Physical Chemistry

Book Description

Ira N. Levine's fifth edition of Physical Chemistry provides students with an in-depth fundamental treatment of physical chemistry. At the same time, the treatment is made easy to follow by giving full step-by-step derivations, clear explanations and by avoiding advanced mathematics unfamiliar to students. Necessary math and physics have thorough review sections. Worked examples are followed by a practice exercise.

Customer Reviews:

Very good introduction to physical chemistry.......2007-07-23

A previous reviewer stated that physical chemistry is complicated. As a retired NASA researcher with 44 years experience specializing in physical chemistry I readily acknowledge that physical chemistry can be a very challenging subject. But, personally, I have also found it to be immensely fascinating and rewarding. There are several good textbooks on physical chemistry but, in my opinion, none is better than this one. Levine has done a very good job of presenting the material contained in an understandable fashion without compromising scientific rigor.

An earlier reviewer stated that this book is full of inaccuracies, but I strongly disagree with this statement. One example of an alleged inaccuracy which this reviewer cited is Levine`s statement that, at the velocity of light, photons have mass. This is a true statement; photons do indeed have both mass and momentum and thus can cause pressure on objects they strike. I beg you not to be biased against this outstanding book by this flawed review.

The topic of physical chemistry -- in which chemistry, physics, and mathematics overlap and interact -- clearly does not appeal to everyone. Even many chemists shun the rigors of physical chemistry as much as possible. But for those studying this important subject, I highly recommend this book. And some of you may even come to love this fascinating subject as I do.

for those who don't like Levine.......2007-04-25

If you want the most student friendly book get Physical Chemistry , 4/e by Laidler, Meiser, Sanctuary, ISBN 061815292X.

Description on their website says "With its clear explanations and practical pedagogy, Physical Chemistry is less intimidating to students than other texts, without sacrificing the mathematical rigor and comprehensiveness necessary for a junior-level physical chemistry course. The text's long-standing reputation for accessible writing provides clear instruction and superior problem-solving support for students." I second that.

see my review here Physical Chemistry I mention the alternatives as well.

Terrible semester.......2007-03-31

Physical Chemistry is complicated, there is no way of getting around that. This book will go through the derivations, but never include units. That is a huge problem.

Terrible. Absolutely terrible........2006-09-24

I don't know why so many other people think this book is good. I feel just the opposite.

First, it is filled with factual inaccuracies. Let me quote just one howler, from page 604. "At speed c, the photon has a nonzero mass m." Yes, you heard right, Dr. Levine thinks photons have mass. He then goes on to give an incorrect statement and explanation of the De Broglie wavelength. (Among other things, he uses "mv" instead of momentum, which is of course true only in the case of Newtonian mechanics with massive particles. Sigh.) These gaffes are rarely typos, they are generally the sort of thing which someone with a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics cringes at.

Second, Levine is incapable of going a paragraph without interrupting himself. Given the choice of stating something simply, or filling a paragraph with fifteen references (placed in the text, not in footnotes) and a few asides, he always goes for the latter. References are a fine thing, but placing them inside the text and doing it constantly interrupts the reader's thinking.

Taking an example a few pages earlier in the text, it is not sufficient for Levine to start to explain the photoelectric effect, he has to add in a few lines about practical applications of photocells. All fine and well, but it distracts from the flow of the logic, and frankly the applications of photocells aren't germane to what is being taught here, which is that light is quantized. Levine can never resist the temptation to add a little aside -- there are even spots in the book where he interrupts his own interruptions.

Third, Levine is also incapable of writing without making what he discusses somehow seem meaningless and uninteresting. Take thermodynamics. In the hands of a bad author, thermodynamics can seem like a swirling vortex of formula manipulations, but if you read, say, Enrico Fermi's pamphlet from the 1930s, you instead feel as though you're seeing the power of a few ideas applied rigorously to an interesting domain -- you feel the relevance of the topic to the world and you feel the sparkle of the author's intellect. Levine takes this same topic and makes it feel like an endless parade of noise.

Indeed, Levine can take all sorts topics that are full of inherent interest and relevance and make them seem utterly abstract, boring and lifeless. In order to cover up for this, he throws in lots of asides (see above) and the occassional several paragraph digression about the life of some famous scientist. Sadly, you don't make a topic more "interesting for the kids" by throwing in random asides and distractions -- you do it by knowing how to teach. A good teacher can make anything interesting -- a bad one can't make up for it by doing a few juggling tricks.

Between Levine's self-interruptions, asides and dry presentation, somehow the length of the text always seems an order of magnitude longer than necessary to explain any given subject. I often mentally scream "get to the point already!" as I read.

