Matter & Interactions is a textbook by Ruth Chabay, Bruce Sherwood, Aaron Titus, and Stephen Spicklemire (John Wiley & Sons, 5th edition, 2025) that emphasizes a modern perspective on the calculus-based introductory physics curriculum taken by science and engineering students. It engages students in:
- Starting analyses from fundamental principles rather than secondary formulas
- Making macro-micro connections, based on the atomic nature of matter
- Modeling physical systems: making idealizations, simplifying assumptions, estimates
- Constructing computational models to predict the time evolution of system behavior
20th century physics and a contemporary perspective are integrated throughout the curriculum.
What’s New in the Fifth Edition?
The 5th edition is designed for digital media. Explanatory videos and over seventy interactive simulations are embedded in the e-book and WileyPLUS.
Significant text revisions provide better support for learners.
Improved support for computational modeling includes full working programs and videos detailing construction of models.
John Wiley & Sons textbook info site
NEWS:
Ruth Chabay and Bruce Sherwood will be awarded the 2026 Hans Christian Oersted medal by the American Association of Physics Teachers at the 2026 winter AAPT meeting:
https://aapt.org/aboutaapt/2026-Oersted-Medal-Shared-by-Ruth-Chabay-and-Bruce-Sherwood.cfm