College Physics

Jerry D. Wilson, a native of Ohio, is now Emeritus Professor of Physics and former Chair of the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. He received his B.S. degree from Ohio University, M.S. degree from Union College, and in 1970, a Ph.D. from Ohio University. He earned his M.S. degree while employed as a Materials Behavior Physicist by the General Electric Co.

As a doctoral graduate student, Professor Wilson held the faculty rank of Instructor and began teaching physical science courses. During this time, he co-authored a physical science text that is now in its eighth edition. In conjunction with his teaching career, Professor Wilson continued his writing and has authored or co-authored six titles. Having retired from full-time teaching, he continues to write, including The Curiosity Corner, a weekly column for local newspapers, which now can also be found on the Internet.

With several competitive books available, one may wonder why another algebra-based physics text was written. Having taught introductory physics many times, I was well aware of the needs of students and the difficulties they have in mastering the subject. I decided to write a text that presents the basic physics principles in a clear and concise manner, with illustrative examples that help resolve the major difficulty in learning physics: problem solving. Also, I wanted to write a text that is relevant so as to show students how physics applies in their everyday world - how things work and why things happen. Once the basics are learned, these follow naturally.

- Jerry Wilson

Anthony J. Buffa received his B.S. degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In 1970, Professor Buffa joined the faculty at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he is currently Professor of Physics, and has been a research associate with the Department of Physics Radioanalytical Facility since 1980.

Professor Buffa's main interest continues to be teaching. He has taught courses at Cal Poly ranging from introductory physical science to quantum mechanics, has developed and revised many laboratory experiments, and taught elementary physics to local teachers in an NSF-sponsored workshop. Combining physics with his interests in art and architecture, Dr. Buffa develops his own artwork and sketches, which he uses to increase his effectiveness in teaching physics.

I try to teach my students the crucial role physics plays in understanding all aspects of the world around them - whether it be technology, biology, astronomy, or any other field. In that regard, I emphasize conceptual understanding before number crunching. To this end, I rely heavily on visual methods. I hope the artwork and other pedagogical features in this book assist you in achieving your own teaching goals for your students.

- Tony Buffa