanding for problem solving approaches, rather than simply plugging in an equation.

The expanded problem types and scaffolded in-problem support help students develop greater confidence in solving problems, deepen conceptual understanding, and strengthen quantitative-reasoning skills for better exam performance. 

Table of contents

  • Mathematics Review
MECHANICS
  1. Models, Measurements, and Vectors
  2. Motion Along a Straight Line
  3. Motion in a Plane
  4. Newton's Laws of Motion
  5. Applications of Newton's Laws
  6. Circular Motion and Gravitation
  7. Work and Energy
  8. Momentum
  9. Rotational Motion
  10. Dynamics of Rotational Motion
PERIODIC MOTION, WAVES, AND FLUIDS
  1. Elasticity and Periodic Motion
  2. Mechanical Waves and Sound
  3. Fluid Mechanics
THERMODYNAMICS
  1. Temperature and Heat
  2. Thermal Properties of Matter
  3. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
  1. Electric Charge and Electric Field
  2. Electric Potential and Capacitance
  3. Current, Resistance, and Direct-Current Circuits
  4. Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces
  5. Electromagnetic Induction
  6. Alternating Current
  7. Electromagnetic Waves
LIGHT AND OPTICS
  1. Geometric Optics
  2. Optical Instruments
  3. Interference and Diffraction
MODERN PHYSICS
  1. Relativity
  2. Photons, Electrons, and Atoms
  3. Atoms, Molecules, and Solids
  4. Nulear and High-Energy Physics
APPENDICES
  • A. The International System of Units
  • B. The Greek Alphabet
  • C. Periodic Table of the Elements
  • D. Unit Conversion Factors
  • E. Numerical Constants
  • Answers to Odd-Numbered Problems

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