College Physics: A Strategic Approach, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (24 August 2026) © 2027

  • Randall D Knight California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
  • Brian Jones Colorado State University
  • Stuart Field Colorado State University
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In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
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  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.
Products list
$64.98
Instant access

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

Title overview

College Physics: A Strategic Approach uses real-world examples to help you understand basic physics and connect it with your field of interest. From these connections, you’ll learn in research-driven ways why you're taking the course and how it applies to other areas. Problem-solving strategies, examples, and even a guide to studying for the MCAT are provided.

The 5th Edition is even more relevant, adding sections, examples, explanations, and problems that show physics at work in current and relatable contexts. Building on the strengths of previous editions and informed by user feedback, this digital-first revision also maximizes the rich media and interactivity of the newest eText and Mastering® Physics platforms that are also available.

Table of contents

PART I FORCE AND MOTION

  • OVERVIEW The Science of Physics
  1. Representing Motion
    • 1.1 Motion: A First Look
    • 1.2 Models and Modeling
    • 1.3 Position and Time: Putting Numbers on Nature
    • 1.4 Velocity
    • 1.5 A Sense of Scale: Significant Figures, Scientific Notation, and Units
    • 1.6 Vectors and Motion: A First Look
    • 1.7 Where Do We Go from Here?
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Motion in One Dimension
    • 2.1 Describing Motion
    • 2.2 Uniform Motion
    • 2.3 Instantaneous Velocity
    • 2.4 Acceleration
    • 2.5 Motion with Constant Acceleration
    • 2.6 Solving One-Dimensional Motion Problems
    • 2.7 Free Fall
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions
    • 3.1 Using Vectors
    • 3.2 Coordinate Systems and Vector Components
    • 3.3 Motion on a Ramp
    • 3.4 Motion in Two Dimensions
    • 3.5 Projectile Motion
    • 3.6 Projectile Motion: Solving Problems
    • 3.7 Circular Motion
    • 3.8 Relative Motion
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion
    • 4.1 Motion and Forces
    • 4.2 A Short Catalog of Forces
    • 4.3 Identifying Forces
    • 4.4 What Do Forces Do?
    • 4.5 Newton's Second Law
    • 4.6 Free-Body Diagrams
    • 4.7 Newton's Third Law
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Applying Newton's Laws
    • 5.1 Equilibrium
    • 5.2 Dynamics and Newton's Second Law
    • 5.3 Mass and Weight
    • 5.4 Normal Forces
    • 5.5 Friction
    • 5.6 Drag
    • 5.7 Interacting Objects
    • 5.8 Ropes and Pulleys
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Circular Motion, Orbits, and Gravity
    • 6.1 Uniform Circular Motion
    • 6.2 Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion
    • 6.3 Apparent Forces in Circular Motion
    • 6.4 Circular Orbits and Weightlessness
    • 6.5 Newton's Law of Gravity
    • 6.6 Gravity and Orbits
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Rotational Motion
    • 7.1 Describing Circular and Rotational Motion
    • 7.2 The Rotation of a Rigid Body
    • 7.3 Torque
    • 7.4 Gravitational Torque and the Center of Gravity
    • 7.5 Rotational Dynamics and Moment of Inertia
    • 7.6 Using Newton's Second Law for Rotation
    • 7.7 Rolling Motion
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Equilibrium and Elasticity
    • 8.1 Torque and Static Equilibrium
    • 8.2 Stability and Balance
    • 8.3 Springs and Hooke's Law
    • 8.4 Stretching and Compressing Materials
    • 8.5 Forces and Torques in the Body
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART I SUMMARY Force and Motion
  • ONE STEP BEYOND Dark Matter and the Structure of the Universe
  • PART I PROBLEMS

PART II CONSERVATION LAWS

  • OVERVIEW Why Some Things Stay the Same
  1. Momentum
    • 9.1 Impulse
    • 9.2 Momentum and the Impulse-Momentum Theorem
    • 9.3 Solving Impulse and Momentum Problems
    • 9.4 Conservation of Momentum
    • 9.5 Inelastic Collisions
    • 9.6 Momentum and Collisions in Two Dimensions
    • 9.7 Angular Momentum
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Energy and Work
    • 10.1 The Basic Energy Model
    • 10.2 Work
    • 10.3 Kinetic Energy
    • 10.4 Potential Energy
    • 10.5 Thermal Energy
    • 10.6 Conservation of Energy
    • 10.7 Energy Diagrams
    • 10.8 Molecular Bonds and Chemical Energy
    • 10.9 Energy in Collisions
    • 10.10 Power
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Using Energy
    • 11.1 Transforming Energy
    • 11.2 Energy in the Body
    • 11.3 Temperature, Thermal Energy, and Heat
    • 11.4 The First Law of Thermodynamics
    • 11.5 Heat Engines
    • 11.6 Heat Pumps
    • 11.7 Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
    • 11.8 Systems, Energy, and Entropy
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART II SUMMARY Conservation Laws
  • ONE STEP BEYOND Order Out of Chaos
  • PART II PROBLEMS