There is also the question of order of presentation. Honestly, I think that starting a discussion of thermodynamics without first at least glossing to the kinetic theory of gases is a mistake. Abstraction has to be tempered with good mental models of what is going on and why it is going on or the student becomes lost. Even a couple of pages showing that the Ideal Gas Law is an emergent result of a simple classical mechanical model would ground the student better to the material. This sort of thing happens over and over in Levine, with discussion being often both too rigorous and unfounded in basic principles at the same time -- quite a trick to pull off.

Levine's text is, of course, in its fifth edition. Presumably, had the earlier revision been left alone, sales might have flagged as used copies from bored students uninterested in holding on to them filled the market. The publishers have therefore done the usual thing and produced trivial updates every few years to assure that used copies become worthless. Does this new fifth edition come with snazzy new diagrams and all the other stigmata of the modern textbook industry? No. The diagrams in the text -- a text you pay a kings ransom for -- were clearly done in MacDraw and MacPaint in the mid-1980s. I am not that upset about this -- I just find it another irritation. Truthfully, I don't need snazzy illustrations -- my favorite physics and chemistry texts are often decades old -- but if you're going to pretend that you're doing a new edition for some reason other than to keep your sales numbers up, at least have the decency to spend a small amount of money on production to keep up appearances. Milking the students is an embarrassment, especially at the inflated price this book commands.

Oh, and did I mention that the book is insanely heavy? That's not a small thing if you have to haul it around a campus constantly.

As I said, I don't know why other reviewers like this book so much. I'm a confirmed science geek who loves reading science texts for their own sake and I'm having a great deal of difficulty reminding myself that this text (which is being used for a class I'm taking) is not reason enough to find the entire subject of physical chemistry an unbearably boring waste of time -- the topic is in fact interesting, it is this book which is the problem.

To survive the course I'm taking with my mind intact, I've used a succession of small texts by people like Fermi and Pauli. The contrast between people who understand a topic well enough to explain it clearly and simply and the people like Levine that churn out heavy uninteresting textbooks is striking. If you're a professor considering the use of this book, please, please, please don't do it. Find something else. there has to be a decent book on this topic out there somewhere.

As a final comment, let me say this is not the worst text I've ever used. That would be H.J. Pain's "The Physics of Vibrations and Waves". To damn Dr. Levine with faint praise, this book doesn't even come close to being as bad as that other text.

Great Book.......2006-04-22

I took both semesters of P.Chem, failing the first because I took way too many upper level Chem Classes & working as well as a weak background in Calc 3. After studying Calc III by myself over the summer and retaking the class, I am able to absorb so much more and I'm ripping a new one in this class. It is truly an amazing book. Having a solid math background helps one to 'connect the dots' so-to-speak whenever Dr. Levine makes these 'shortcuts'. Tons of worked examples, difficult yet definitely possible homework problems and an acutual intelligent sense of humor are woven into the this book making an extremely complex and difficult subject..... engaging, lol. I spend close to 40hrs. per test and I'm thankful I'm putting myeself through this. Great book, just make sure you have a solid understanding of partial diff eqns. and complex algebra before you take it. Not meant for the weak of mind.

Chemical, Biochemical, and Engineering Thermodynamics

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ChE's
One of the best Thermodynamic books ever!!!
Full of mistakes
An unbiased review on Sandler's textbook
This IS THE BOOK of ChE Thermodynamics

Chemical, Biochemical, and Engineering Thermodynamics
Stanley I. Sandler
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0471661740

Book Description

A modern, accessible, and applied approach to chemical thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is central to the practice of chemical engineering, yet students sometimes feel that the discipline is too abstract while they are studying the subject.

By providing an applied and modern approach, Stanley Sandler's Chemical, Biochemical, and Engineering Thermodynamics, Fourth Edition helps students see the value and relevance of studying thermodynamics to all areas of chemical engineering, and gives them the depth of coverage they need to develop a solid understanding of the key principles in the field.

