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Conceptual Physical Science

by Paul G. Hewitt, John Suchocki, Leslie Hewitt

ISBN-10: 9780805387063
ISBN-10: 0-8053-8706-4
ISBN-13: 9780805387063
ISBN-13: 978-0-8053-8706-3
Unknown Binding
2003-08
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Editorials


Product Description
Provides a first introduction to physics, chemistry, earth science, & astronomy, molded in a manner to captivate student interest. DLC: Physical sciences.

Reviews


on time
The book showed up in the condition it was described as. I would buy from this seller again.

It seemed even my professor was enlightened
I think this text does an excellent job of presenting "physics without the numbers." I think physics with numbers is just as facinating but if you're not interested in the type of physics you need to become an engineer or scientist, then this text is the one for you. It does an excellent job of presenting concepts in chemistry that are not presented well in general chemistry textbooks, and the chapters on electricity, earth science, and nuclear physics are enlightening to even seasoned physics veterans. It is evident the the three authors did their best to present physics in a conversational way. Five stars.

Better than Hewitt's 'Conceptual Physics', but...
Previous Post: Not my first choice. But others in the department wanted to go to this text. We're primarily trying this text next year at our university to cut text costs to students. We hope to use it in possibly four (4!) intro "concepts" courses - Physics, Physical Science, Chemsitry and Geology. I plan to cover about the first 16 chapters in physics, which is my area. (A little over 400 pages.) This should be plenty for a 15 week term in "fundamental" or "conceptual" physics for non-science majors. So far, the text seems better than Hewitt's "Conceptual Physics" text, which is just far too long and tedious for a one term intro course in physics or physical science for non-science majors. This text is also slightly cheaper and gives the student more for their money. I personally prefer the more "mature" texts written by Faughn, Beiser or Tillery.

Again, the "support" materials are poor for this Hewitt text and I will be using my own lab manual and developing my own PowerPoints. The 'Practice Manual' and 'Lab Manual' are really just too hokey - left overs from the 90's "simplified" approach which many modern college students just find insulting to their intelligence. I wish Hewitt would drop the cartoons and the "Toys-R-Us" approach to science, and physics in particular.) The included PowerPoints are nothing more than images inserted into slides - you're apparently on your own with this almost useless jumble.

(Adjunct instructors who have been using this text have told me they like it better than the 'Conceptual Physics' Hewitt text for teaching physical science.)

Update, Fall 2007: Our physical science adjucnt still likes this text better than Hewitt's "Conceptual Physics." I'm now a little less than neutral about it, but may still try it in Fall of 2008. Our geology and meterology advisors and adjuncts have opted out of using it this Spring, and next Fall, preferring texts devoted exclusively to those subjects.

Although the pictures are "cute," there's not much substance.
I'm a 14-year-old using this book for Freshman Physical Science. If you are homeschooling, do not buy this book.

Its overly conceptual tone elimitates precision. The paragraphs are long and overly wordy, yet they neither answer the questions "Why does this happen?" nor "What is the significance of this?" The paragraphs are written colloquially with a blatant disregard for punctuation, and the author seems to think that using many italics will help children in their fruitless quest to even try to understand the writing in this book.

The pictures are what has everyone raving about this book, but to me, they are confusing too. One problem I came across early was that the letters representing velocity and speed were handwritten. Be sure, if you make the immense mistake of buying this book, to explain to your child that the letter that looks like a "U" is actually a "V." In the pictures, the illustrator seems to think that adding smiley-faces to the picture will make it all easier. I, for one, found about half the pictures quite confusing. To even hazard a guess to what these pictures mean requires the hard task of reading through the cryptic paragraph.

In conclusion, the writing, the pictures, and the price tag of this book make it a terrible choice for a Physical Science book.

concept Physical Science
I can't seem to find the area to post recommendations for the company I bought this book form. Mindspring.com. They were very prompt in mailing this book to me. My child has started using it yet, but the promptness of the delivery was very important to me. Thanks


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