PART III PROPERTIES OF MATTER

  • OVERVIEW Beyond the Particle Model
  1. Thermal Properties of Matter
    • 12.1 The Atomic Model of Matter
    • 12.2 The Atomic Model of an Ideal Gas
    • 12.3 Ideal-Gas Processes
    • 12.4 Thermal Expansion
    • 12.5 Specific Heat and Heat of Transformation
    • 12.6 Calorimetry
    • 12.7 Specific Heats of Gases
    • 12.8 Heat Transfer
    • 12.9 Diffusion
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Fluids
    • 13.1 Fluids and Density
    • 13.2 Pressure
    • 13.3 Buoyancy
    • 13.4 Fluids in Motion
    • 13.5 Fluid Dynamics
    • 13.6 Viscosity and Poiseuille's Equation
    • 13.7 The Circulatory System
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART III SUMMARY Properties of Matter
  • ONE STEP BEYOND Size and Life
  • PART III PROBLEMS

PART IV OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES

  • OVERVIEW Motion That Repeats Again and Again
  1. Oscillations
    • 14.1 Equilibrium and Oscillation
    • 14.2 Linear Restoring Forces and SHM
    • 14.3 Describing Simple Harmonic Motion
    • 14.4 Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
    • 14.5 Pendulum Motion
    • 14.6 Damped Oscillations
    • 14.7 Driven Oscillations and Resonance
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Traveling Waves and Sound
    • 15.1 The Wave Model
    • 15.2 Traveling Waves
    • 15.3 Graphical and Mathematical Descriptions of Waves
    • 15.4 Sound and Light Waves
    • 15.5 Energy and Intensity
    • 15.6 Loudness of Sound
    • 15.7 The Doppler Effect and Shock Waves
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Superposition and Standing Waves
    • 16.1 The Principle of Superposition
    • 16.2 Standing Waves
    • 16.3 Standing Waves on a String
    • 16.4 Standing Sound Waves
    • 16.5 Speech and Hearing
    • 16.6 The Interference of Waves from Two Sources
    • 16.7 Beats
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART IV SUMMARY Oscillations and Waves
  • ONE STEP BEYOND Waves in the Earth and the Ocean
  • PART IV PROBLEMS

PART V OPTICS

  • OVERVIEW Light Is a Wave
  1. Wave Optics
    • 17.1 What Is Light?
    • 17.2 The Interference of Light
    • 17.3 The Diffraction Grating
    • 17.4 Thin-Film Interference
    • 17.5 Single-Slit Diffraction
    • 17.6 Circular-Aperture Diffraction
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Ray Optics
    • 18.1 The Ray Model of Light
    • 18.2 Reflection
    • 18.3 Refraction
    • 18.4 Image Formation by Refraction
    • 18.5 Thin Lenses: Ray Tracing
    • 18.6 Image Formation with Spherical Mirrors
    • 18.7 The Thin-Lens Equation
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Optical Instruments
    • 19.1 The Camera
    • 19.2 The Human Eye
    • 19.3 The Magnifier
    • 19.4 The Microscope
    • 19.5 The Telescope
    • 19.6 Color and Dispersion
    • 19.7 Resolution of Optical Instruments
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART V SUMMARY Optics
  • ONE STEP BEYOND Scanning Confocal Microscopy
  • PART V PROBLEMS