Key Features
* Highlights applications of thermodynamics to subjects that chemical engineering students will see in later courses.
* Realistic problems introduce students to the types of challenges they will encounter in industry and graduate research.
* The Fourth Edition has been reorganized into 15 chapters, providing shorter chapters that introduce students to the subject in more bite-sized pieces.
* Presents biochemical examples, particularly in Chapters 11 and 12, and in all of Chapter 15 entitled "Biochemical Applications of Thermodynamics."
* Coverage of environmental and safety applications of thermodynamics provides course material useful for ABET accreditation.
* Includes a brief introduction to the new field of product engineering in Chapter 12.
* Instructional objectives and nomenclature lists at the beginning of each chapter provide useful study tools.
* Students can solve problems using MATHCAD(r), MATLAB(r) and Visual Basic programs that accompany this textbook.
* An accompanying CD features a 120-day trial version of MATHCAD, as well as MATHCAD worksheets, an extensive properties database, and Windows-friendly Visual Basic and MATLAB programs for equation of state and UNIFAC calculations. (These worksheets and programs are also available online at the book website.)
* Also included on the CD are PDF files of important data figures that students can download and print for use in solving homework problems.
www.wiley.com/college/sandler

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ChE's.......2007-07-04

I cannot believe that some people have given this book a bad review because they think that this book goes to in depth, covering areas that any engineer would not need. This book is extremely important for chemical engineers, dealing with 1st and 2nd law, cycles, chemical equilibrium, and reactors, areas of extreme importance for chemical engineers.

What I like about this book is how the author starts from the big picture, and from there specific examples are derived. Let's put it this way, if you are a chemical engineer, this book will definetely help you understand one of the hardest classes in our curriculum; ChE thermodynamics.

I should also emphasize that the understanding of this class is also going to depend on who teaches it.

One of the best Thermodynamic books ever!!!.......2007-05-02

The book level is indeed a little bit high for an undergraduate student, in the other hand, it's very practical in representing how to perform REAL and USEFUL calculations. I have two degrees in chemical and Process Engineer, and if you are a person who must work very often with process programming and simulation, this book is essential. If you're looking for more common information, basic concepts and definitions (enthalpy, cycles, steam tables, etc...), maybe you should try other books first, like Smith and Van Ness', or Van Wylen's book. It's mostly a book for chemical and process engineers, I wouldn't recommend it for mechanical, electric or other engineering fields.

Full of mistakes.......2007-02-17

As already indicated, it has mistakes throughout, from the differential equation derivations to the data in the steam tables.

The book is not very redeeming, the author(s?) seem to have a very difficult way of conveying even the simplest point. The book goes much more in depth than any engineering student would need.

Don't even try to read through it either, this simply has proven itself to not be one of those kinds of books. To me, its a nice introduction to concepts, then you have to read the practice problems to actually understand whats going on.

An unbiased review on Sandler's textbook.......2006-11-15

For a consolidated science as thermodynamics is, a concise textbook is a must. I consider Sandler's one as a top quality study material carefully conceived to give the reader a serious chance of really understanding the power, beauty and applicability of thermodynamics. However, to study from this book is a long-haul task and may not be wholly appropriate to undertake it as a part of an undergraduate course in chemical engineering thermodynamics, not unless you specially like the subject.
On the other hand, for the graduate student set to perform research on the area, it is definitely a good starting point. Indeed, that is my current situation, having studied only the first starting chapters so far.
In any case you better borrow it from the library and have a look on the book beforehand, otherwise chances are it will stand on your shelf unread until the entropy attains a maximum.

This IS THE BOOK of ChE Thermodynamics.......2006-07-08

I like this book. Rationale:

1. The mathematical rigor, the absolute only way to communicate anything in the physical sciences, is very much present. If you don't know what total differentials are, as well as simultaneous equations, function notation, differential equations, and the like, don't balk at its presence in this book. It's necessary.

2. The examples (called "Illustrations" for some odd reason) are sufficient in number, and, after doing out the examples myself, key concepts I was missing sunk in, to the credit of Dr. Sandler.

3. Ample Figures and Diagrams well-described.

4. A very good system of equation numbering (it seems that equations simultaneous to each other, or algebraically equivalent are assigned alphabetical suffixes).

5. Plenty of room in the margins to write comments (Sandler encourages this, and I do too).

I could go on. I'll leave you with an algorithm to reading this book that I found helpful:

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK: Use a pencil and take notes on each and every word in this book. Then, go back and recopy the Illustrations into a notebook (or into your computer using any word processor, and MathType, a very nice FREE software package obtainable upon any Google search. I know. A tangent.)...This is working really well, since, as you take notes in the book, you get to skip over the Illustrations (and you get to feel like you're moving fast!), and when you're doing the Illustrations, you get to skip over the text (ditto). It also helps if, when Sandler references an equation in the text (example, "Eq. 6.4-25"), circle this equation reference and write its page number next to it (example, p. 217).

Best Wishes!

UPDATE: This book is not just a model thermodynamics textbook, it's a model for all textbooks.

Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics

Average customer rating:

Thoughts from an ME Undergraduate
I had to teach myself from this...
THE Best Engineering Text
Thermodynamics Text
GOOD BUT....

Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics
Michael J. Moran , and Howard N. Shapiro
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471317136

Book Description

The fourth edition retains the basic objectives of the first three editions which is to present a comprehensive and rigorous treatment of engineering thermodynamics from the classical viewpoint. It includes thorough development of the second law, featuring the entropy production concept, and energy analysis. Known for its emphasis on design, the authors have updated design applications to include economic considerations. Environmental topics and applications have been expanded and updated.

Customer Reviews:

Thoughts from an ME Undergraduate.......2007-04-04

I'm currently using this book for my undergraduate thermo course and this is my first class (and first book) on thermodynamics. That said, I must I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I'll agree that there's plenty of examples which are helpful and there's plenty of rigor in explaining many concepts.

On the other hand, I will also say that I was completely lost several times when reading the book. I definitely agree with the other review that complained about this book's wordiness. In an introductory text such as this, I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't string together long, run-on sentences with nothing but definition terms (where you have to lookup virtually each word in the sentence from other chapters). I've also noticed that many intro texts *fail to succinctly and clearly explain completely new terms and concepts in easy-to-understand words and real-world examples*, and this is no exception!

Central summary pages including main formulas (and page numbers for alternative forms of the main formulas) would be helpful for students instead of constantly flipping through the chapters looking for something specific formula.

Also, the back of the book solutions severely lack any sort of real form (most books give either all odd or even solutions) and the problems themselves often require complex assumptions that first-year thermo students such as myself aren't going to think of right off-the-bat. Starting point hints would be a BIG help.

All that said, I'd say that while this is a pretty good, detailed book, good luck if you're an engineering undergrad taking a thermo class for the first time with this book. You'll probably benefit from lectures more than from this book.

I had to teach myself from this..........2007-03-18

Great book, my professor for this class lacked a Ph.D and the ability to teach, so I was on my own for the most part. I nearly pulled an A in the course. On a technical note, they aren't so clear on/or make a few minor errors, be careful with the P-h diagrams.

THE Best Engineering Text.......2007-03-15

This is the best textbook in Engineering or Mathematics I have ever read. Its structure is just so good, that words are hard to find. It would be easier to describe a more mediocre textbook than this, since I cannot emphasize enough just how well written this text is compared to the seventy or so other engineering and mathematics books I own.

Work patiently through the first six chapters, and the rest is a true pleasure. The perfect structure both of the examples and of the text itself renders only one requiste on the reader's part: study the chapters in their entirety -- never will the time you spend on a book pay better dividens than this time around.

Disregard the negative reviews for this text; these are the result of lacking academic maturity among a portion of the amazon.com reviewers. Also, I meant to give it 5 stars, but the site does not enable such a correction.

Thermodynamics Text.......2007-03-02

Difficult to find information in the text, though it does have alot of useful stuff. The tables at the back are great.

GOOD BUT...........2006-06-22

ITS GOOD BUT IT JUMP TO MUCH STEPS. I RECOMMEND "THERMODYNAMICS AN ENGINEERING APPROACH" FORM CENGEL AND BOLES. ITS MORE FRIENDLY USER. I HAVE BOTH

Molecular Thermodynamics of Fluid-Phase Equilibria (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Smith & Van Hess preferable!
Clearly written , Very good book
Good solution thermo, but don't get rid of Smith & Van Ness
Errata
Simple and interesting...

Molecular Thermodynamics of Fluid-Phase Equilibria (3rd Edition)
John M. Prausnitz , Rudiger N. Lichtenthaler , and Edmundo Gomes de Azevedo
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0139777458

Customer Reviews:

Smith & Van Hess preferable!.......2004-01-12

This book is used as graduate text for GTech, ChBE course, and suffices in context of summarizing a large amount of material on fugacities in mixtures, empirical methods used for prediction and analysis of phase euilibria problems. With no previous exposure to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, I found Smith and Van Hess to be greatly helpful in explaining basic concepts, and providing a lucid, logical development of the subject. While Prausnitz dwells at length on the behavior of mixtures, the development of the subject leaves one wanting for a lot more, and hence this book will always need atleat one complementary text like Smith's book to be a useful text. The topics explained really well in the text include fugacities in gas and liquid mixtures, and calculation of solubilities of solids or gases in liquids. Other areas of thermodynamics are either ignored or coverage is sketchy (for examples treatment of polymers, electrolytes, use of statistical mechanics, etc).

Clearly written , Very good book.......2001-07-21

The book explains clearly the subjects making easy to understand the topics. I would suggest chem. eng to use it as a tool for understanding any specific subject in phase equilibria. It points out clearly the principles. Any book written by Dr. Prausnitz has high quality.

