Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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The Astronomer's Guide to the Universe
Alessandro Baldi · Butte College
An introductory astronomy textbook covering the solar system, stars, galaxies, cosmology, and the methods astronomers use to understand the universe. Adapted from OpenStax Astronomy for an introductory college astronomy course.
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Introduction to Soil Science Laboratory Manual (Schwyter and Vaughan)
Anna R. Schwyter and Karen L. Vaughan · University of Wyoming
In the contents: 05: Soil Physics and Water Relations
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Astrobiology
Debra Fischer, Allyson Sheffield, Joshua Tan, and Lily Ling Zhao · LibreTexts
Interested in what scientists have been doing to investigate the existence of life in the Universe? This text will explore the different avenues that can be taken in trying to answer the question, "Is there life beyond the Earth?"
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Mechanics and Relativity
Timon Idema · Delft University of Technology
In Mechanics and Relativity, the reader is taken on a tour through time and space. Starting from the basic axioms formulated by Newton and Einstein, the theory of motion at both the everyday and the highly relativistic level is developed without the need of prior knowledge. Applications covered in the book span a wide range of physical phenomena, including rocket motion, spinning tennis rackets and high-energy particle collisions.
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Stellar Atmospheres
Jeremy Tatum · University of Victoria
This textbook presents a physics-based introduction to stellar atmospheres, covering radiation theory, blackbody radiation, and radiative transfer. It explains how absorption, scattering, and atomic processes shape stellar spectra, linking quantum mechanics and statistical physics to line formation, broadening, and limb darkening, and concludes with tools like the curve of growth for interpreting observations.
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Applications of Maxwell’s Equation
John F. Cochran and Bretislav Heinrich · Simon Fraser University
This book was developed for an upper-level physics course. Along with a careful exposition of electricity and magnetism, it devotes a chapter to ferromagnets. According to the course description, the topics covered were “electromagnetics, magnetostatics, waves, transmission lines, waveguides, antennas, and radiating systems.”
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Introductory Quantum Mechanics
Richard Fitzpatrick · University of Texas at Austin
This book is intendedas an introductory course on non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Readers need to be reasonably familiar with Newtonian dynamics, elementary classical electromagnetism and special relativity, the physics and mathematics of waves (including the representation of waves via complex functions), basic probability theory, ordinary and partial differential equations, linear algebra, vector algebra, and Fourier series and transforms.
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Complex Methods for the Sciences
Y. D. Chong · Nanyang Technological University
An introductory course in mathematical methods for science and engineering students. Topics covered include complex analysis, contour integration, Fourier analysis, and Green's function methods. Mathematical methods are illustrated with examples drawn from physics, with a focus on oscillations and waves. These notes are also available in the form of Jupyter notebooks on Github (GPLv3).
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Applied Geometric Algebra
László Tisza · Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The mathematical tools employed by physicists have expanded considerably, from differential calculus, vector algebra and geometry, to advanced linear algebra, tensors, Hilbert space, spinors, Group theory and many others. These course notes attempt at bringing conceptual clarity and unity to the application and interpretation of these advanced mathematical tools. In particular, there is an emphasis on the unifying role that Group theory plays in classical, relativistic, and quantum physics.
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Physical Optics
Jeremy Tatum · University of Victoria
Physical optics, or wave optics, is the branch of optics that studies interference, diffraction, polarization, and other phenomena for which the ray approximation of geometric optics is not valid.
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Geometric Optics
Jeremy Tatum · University of Victoria
This “book” is not intended to be a vast, definitive treatment of everything that is known about geometric optics. It covers, rather, the geometric optics of first-year students, whom it will either help or confuse yet further, though I hope the former. The part of geometric optics that often causes the most difficulty, particularly in getting the right answer for homework or examination problems, is the vexing matter of sign conventions in lens and mirror calculations.
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Chem 371: P-Chem 2 to Folow Combined Biophysical and P-Chem 1
Jonathan Gutow · University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
This compilation is aimed at second semester physical chemistry students who's first semester was a combined biophysical and physical chemistry course. It does expect students have enough math background to use concepts from multivariable calculus and calculus based physics.
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Astronomy 10: The Solar System (Workbook)
Andrew Totah-McCarty · Chabot College
This is a student-led astronomy workbook that is designed for an introductory, college-level astronomy class that focuses on the solar system and planetary science. Celestial observation concepts are included but stars, galaxies, and cosmology are not. The activities are designed to be completed in groups prior to any formal lecture or introduction of material. Lecture summaries (not included) can review, synthesize, and expand on these ideas.
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Phil 100: Introduction to Philosophy (Haven)
LibreTexts
Students will critically engage with core philosophical issues and questions, found in primary texts, regarding the topics of metaphysics, epistemology and possible other topics such as ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, history of philosophy, philosophy of self and a life well lived. This course provides a survey of the discipline in its methodology and subject matter, allowing students the opportunity to understand themselves, their community and the greater pluralistic worl
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Planetary Photometry
Planetary Photometry · University of Victoria
Planetary Photometry is a field of study focused on the measurement and analysis of light reflected by planets and moons in our solar system and beyond. The book on this topic would typically cover the methods and techniques used in planetary photometry, its applications, and its importance in planetary science.
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Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
V. Parameswaran Nair · City College of New York
These are the lecture notes for the course on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics. This is a course meant for upper level undergraduate students in physics, so that is the level at which most topics are discussed.
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Spiral Mechanics (Calculus-Based)
Paul D'Alessandris · Monroe Community College
Spiral Physics is a research based introductory physics curriculum that integrates text and workbook activities in a modular fashion, and arranges topics so that students receive repeated exposure to concepts with increased complexity. It makes use of alternative problem types, including goal-less problem statements, ranking tasks, and critical analysis tasks. It restricts the equation set available for student use and is designed to facilitate active learning.
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Direct Energy
Andrea M. Mitofsky · Trine University
In the contents: 5.01: Physics of the Hall Effect
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Waves: An Interactive Tutorial
Kyle Forinash and Wolfgang Christian · LibreTexts
This is a set of interactive tutorials designed to teach the fundamentals of wave dynamics. It starts with very simple wave properties and ends with an examination of nonlinear wave behavior. The emphasis here is on the properties of waves which are difficult to illustrate in a static textbook figure. The tutorial may be used in conjunction with a text or as a stand alone introduction to waves. Exposure to calculus and basic physics is assumed in the latter sections.
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Laboratory Manual - The Science of Sound
James M. Fiore · Mohawk Valley Community College
The goal of this work is to support the lab portion of a general college physics course that focuses on sound, acoustics and audio. It covers a variety of topics including speed of sound, resonance, loudness, basic electricity (in association with loudspeakers and microphones) and the human voice.