This elegant book provides a student-friendly introduction to the subject of physical chemistry. It is by the author of the very successful Basic Chemical Thermodynamics and is written in the same well-received popular style. It is concise and more compact than standard textbooks on the subject and emphasises the two important topics underpinning the subject: quantum mechanics and the second law of thermodynamics. Both topics are challenging to students because they focus on uncertainty and probability. The book explains these fundamental concepts clearly and shows how they offer the key to understanding a wide range of chemical phenomena including atomic and molecular spectra, the structure and properties of solids, liquids and gases, chemical equilibrium and the rates of chemical reactions. This revised edition has enabled improvements and corrections to be made.

Revised and updated in 2000, Basic Physical Chemistry for the Atmospheric Sciences provides a clear, concise grounding in the basic chemical principles required for studies of atmospheres, oceans, and earth and planetary systems. Undergraduate and graduate students with little formal training in chemistry can work through the chapters and the numerous exercises within this book before accessing the standard texts in the atmospheric chemistry, geochemistry, and the environmental sciences. The book covers the fundamental concepts of chemical equilibria, chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, solution chemistry, acid and base chemistry, oxidation-reduction reactions, and photochemistry. In a companion volume entitled Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry (2000, Cambridge University Press) Peter Hobbs provides an introduction to atmospheric chemistry itself, including its applications to air pollution, acid rain, the ozone hole, and climate change. Together these two books provide an ideal introduction to atmospheric chemistry for a variety of disciplines.

Learning the basics of physical chemistry with a unique, innovative approach. Georg Job and Regina Rueffler introduce readers to an almost intuitive understanding of the two fundamental concepts, chemical potential and entropy. Avoiding complex mathematics, these concepts are illustrated with the help of numerous demonstration experiments. Using these concepts, the subjects of chemical equilibria, kinetics and electrochemistry are presented at an undergraduate level. The basic quantities and equations necessary for the qualitative and quantitative description of chemical transformations are introduced by using everyday experiences and particularly more than one hundred illustrative experiments, many presented online as videos. These are in turn supplemented by nearly 400 figures, and by learning objectives for each chapter. From a review of the German edition: “This book is the most revolutionary textbook on physical chemistry that has been published in the last few decades.”

At a time when U.S. high school students are producing low scores in mathematics and science on international examinations, a thorough grounding in physical chemistry should not be considered optional for science undergraduates. Based on the author's thirty years of teaching, Essentials of Physical Chemistry merges coverage of calculus with chemist

This is the physical chemistry textbook for students with an affinity for computers! It offers basic and advanced knowledge for students in the second year of chemistry masters studies and beyond. In seven chapters, the book presents thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, quantum mechanics and molecular structure (including an introduction to quantum chemical calculations), molecular symmetry and crystals. The application of physical-chemical knowledge and problem solving is demonstrated in a chapter on water, treating both the water molecule as well as water in condensed phases. Instead of a traditional textbook top-down approach, this book presents the subjects on the basis of examples, exploring and running computer programs (Mathematica®), discussing the results of molecular orbital calculations (performed using Gaussian) on small molecules and turning to suitable reference works to obtain thermodynamic data. Selected Mathematica® codes are explained at the end of each chapter and cross-referenced with the text, enabling students to plot functions, solve equations, fit data, normalize probability functions, manipulate matrices and test physical models. In addition, the book presents clear and step-by-step explanations and provides detailed and complete answers to all exercises. In this way, it creates an active learning environment that can prepare students for pursuing their own research projects further down the road. Students who are not yet familiar with Mathematica® or Gaussian will find a valuable introduction to computer-based problem solving in the molecular sciences. Other computer applications can alternatively be used. For every chapter learning goals are clearly listed in the beginning, so that readers can easily spot the highlights, and a glossary in the end of the chapter offers a quick look-up of important terms.