Good solution thermo, but don't get rid of Smith & Van Ness.......2000-11-23

This is the text that is used for graduate ChE thermo at Georgia Tech. I found many of the chapters to be very useful and complete. For example, the chapters on estimating fugacities and solubilities in gases and liquids were very well written. However, I found the treatment of some topics, such as equations of state and supercritical fluids to be somewhat superficial and not developed very well in general. Smith & Van Ness and The Properties of Gases and Liquids were useful supplements.

Errata.......2000-06-18

En la Ec. 6-122 pg. 264 el subindice del tercer termino de la derecha de la ecuacion: phi* dice 2 debe decir 1.

Por favor si tienen un Fe de Erratas comunicarlo a todos los usuarios.

El libro es excelente. gracias

Simple and interesting..........2000-04-13

I found this book easy to read about some topics that others books make to difficult to understand. I widely recommend this book...

Average customer rating:

Kinetics of Materials
Robert W. Balluffi , Samuel M. Allen , and W. Craig Carter
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471246891

Book Description

A classroom-tested textbook providing a fundamental understanding of basic kinetic processes in materials

This textbook, reflecting the hands-on teaching experience of its three authors, evolved from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's first-year graduate curriculum in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. It discusses key topics collectively representing the basic kinetic processes that cause changes in the size, shape, composition, and atomistic structure of materials. Readers gain a deeper understanding of these kinetic processes and of the properties and applications of materials.

Topics are introduced in a logical order, enabling students to develop a solid foundation before advancing to more sophisticated topics. Kinetics of Materials begins with diffusion, offering a description of the elementary manner in which atoms and molecules move around in solids and liquids. Next, the more complex motion of dislocations and interfaces is addressed. Finally, still more complex kinetic phenomena, such as morphological evolution and phase transformations, are treated.

Throughout the textbook, readers are instilled with an appreciation of the subject's analytic foundations and, in many cases, the approximations commonly used in the field. The authors offer many extensive derivations of important results to help illuminate their origins. While the principal focus is on kinetic phenomena in crystalline materials, select phenomena in noncrystalline materials are also discussed. In many cases, the principles involved apply to all materials.

Exercises with accompanying solutions are provided throughout Kinetics of Materials, enabling readers to put their newfound knowledge into practice. In addition, bibliographies are offered with each chapter, helping readers to investigate specialized topics in greater detail. Several appendices presenting important background material are also included.

With its unique range of topics, progressive structure, and extensive exercises, this classroom-tested textbook provides an enriching learning experience for first-year graduate students.

Download Description

A classroom-tested textbook providing a fundamental understanding of basic kinetic processes in materials This textbook, reflecting the hands-on teaching experience of its three authors, evolved from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's first-year graduate curriculum in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. It discusses key topics collectively representing the basic kinetic processes that cause changes in the size, shape, composition, and atomistic structure of materials. Readers gain a deeper understanding of these kinetic processes and of the properties and applications of materials. Topics are introduced in a logical order, enabling students to develop a solid foundation before advancing to more sophisticated topics. Kinetics of Materials begins with diffusion, offering a description of the elementary manner in which atoms and molecules move around in solids and liquids. Next, the more complex motion of dislocations and interfaces is addressed. Finally, still more complex kinetic phenomena, such as morphological evolution and phase transformations, are treated. Throughout the textbook, readers are instilled with an appreciation of the subject's analytic foundations and, in many cases, the approximations commonly used in the field. The authors offer many extensive derivations of important results to help illuminate their origins. While the principal focus is on kinetic phenomena in crystalline materials, select phenomena in noncrystalline materials are also discussed. In many cases, the principles involved apply to all materials. Exercises with accompanying solutions are provided throughout Kinetics of Materials, enabling readers to put their newfound knowledge into practice. In addition, bibliographies are offered with each chapter, helping readers to investigate specialized topics in greater detail. Several appendices presenting important background material are also included. With its unique range of topics, progressive structure, and extensive exercises, this classroom-tested textbook provides an enriching learning experience for first-year graduate students.

Average customer rating:

title sums up a solid text that is not geared for engineering classes

Molecular Thermodynamics
Donald A. McQuarrie , and John D. Simon
Manufacturer: University Science Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 189138905X

Book Description

Evolved from McQuarrie and Simon's best-selling textbook, Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach, this text focuses in on the thermodynamics portion of the course. Although many of the chapters in Molecular Thermodynamics are similar to chapters in the larger physical chemistry text, new material has been added throughout along with three entirely new chapters on "The Energy Levels of Atoms and Molecules," "Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Cells," and "Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics." The text also includes five short "MathChapters," each with a special set of problems that will help students review and summarize the mathematical tools required to master the material. Worked examples and chapter-ending problems with solutions are also included throughout the book.

