COLLEGE PHYSICS: REASONING & RELATIONSHIPS uses the hallmark theme of "reasoning and relationships" to help students master the fundamental concepts of the course. By understanding the reasoning behind problem solving, students learn to recognize the concepts involved, think critically about them, and move beyond merely memorizing facts and equations. By recognizing the relationships between physics and their experiences, students will develop a stronger understanding of how the concepts relate to each other. College Physics: Reasoning and Relationships uses original applications drawn from the life sciences and familiar everyday scenarios to motivate student learning and a consistent problem-solving approach to prepare students for the rigors of the course.

A conversation with Nick Giordano

Q: How will students benefit from the book’s innovative approach to the college physics course?

The purpose of this book is to weave reasoning and relationships into the way we teach introductory physics. By introducing a consistent problem solving methodology, I give students the stepping stones they need to think and reason through the set up and solution of problems. Additionally, our unique use of “reasoning” problems helps students really get to the heart of key physics principles and relate these principles to their everyday experiences. I feel that these pedagogical tools, combined with the text’s up-front establishment of the relationship between forces and motion gives students a deeper understanding of the physics while encouraging them to develop sharper critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Q: Chapter 2 introduces Newton’s laws of motion. Why do you do you begin the discussion of mechanics in this way?

I devote all of Chapter 2 to Newton’s laws of motion and what they tell us about the relationship between forces and motion. This is the central thread of mechanics. Armed with an understanding of this relationship, we can address many of the students’ pre-Newtonian misconceptions and prepare for the discussion of the applications of those laws in chapter 3 and beyond.

Q: What are reasoning problems, and why are they important?

Reasoning problems are one of my favorite things about the book. These problems require that students first recognize which important quantities are not given explicitly in the problem statement. They then must use their common sense from everyday experience to estimate the value of these quantities in order to solve the problem. One of my favorites, found in chapter 3, asks students to find the approximate force on a car bumper during a collision. In order to solve the problem, the student must make an estimate (based on common sense) about the way a car’s bumper deforms in a collision. These ‘back of the envelope’ problems reinforce a deeper understanding of key concepts. The ability to deal with such problems requires a good understanding of the central relationships in the problem and how fundamental principles of physics can be applied.


Q: How do you make problem-solving a more effective path to understanding for students?

Most of us who teach the college physics course would agree that students need a good, solid problem solving methodology. However, the methodology should not rely on simply putting the right numbers in the right places. Physics ought to be more than just a collection of equations and facts; my hope is that students will connect physics to the world they live in. This is why I use the following 5-step problem solving approach, which encourages students to reason through the problem and see the relationships between the physics and their direct experiences: (1) recognize the principle (2) sketch the problem(3) identify the relationships (4) solve for the desired quantity, and (5) ask “what does it mean?” This last step is particularly important, as it get students to place the problem (and solution) in a broader physics context.


Q: Are there any themes that carry across chapters? Why are these useful for students?

Research shows that students benefit from reinforcing and revisiting topics, a process sometimes referred to as scaffolding. I have built on a few such examples that reinforce important concepts, both within a chapter and across several chapters. For example, I introduce the topic of amplifying forces at the beginning of chapter 3. I revisit it later in the chapter, and then return to it later in the book when covering the concepts of work and energy, and in fluid mechanics. This scaffolded development also helps students see relationships between different physics principles.


Q: How does your book help students relate physics to their lives?

Helping students make the connection between the physics and their lives has been a key goal for me in writing this book. By introducing forces WITH motion at the start of mechanics, I am able to incorporate many relevant and applicable examples that students are sure to find interesting. For example, because so many life science majors take this course, I use some unique and fascinating applications from the medical field -- in chapter 6, molecular motors are discussed in the context of work and energy, and in chapter 16, I discuss photosynthesis as a thermodynamic process. I also encourage student curiosity by examining some fundamental ideas about the world that students find compelling and exciting, such as why the inertial mass is equal to the gravitational mass and how we can know the structure of Earth’s core.


Q: How does technology helps students in this course?

Practicing problems is always important in learning the physics concepts. Technology smoothes the pathway to success by incorporating the End of Chapter problems into a system that allows students the practice they need and a convenient way for instructors to grade the problems. One unique aspect of my text is that the reasoning problems will be assignable in the online homework system. This system will coach students through the problems, helping them learn how to attack the problems and arrive at reasonable answers. Short problems called “concept checks” are also included in the homework system, usually in multiple choice format, and are included with the instructor tools for use with clickers in class.