Jovan Markov

Jovan Markov

Spending my time lowering entropy around me. I also like coffee ☕.

Self-Study Resources for Physics

Self-Study Resources for Physics

Embarking on a journey to learn physics can be both exciting and challenging. This guide provides a curated list of resources to help you get started, even if you only have a high school level of math. These resources include books, YouTube channels, lecture series, and online courses, divided by specific topics.

Foundations: 🌌 General Physics · 🧱 Classical Mechanics · ⚡ Electromagnetism · 🌡️ Thermodynamics & Stat Mech · 🔍 Optics

Quantum & Modern: ⚛️ Quantum Mechanics · 🌌 Quantum Field Theory · 💡 Quantum Optics · 💻 Quantum Computing

Relativity & Fields: 🚀 Special Relativity · 🌏 General Relativity · 🌿 Classical Field Theory

Specialized: ⚛️ Atomic Physics · ☢️ Nuclear Physics · 💠 Condensed Matter · 🧪 Particle Physics · 🔭 Astrophysics & Cosmology

💡 Quick Search Tip: Press Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on Mac) to quickly find a specific topic or book!

🌌 General Physics

📚 Books

  1. “The Feynman Lectures on Physics” by Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, and Matthew Sands
  2. “Fundamentals of Physics” by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker
    • A widely used introductory textbook that covers a broad range of physics topics with clear explanations and examples.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “University Physics with Modern Physics” by Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman
    • A comprehensive textbook that provides a thorough introduction to physics, including modern physics topics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Physics Girl
    • Engaging videos that explain various physics concepts in an accessible way.
  2. MinutePhysics
    • Short and informative videos on a wide range of physics topics.
  3. Khan Academy Physics
    • Offers a wide range of physics tutorials and explanations, suitable for learners at all levels.
  4. Veritasium
    • Engaging and well-produced videos that explore various physics concepts and phenomena.
  5. Sixty Symbols
    • Professors from Nottingham University discuss fascinating developments in physics research and concepts through engaging videos.
  6. Your Daily Equation with Brian Greene
    • Brian Greene breaks down the most important equations in physics.
  7. Pretty Much Physics
    • Short videos that cover a wide range of physics topics in an accessible manner.

👨‍🏫 Lecture Series

  1. MIT OpenCourseWare: Physics Courses
    • A collection of free lecture series on various physics topics from MIT.

📄 Physics Research Papers

  1. arXiv: Physics
    • A repository of open-access research papers in physics, covering a wide range of topics. Note that these papers are not peer-reviewed.
  2. Physical Review X
    • An open-access journal that publishes original research in all areas of physics.
  3. New Journal of Physics
    • An open-access journal that covers all areas of physics.
  4. Journal of High Energy Physics
    • An open-access journal focusing on high energy physics, including particle physics, field theory, and quantum mechanics.
  5. Advances in Physics: X
    • An open-access journal that publishes high-quality research across all areas of physics.
  6. Scientific Reports - Physics
    • An open-access journal that publishes research in all areas of physics.
  7. Frontiers in Physics
    • An open-access journal that covers a wide range of topics in physics.
  8. EPJ Open
    • A series of open-access journals covering various fields of physics, including EPJ C (Particles and Fields) and EPJ D (Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics).
  9. Physics Open
    • An open-access journal that publishes research in all areas of physics.
  10. npj Quantum Information
    • An open-access journal focusing on quantum information science and technology.
  11. Journal of Physics: Communications
    • An open-access journal that publishes high-quality research across all areas of physics.

🧱 Classical Mechanics

📚 Books

  1. “Classical Mechanics” by Herbert Goldstein
    • A comprehensive textbook on classical mechanics, suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Classical Mechanics” by John R. Taylor
    • A well-written and accessible textbook on classical mechanics, suitable for beginners.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Lectures by Walter Lewin
    • A series of classical mechanics lectures by MIT professor Walter Lewin.