Customer Reviews:

title sums up a solid text that is not geared for engineering classes.......2007-04-11

First off, if you are looking for an engineering thermo text, look elsewhere. The whole book is based on the theories behind the key thermo equations and laws, and how to derive all sorts of corollaries and equations from the basic few equations, and it does an awesome job at that.

Thus, if you were looking really small-scale, as in molecular-scale (the title does say "molecular thermo"), this book does a great job of teaching you the key concepts that you need to know. It covers a wide range of topics, starting off with four chapters on quantum mechanics and statistical thermodynamics before going on into three chapters on the three laws of thermo. The authors then spend the second half of the book looking at consequences and applications, which are mainly of importance to people studying chemical processes (topics such as solutions, chemical equilibria, free energies).

I'd say 85% of the book is math-based, so don't expect to make it through without thoroughly understanding vector calculus (although math chapters are included to provide crash courses in important mathematical concepts). If you do understand the math, this book is like a series of well-prepared lectures in paper form. The logic is clear and easy to follow, and problems provided are relevant and challenging enough to make you think and integrate concepts that are introduced.

So if you're looking for a thorough look at molecular thermo, more specifically for chemical processes at that scale, look no further. If you want a comprehensive math-based book to help you understand key equations in thermo, this is also for you. However, if you're anything else, especially if you're an engineer, you need applications and other mentally imaginable stuff that you will not find here.

Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Biologic Thermo without all the ideal gas BS

Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences
Gordon G. Hammes
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471374911

Book Description

Gain a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics with a minimum of mathematics-a guide for individuals in the biological sciences

An understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics is essential for researchers investigating molecular phenomena in diverse disciplines, including bioorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biology. The use of these physical chemistry tools in the biological sciences has exploded over the past fifteen years, but the majority of works on thermodynamics and kinetics require mathematical expertise beyond that of many researchers in the field. Presenting a highly accessible introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics, Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences employs a minimum of mathematics, assuming only a basic calculus background, while treating a wide range of topics in a logical and easy-to-follow style. All principles and concepts are clearly illustrated through the use of relevant applications and examples from the biological sciences, and explanations are further enhanced with problems and up-to-date references. Written by a world-renowned authority on biochemical kinetics, this remarkable book also features an easy-to-understand statistical development of entropy and a more extensive coverage of chemical kinetics and ligand binding to macromolecules than is usually found in books of this kind. Readers will acquire a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics that they can readily apply to biological systems and use for exploring the scientific literature.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2001-05-12

I used this book as a supplement in a 4th semester chemistry course targeted for biology and premedical students this past term. It has excellent up-to-date examples and good problems. Hammes does a nice job of presenting at an appropriate level topics from thermodynamics and kinetics needed to read and understand biochemical articles. Such things as the meaning of the biochemical (as opposed to the chemical) standard state are particularly well done -- better than in other books I have seen for this audience.

But why does Wiley price [it at its cost]? Perhaps it is the nice color plates --- but at a lower price I would have had everyone in my class buy this as a suppplement to the text. At this price I am reluctant to do so.

Biologic Thermo without all the ideal gas BS.......2001-05-02

I enjoyed reading and studying this "thermodynamic/kinetics with a biochemistry twist". Most thermo books get too bogged down with ideal gases and the cost in time versus the benefits of material learned is too great. Dr. Hammes however has an easy reading style and focuses in on the "meat" of physical biochemistry pertaining to thermodynamics and kinetics. I am not a formal student, but a cardiologist interested in physical biochemistry. P-Chem learning requires doing the problems. The only drawback to Professor Hammes's textbook is that there are no solved problems or solutions manual for the problems in the back of each chapter. Nerds like me find these problems as a useful exercise in learning to insure that we have mastered the material. You will not be disappointed in this book.

Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics

Average customer rating:

Adequate text, but poorly edited
McQuarrie and Atkins are more detailed.
Needs to be checked for errors

Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics
Thomas Engel , and Philip Reid
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805338446

