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Natural Sciences Open Educational Resources

Physics Open Educational Resources

Smythe W. 2019. All Things Flow: Fluid Mechanics for the Natural Sciences. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University.

This book began as lecture notes for an Oregon State University course in fluid mechanics, designed for beginning graduate students in physical oceanography. Because of its fundamental nature, this course is often taken by students outside physical oceanography, e.g., atmospheric science, civil engineering, physics and mathematics.

In later courses, the student will discover esoteric fluid phenomena such as internal waves that propagate through the sky, water phase changes that govern clouds, and planetary rotation effects that control large-scale winds and ocean currents. In contrast, this course concerns phenomena that we have all been familiar with since childhood: flows you see in sinks and bathtubs, in rivers, and at the beach. In this context, we develop the mathematical techniques and scientific reasoning skills needed for higher-level courses and professional research.

 

Urone PP, Hinrichs R. 2022. College Physics. 2nd ed. Houston (TX): Open Stax.

College Physics 2e introduces topics conceptually and progresses through clear explanations in the context of career-oriented, practical applications, and meets the scope and sequence of an algebra-based physics course. The narrative of physics and scientific discovery has been even further expanded to focus on including more diverse contributors to the field. Building on the success of the first edition the authors have increased focus on interdisciplinary connections, including enhancements to biological and medical applications. The problem solving approach has been revised to further unify conceptual, analytical, and calculation skills within the learning process, the authors have integrated a wide array of strategies and supports throughout the text for students.

 

van Zee E, Gire E. 2019. Exploring Physical Phenomena. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University.

This course is intended for prospective and practicing elementary and middle school teachers. By exploring physical phenomena in class, you will learn science in ways in which you are expected to teach science in schools or in informal settings such as afterschool programs, youth group meetings, and museum workshops. This course also is appropriate for general science students and others interested in exploring some of the physical phenomena underlying global climate change.

 

Ellingson, SW. 2018. Electromagnetics, Vol. 1. Blacksburg (VA): VT Publishing.

Electromagnetics Volume 1 by Steven W. Ellingson is a 225-page, peer-reviewed open educational resource intended for electrical engineering students in the third year of a bachelor of science degree program. It is intended as a primary textbook for a one-semester first course in undergraduate engineering electromagnetics. The book employs the “transmission lines first” approach in which transmission lines are introduced using a lumped-element equivalent circuit model for a differential length of transmission line, leading to one-dimensional wage equations for voltage and current.

 

Moebs W, Ling SJ, Sanny J. 2021. University Physics. Houston (TX): Open Stax.

University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. Volume 2 covers thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and Volume 3 covers optics and modern physics. This textbook emphasizes connections between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result.

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