PART VI ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

  • OVERVIEW Charges, Currents, and Fields
  1. Electric Fields and Forces
    • 20.1 Charges and Forces
    • 20.2 Charges, Atoms, and Molecules
    • 20.3 Coulomb's Law
    • 20.4 The Concept of the Electric Field
    • 20.5 The Electric Field from Arrangements of Charges
    • 20.6 Conductors and Electric Fields
    • 20.7 Forces and Torques in Electric Fields
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Electric Potential
    • 21.1 Electric Potential Energy and Electric Potential
    • 21.2 Sources of Electric Potential
    • 21.3 Electric Potential and Conservation of Energy
    • 21.4 Calculating the Electric Potential
    • 21.5 Connecting Potential and Field
    • 21.6 The Electrocardiogram
    • 21.7 Capacitance and Capacitors
    • 21.8 Energy and Capacitors
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Current and Resistance
    • 22.1 A Model of Current
    • 22.2 Defining and Describing Current
    • 22.3 Batteries and emf
    • 22.4 Connecting Potential and Current
    • 22.5 Ohm's Law and Resistor Circuits
    • 22.6 Energy and Power
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Circuits
    • 23.1 Circuit Elements and Diagrams
    • 23.2 Kirchhoff's Laws
    • 23.3 Series and Parallel Circuits
    • 23.4 Measuring Voltage and Current
    • 23.5 More Complex Circuits
    • 23.6 Capacitors in Parallel and Series
    • 23.7 RC Circuits
    • 23.8 Electricity in the Nervous System
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Magnetic Fields and Forces
    • 24.1 Magnetism
    • 24.2 The Magnetic Field
    • 24.3 Electric Currents Also Create Magnetic Fields
    • 24.4 Calculating the Magnetic Field Due to a Current
    • 24.5 Magnetic Fields Exert Forces on Moving Charges
    • 24.6 Magnetic Fields Exert Forces on Currents
    • 24.7 Magnetic Fields Exert Torques on Dipoles
    • 24.8 Magnets and Magnetic Materials
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. EM Induction and EM Waves
    • 25.1 Induced Currents
    • 25.2 Motional emf
    • 25.3 Magnetic Flux and Lenz's Law
    • 25.4 Faraday's Law
    • 25.5 Electromagnetic Waves
    • 25.6 The Photon Model of Electromagnetic Waves
    • 25.7 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. AC Electricity
    • 26.1 Alternating Current
    • 26.2 AC Electricity and Transformers
    • 26.3 Household Electricity
    • 26.4 Biological Effects and Electrical Safety
    • 26.5 Capacitor Circuits
    • 26.6 Inductors and Inductor Circuits
    • 26.7 Oscillation Circuits
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART VI SUMMARY Electricity and Magnetism
  • ONE STEP BEYOND The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
  • PART VI PROBLEMS

PART VII MODERN PHYSICS

  • OVERVIEW New Ways of Looking at the World
  1. Relativity
    • 27.1 Relativity: What's It All About?
    • 27.2 Galilean Relativity
    • 27.3 Einstein's Principle of Relativity
    • 27.4 Events and Measurements
    • 27.5 The Relativity of Simultaneity
    • 27.6 Time Dilation
    • 27.7 Length Contraction
    • 27.8 Velocities of Objects in Special Relativity
    • 27.9 Relativistic Momentum
    • 27.10 Relativistic Energy
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Quantum Physics
    • 28.1 X Rays and X-Ray Diffraction
    • 28.2 The Photoelectric Effect
    • 28.3 Photons
    • 28.4 Matter Waves
    • 28.5 Energy Is Quantized
    • 28.6 Energy Levels and Quantum Jumps
    • 28.7 The Uncertainty Principle
    • 28.8 Applications and Implications of Quantum Theory
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Atoms and Molecules
    • 29.1 Spectroscopy
    • 29.2 Atoms
    • 29.3 Bohr's Model of Atomic Quantization
    • 29.4 The Bohr Hydrogen Atom
    • 29.5 The Quantum-Mechanical Hydrogen Atom
    • 29.6 Multi-electron Atoms
    • 29.7 Excited States and Spectra
    • 29.8 Molecules
    • 29.9 Stimulated Emission and Lasers
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  1. Nuclear Physics
    • 30.1 Nuclear Structure
    • 30.2 Nuclear Stability
    • 30.3 Forces and Energy in the Nucleus
    • 30.4 Radiation and Radioactivity
    • 30.5 Nuclear Decay and Half-Lives
    • 30.6 Medical Applications of Nuclear Physics
    • 30.7 The Ultimate Building Blocks of Matter
    • SUMMARY
    • QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
  • PART VII SUMMARY MODERN PHYSICS
  • ONE STEP BEYOND The Physics of Very Cold Atoms
  • PART VII PROBLEMS

APPENDICES

  1. Mathematics Review
  2. Periodic Table of Elements
  3. Atomic and Nuclear Data

Answers to Odd-Numbered Problems

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