Book Description

Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics is a groundbreaking new text that explains core topics in depth with a focus on basic principles, applications, and modern research. The authors hone in on key concepts and cover them thoroughly and in detail â as opposed to the general, encyclopedic approach competing textbooks take. Excessive math formalism is avoided to keep readers focused on the most important concepts and to provide greater clarity. Applications woven throughout each chapter demonstrate to readers how chemical theories are used to solve real-world chemical problems in biology, environmental science, and material science. Extensive coverage of modern research and new developments in the field get readers excited about this dynamic branch of science. Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy is a split text (from Physical Chemistry) and is organized to facilitate "Quantum first" courses. The online Chemistry Place for Physical Chemistry features interactive problems and simulations that reinforce and build upon material included in the book. Fundamental Concepts of Thermodynamics; Heat, Work, Internal Energy, Enthalpy, and the First Law of Thermodynamics; The Importance of State Functions: Internal Energy and Enthalpy; Thermochemistry; Entropy and the Second and Third Law of Thermodynamics; Chemical Equilibrium; The Properties of Real Gases; The Relative Stability of Solids, Liquids, and Gases; Ideal and Real Solutions; Electrolyte Solutions; Electrochemical Cells, Batteries, and Fuel Cells; Probability; The Boltzmann Distribution; Ensemble and Molecular Partition Functions; Statistical Thermodynamics; Kinetic Theory of Gases; Transport Phenomena; Elementary Chemical Kinetics; Complex Reaction Mechanisms. For all readers interested in learning the core topics of quantum chemistry.

Customer Reviews:

Adequate text, but poorly edited.......2007-01-24

As an undergraduate chemistry major, this is the first of my textbooks that I have sold after the course was over. The book does an adequate job of explaining the basics of thermodynamics and the macroscopic view of physical chemistry, but has some severe limitations. Equations are poorly organized and can be very difficult to find when you're searching for them, and the relationships between equations are often difficult to discern (a concept that seemed to me very central to undergraduate Pchem). The worst part of the book, however, is that it is a poorly edited first edition. Many of the problems in the back (and their accompanying answers) have been pulled from an out of print book by Gilbert Castellan, but the tables in the back have been updated with current numbers. This results in occasional correct answers that do not match the answers in the book.

If your professor requires it, you're probably going have to buy it anyway, but if you're interested in a basic physical chemistry reference you're probably better off with Atkins.

McQuarrie and Atkins are more detailed........2006-09-07

This book is suitable for a themodynamics course in physical chemistry, in that gives a basic thermo course without the quantum portion in it, leaving that for a separate book. This book is a long way from the mathmatic rigor found in the Atkins text. The Atkins text was famous for its detailed proofs and brilliant math, but lacks a user-friendly feel. This book was user friendly but did not give details that could lend itself further study or understanding. If you are using this text, Mcquarrie's text is dated but is a wonderful suppliment to this text, it gives more detail where needed filling in the gaps where this text generally errs toward simplicity.
The best thing about this book is its simplicity and its readability. The worst thing about this book is its simplicity because it does not explain in detail why the mathmatical model is the way it is because of the physical interactions.

Needs to be checked for errors.......2006-04-09

Buy Levines book on physical chemistry that is a much better text. I am not saying that is is the best because I have not read every thermo book but if you want good advice, then take my word and buy Levines book. It seems as though engels text has not been edited or proofread enough or maybe not at all. I think he just solved all the problems once and published it. There a numerous times in which he trys to make problems tricky by wording it unclearly, thinking he is smart or something, and the numerical answer he has in the back will be completely wrong. There is one problem I remember where he asks you to find the atomic weight of an atom and his answer is 1235 kg/mol or something ridiculous like that. Most of the time I can see where he made his mistakes, and notice that he tries to trick students and ends up fooling himself. Some people like texts because they are not thorough and make it easy to read a hard subject, so they don't care. But this guys just leaves things out completely.

An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics

Average customer rating:

great handbook
An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics- Terrel L.Hill
A nice companion to McQuarrie's text
Reliable Treatise
Excelent first book on the subject

An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics
Terrell L. Hill
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486652424

Book Description

Part I deals with principles of quantum statistical mechanics. Part II examines systems composed of independent molecules or other independent subsystems. Part III considers systems of interacting molecules, and Part IV covers quantum statistics and includes sections on Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics, photon gas, and free-volume theories of quantum liquids.

Customer Reviews:

great handbook.......2007-09-30

i'm a student of applied chemistry and this book has everything you need too know as undergraduate of statistical thermodynamics

An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics- Terrel L.Hill.......2005-08-31

An excellent text book for Physical Chemist who want to get sound footing in Statistical Thermodynamics.Inorder to really get a good view of the basics of statistical mechanics the reader really needs to spend an adequate amount of time in digesting the contents of the initial chapter. However, after spending some amount of time in reading those initial chapters, one can grasp the latter parts of the book in a quite interesting fashion.In my opinion, this book is a must for those who want to master the statstical thermodynamics. Infact, one would be really amazed at the standard of the book considering the fact that it is reasonably old. No new standard books on ' Statistical Mechanics' can provide such an adequate foundations as it in this book. I would strongly recommend this book along with the other book 'Statistical Mechanics' by the same author.
Sasisanker Padmanabhan

A nice companion to McQuarrie's text.......2005-07-02

I thought this was a terriable book by itself, but makes for a nice companion when reading through McQuarrie's book. McQuarrie skimps out on some of the explanations and instead leaves it to the reader to figure it out for themselves by solving his problems at the end of the chapter. One can usually find the answers (or at least some hints) within this book.

