a list of references for students preparing for the international physics Olympiad...
This is not an official IPhO reading list. Of course, it is also recommended that you read books on other disciplines. Collections of IPhO problems with solutions:
International Physics Olympiads. Waldemar Gorzkowski (ed.) World Scientific, 1990. [See this book at Amazon.com] Proceedings of the XX International Physics Olympiad, Warsaw, 16-24 July, 1989. Waldemar Gorzkowski (ed.) World Scientific, 1990. [See this book at Amazon.com] International Physics Olympiads: Problems and Solutions from 1967 - 1995. Chaleo Manilerd (ed.) Rangsit: Rangsit University Press, 1996. ISBN 974-530-037-3. You can order the book from Dr. Chaleo Manilerd, Science Faculty, Rangsit University, Pathumthani 12000, Thailand (
[email protected]) for US$ 25 + US$ 10 (airmail postage).
A collection of physics problems for fun:
The Flying Circus of Physics, With Answers. Jearl D. Walker. John Wiley & Sons, 1977. [See this book at Amazon.com]
The bible of undergraduate physics still is:
The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, and Matthew L. Sands. [See this book at Amazon.com] o Volume I: Mainly Mechanics, Radiation and Heat, 1963 [See this book at Amazon.com] o Volume II: Mainly Electromagnetism and Matter, 1964 [See this book at Amazon.com] o Volume III: Quantum Mechanics, 1965 [See this book at Amazon.com] Addison-Wesley.
Another `must' by Feynman:
The Character of Physical Law. Richard P. Feynman. The MIT Press, 1965. [See this book at Amazon.com]
`The funniest book about physics ever written' (and very much worth reading):
The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?. Leon Lederman (with Dick Teresi). Houghton Mifflin, 1993. [See this book at Amazon.com]
Everyday phenomena analysed physically:
Light and Color in the Outdoors. Marcel Minnaert. Springer, 1993. [See this book at Amazon.com] Older (and cheaper) edition: The Nature of Light and Color in the Open Air. Dover, 1948. [See this book at Amazon.com] Translated from the Dutch original: De natuurkunde van 't vrije veld. Zutphen, NL: Thieme. o o o
Deel 1: Licht en kleur in het landschap, 5e druk, 1974 Deel 2: Geluid - warmte - electriciteit, 3e druk, 1970 Deel 3: Rust en beweging, 3e druk, 1971
Physics concepts placed in a popular context:
Sympathetic Vibrations: Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life. K.C. Cole. Bantam Books, 1985.
The authoritative data book, which can be found in every self-respecting physics and chemistry laboratory is:
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 81st Edition. David R. Lide (editor-in-chief) and H.P.R. Frederikse (assoc.ed.) CRC Press, 2000. [See this book at Amazon.com]
Also available on CD-ROM. There also exist student editions of this book. Older editions of the CRC Handbook are also still very useful.
`Bedside' Physics Literature Here follow some references to books that may not directly improve performance at the IPhO, but that put physics and its players into a broader perspective.
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character. Richard P. Feynman. Bantam Books, 1985. [See this book at Amazon.com] What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character. Richard P. Feynman. Bantam Books, 1988. [See this book at Amazon.com] Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics. James Gleick. Little, Brown and Company, 1992. [See this book at Amazon.com]
International Physics Olympiad : Preparation
Syllabus of the IPhO.
If you are a beginner you can start with non-calculus physics textbooks:
"College Physics" by Alan Giambattista, Betty McCarthy Richardson, and Robert C. Richardson
"Physics", 7th Edition by John D. Cutnell, Kenneth W. Johnson
Study first year level university physics.
"Physics", Volume 1 & 2 by David Halliday, Robert Resnick and Kenneth S. Krane
"University Physics with Modern Physics with Mastering Physics™", 12th edition, by Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman "Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics" by Raymond A. Serway and John W. Jewett, Jr.
Upgrade Your Physics by The British Physics Olympiad
Interesting Resources for General Physics and Mathematics:
"Street-Fighting Mathematics" - The Art of Educated Guessing and Opportunistic Problem Solving
Project PHYSNET PDF Modules - Concise summaries of physics topics with exercises
Jaan Kalda Resources
KoMaL Magazine Resources
Online Physics BRAWL
Textbooks on specific topics: "An Introduction to Mechanics" by Kleppner and Kolenkow
"Classical Mechanics" by John R. Taylor
"Introduction to Classical Mechanics with Problems and Solutions" by David Morin
"Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems" by Jerry B. Marion and Stephen T. Thornton
"Special Relativity" by A.P. French
"Vibrations and Waves" by A.P. French
"Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd ed." by David J. Griffiths
"Electricity and Magnetism" by Edward M. Purcell
"Electromagnetic Fields and Waves" by Paul Lorrain and Dale Corson