💻 Online Courses

  1. MIT OpenCourseWare: Classical Mechanics
    • A comprehensive course on classical mechanics from MIT.

⚛️ Quantum Mechanics

📚 Books

  1. “Principles of Quantum Mechanics” by R. Shankar
    • A comprehensive and accessible textbook on quantum mechanics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics” by David J. Griffiths
    • A widely used textbook for learning quantum mechanics, suitable for beginners.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Quantum Mechanics” by Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard Diu, and Frank Laloë
    • A comprehensive and detailed textbook on quantum mechanics, suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Professor M does Science
    • Cambridge academics simplify university-level quantum mechanics with rigorous, concise, and transparent explanations.

💻 Online Courses

  1. edX: Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers
    • A course that provides a solid foundation in quantum mechanics.
  2. Coursera: Quantum Mechanics
    • An introductory course on quantum mechanics.

🚀 Special Relativity

📚 Books

  1. “Spacetime Physics” by Edwin F. Taylor and John Archibald Wheeler
    • A great introduction to special relativity, with clear explanations and plenty of examples.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Introduction to Special Relativity” by James H. Smith
    • A concise and accessible textbook on special relativity.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Introduction to Special Relativity” by Robert Resnick
    • A classic and accessible textbook on special relativity.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. MinutePhysics - Relativity Series
    • Short and informative videos on special relativity topics.

🌏 General Relativity

📚 Books

  1. “A First Course in General Relativity” by Bernard Schutz
    • A well-written and accessible textbook on general relativity.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Gravitation” by Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, and John Archibald Wheeler
    • A comprehensive and advanced textbook on general relativity.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Einstein Gravity in a Nutshell” by A. Zee
    • A comprehensive and accessible textbook on general relativity.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. PBS Space Time
    • Explores various topics in general relativity and theoretical physics.

💻 Online Courses

  1. edX: General Relativity
    • A course that provides a solid foundation in general relativity.
  2. Coursera: Introduction to General Relativity
    • An introductory course on general relativity.

🌿 Classical Field Theory

📚 Books

  1. “Classical Field Theory” by Francis E. Low
    • A comprehensive textbook on classical field theory.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “The Classical Theory of Fields” by Lev D. Landau and Evgeny M. Lifshitz
    • A classic textbook on classical field theory.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Physics Explained - Classical Field Theory
    • Provides clear explanations of classical field theory concepts.

🌌 Quantum Field Theory

📚 Books

  1. “An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory” by Michael E. Peskin and Daniel V. Schroeder
    • A widely used textbook for learning quantum field theory.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur” by Tom Lancaster and Stephen J. Blundell
    • An accessible introduction to quantum field theory.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell” by A. Zee
    • An accessible and comprehensive introduction to quantum field theory.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Physics Explained - QFT Series
    • Provides clear explanations of quantum field theory concepts.

💻 Online Courses

  1. edX: Quantum Field Theory
    • A course that provides a solid foundation in quantum field theory.
  2. Coursera: Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
    • An introductory course on quantum field theory.

⚛️ Atomic Physics

📚 Books

  1. “Introduction to Atomic Spectra” by Harvey Elliott White
    • A comprehensive textbook on atomic spectra and atomic physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “The Physics of Atoms and Quanta” by Hermann Haken and Hans Christoph Wolf
    • An accessible introduction to atomic physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Atomic Physics” by Christopher J. Foot
    • A comprehensive textbook on atomic physics, suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. MIT OpenCourseWare - Atomic Physics
    • Provides lectures on atomic physics.

⚡ Electromagnetism

📚 Books

  1. “Introduction to Electrodynamics” by David J. Griffiths
    • A widely used textbook for learning electromagnetism.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Classical Electrodynamics” by John David Jackson
    • A comprehensive and advanced textbook on electromagnetism.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Lectures by Walter Lewin - 8.02 Electricity and Magnetism
    • A series of electromagnetism lectures by MIT professor Walter Lewin.

🌡️ Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics

📚 Books

  1. “Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics” by Herbert B. Callen
    • A comprehensive textbook on thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Statistical Mechanics” by R. K. Pathria and Paul D. Beale
    • A widely used textbook for learning statistical mechanics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. MIT OpenCourseWare - Thermodynamics
    • Provides lectures on thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

🔍 Optics

📚 Books

  1. “Optics” by Eugene Hecht
  2. “Introduction to Modern Optics” by Grant R. Fowles
    • An accessible introduction to modern optics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. MinutePhysics - Optics
    • Short and informative videos on optics topics.