Reliable Treatise.......2004-05-12

Written in 1960 and revised in 1986 this is a general treatise on
stat-thermo in the tradition of Tolman and McQuarrie. I have a well
used copy on my desk, bought originally as a textbook for a graduate
course - probably the cheapest textbook I ever bought at $12.95.

The first chapter derives the ensembles from the quantum perspective.
This has the advantage of generality and the disadvantage that
it requires some rudimentary knowledge of quanta and is less
expedient for the scientist who is only concerned with classical
stat-mech.

Once the foundations are laid, the book is divided into
applications to non-interacting and interacting systems. In the
latter category is the virial expansion for imperfect gases. This
derivation makes an unnecessary effort to introduce a relative
activity. The derivation in Jackson's book is more transparent
and shorter without sacrificing rigor. The Mayer expansion for
hard spheres is treated in useful detail.

Chapter 18 includes a good description of the Debye-Hueckel theory
of electrolytes. The derivation of the Flory-Huggins theory of
polymer solutions in Chapter 21 is excellent - more concise and
effortless than all others that I have seen. Chapter 14 covers the
solution of the one-dimensional Ising magnet but I still have trouble
understanding this one. The appendices are useful and include
the maximum term method and method of undetermined multipliers
which are the cornerstone of the fundamental theorems.

Excelent first book on the subject.......2000-12-27

Hill presents the fundamental problems on the subject and methods to work these problems. Thanks to Dover you can have this book as a second source on class or for self learning. It has the basic fundamentals before you go to McQuarrie Stat. Mech. Excelent for Phys. Chemists approaching the subject

An Introduction to Fire Dynamics, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

Ótimo livro
A great reference
The Master Speaks - Again
an introduction to fire dynamics . this is for you

An Introduction to Fire Dynamics, 2nd Edition
Dougal Drysdale
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471972916

Book Description

An Introduction to Fire Dynamics Second Edition Dougal Drysdale University of Edinburgh, UK Fire Safety Engineering, identified in the original edition as 'a relatively new discipline', has since grown significantly in stature, as Fire Safety Engineers around the world begin to apply their skills to complex issues that defy solution by the old 'prescriptive' approach to fire safety. This second edition has the same structure as the first highly successful text, but has been updated with the latest research results. Fire processes are discussed and quantified in terms of the mechanisms of heat transfer and fluid flow. Problems addressed include:
* The conditions necessary for ignition and steady burning of combustible materials to occur
* How large a fire has to become before fire detectors and sprinkler heads will operate
* The circumstances that can lead to flashover in a compartment
This book is unique in that it identifies fire science and fire dynamics and provides the scientific background necessary for the development of fire safety engineering as a professional discipline. It is essential reading for all those involved in this wide ranging field, from Fire Prevention Officers to Consulting Engineers, whether involved in problems of fire risk assessment, fire safety design, or fire investigation. It will also be of considerable interest and value to research scientists working in building design, fire physics and chemistry.

Customer Reviews:

Ótimo livro.......2007-07-17

É realmente um livro indispensável para qualquer profissional que lide com ciência do fogo. Seu conteúdo deveria fazer parte do currículo mínimo dos Cursos de Formação de Oficiais Bombeiros Militares (CFO-BM) e dos Cursos de Perícia de Incêndios ministrados no Brasil.

A great reference .......2006-11-15

An indispensable guide to Fire Science and excellent starting point in Fire Engineering - the old faithful of my undergraduate studies at University !

The Master Speaks - Again.......2006-08-22

An excellent update of Dr. Drysdale's "must-have" 1985 introduction to advanced fire physics. Dr. Drysdale brings the reader up-to-date (as of the 1998 publication date) on the state of the art in fire behavior, analysis, prediction and modeling.

I bought the paperback, because (a) the hardback is more expensive (Dr. Drysdale is Scottish, after all...); and (b) the 3rd edition is hopefully only a few years away. Readers in active day-to-date fire science application work probably will want the more durable hardback edition.

an introduction to fire dynamics . this is for you.......1999-03-10

fire is one of the most dangeris enamess that we have it can burn all that you have down to the ground and so'' an this saftey tip from me dont play with fire''' thank you... chris j coombes...

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