☢️ Nuclear Physics

📚 Books

  1. “Introductory Nuclear Physics” by Kenneth S. Krane
    • A comprehensive textbook on nuclear physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Theoretical Nuclear Physics” by John M. Blatt and Victor F. Weisskopf
    • A classic textbook on theoretical nuclear physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “Introduction to Nuclear Particle Physics” by A. Das and T. Ferbel
    • A comprehensive textbook on nuclear and particle physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. MIT OpenCourseWare - Nuclear Engineering
    • Provides lectures on nuclear physics.

💠 Condensed Matter Physics

📚 Books

  1. “Introduction to Solid State Physics” by Charles Kittel
    • A widely used textbook for learning condensed matter physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Principles of Condensed Matter Physics” by Paul M. Chaikin and T. C. Lubensky
    • A comprehensive textbook on condensed matter physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  3. “The Oxford Solid State Basics” by Steven H. Simon
    • An accessible introduction to solid state physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Physics Explained - Condensed Matter
    • Provides clear explanations of condensed matter physics concepts.

🔭 Astrophysics & Cosmology

📚 Books

  1. “An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics” by Bradley W. Carroll and Dale A. Ostlie
  2. “Cosmology” by Steven Weinberg

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. PBS Space Time - Astrophysics
    • Explores various topics in astrophysics and cosmology.

💻 Quantum Computing

📚 Books

  1. “Quantum Computation and Quantum Information” by Michael A. Nielsen and Isaac L. Chuang
    • A comprehensive textbook on quantum computing and quantum information.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Quantum Computing: A Gentle Introduction” by Eleanor G. Rieffel and Wolfgang H. Polak
    • An accessible introduction to quantum computing for beginners.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Qiskit
    • Provides tutorials and explanations on quantum computing using the Qiskit framework.
  2. Quantum Computing UK
    • Offers videos on various quantum computing topics and concepts.

💻 Online Courses

  1. edX: Quantum Computing
    • A course that provides a solid foundation in quantum computing.
  2. Coursera: Introduction to Quantum Computing
    • An introductory course on quantum computing.

🔗 Additional Quantum Computing Resources

  1. IBM Quantum Experience
    • An online platform to learn and experiment with quantum computing.
  2. Qiskit Documentation
    • Comprehensive documentation and tutorials for learning quantum computing with Qiskit.

🧪 Particle Physics

📚 Books

  1. “Introduction to Elementary Particles” by David Griffiths
    • A widely used textbook for learning particle physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon
  2. “Quarks and Leptons: An Introductory Course in Modern Particle Physics” by Francis Halzen and Alan D. Martin
    • A comprehensive introduction to particle physics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Fermilab
    • Provides educational videos on particle physics and related topics.
  2. CERN
    • Offers videos on particle physics research and experiments conducted at CERN.

💡 Quantum Optics

📚 Books

  1. “Quantum Optics” by Marlan O. Scully and M. Suhail Zubairy
  2. “Introduction to Quantum Optics: From the Semi-Classical Approach to Quantized Light” by Gilbert Grynberg, Alain Aspect, and Claude Fabre
    • An accessible introduction to quantum optics.
    • 🛒 Amazon

📺 YouTube Channels

  1. Quantum Optics Lab
    • Provides educational videos on quantum optics experiments and concepts.
  2. Physics Explained - Quantum Optics
    • Offers clear explanations of quantum optics concepts.

🎨 Additional Resources

  1. HyperPhysics
    • A comprehensive resource for learning various physics topics.
  2. Wolfram Alpha
    • A powerful computational engine that can help with solving physics problems and visualizing concepts.
  3. Physics Forums
    • A community and resource hub for students and enthusiasts interested in physics.

These resources should provide a solid foundation for anyone interested in learning physics, regardless of their current level of expertise. Happy learning!