Book Description
The only text to cover both thermodynamic and statistical mechanics--allowing students to fully master thermodynamics at the macroscopic level. Presents essential ideas on critical phenomena developed over the last decade in simple, qualitative terms. This new edition maintains the simple structure of the first and puts new emphasis on pedagogical considerations. Thermostatistics is incorporated into the text without eclipsing macroscopic thermodynamics, and is integrated into the conceptual framework of physical theory.
Customer Reviews:
Wrong Edition Sent.......2007-09-24
Although the edition was correct, the book was a paperback when I specifically paid for hardbound. Even more frustrating was the fact that it was not eligible for return.
Key to undestanf statistical physics.......2006-10-26
The postulational approach is really great. This book tooks away all the question I had about the connection between thermodynamics and statistical physics. I think it's a good idea to read Fermi's thermodynamics also. To see how smart one can be when using thermodynamics.
nice book, nice service.......2005-09-16
I am both satisfied with amazon service and with the book.
Excellent.......2005-03-30
Beautiful simple straightforward approach to thermodynamics. The postulates are well explained and the use of the axioms is highlighted. Challenging questions make this book a joy to use, great a student text as well as a reference.
Insightful Postulational Approach to Thermodynamics.......2004-05-19
Why did I buy an older thermodynamics text, one first published in 1960? I trusted the advice of earlier reviewers.
They say: 1) The best treatment of classical thermodynamics that I have seen. The chapters on phase transitions are excellent and the mechanical model used to illustrate critical phenomena is brilliant. 2) It is far better than most books on the subject. 3) I think this book has no competition as a text in thermodynamics. It is the ideal preparation for a book like Landau's Statistical Physics. 4) The overview of the fundamentals of thermodynamics is without rival. 5) I think this book is a great option if you feel disappointed with the standard treatment of thermodynamics.
A few reviewers argued that Callen's text was less suitable for engineering students (too few heat-mechanical energy conversion problems) and chemical engineers (too few chemical mixture problems).
My trust was not misplaced. Thermodynamics, an Introduction to the Physical Theories of Equilibrium Thermostatics and Irreversible Thermodynamics, is an exceptional text. I give it five stars.
H. B. Callen offers a fascinating and insightful postulational approach to thermodynamics rather than the conventional inductive approach. He targets first year graduate students and advanced undergraduates; however, even readers proficient with advanced thermodynamics should find Callen's approach stimulating.
The text has three primary sections: General Principles of Classical Thermodynamics (200 pages), Representative Applications (65 pages), and Fluctuations and Irreversible Thermodynamics (50 pages). An extensive appendix, some 50 pages, offers a useful review of pertinent mathematics and other relevant topics. Answers are not provided to the chapter problems.
Interspersed throughout are brief chapters that review useful mathematical techniques. I appreciated the discussions of the Euler equation, the Legendre transformations, the extremum principle in the Legendre transformed representations, and the Maxwell relations (not the Maxwell EM equations). Callen provides useful tools like a thermodynamic mnemonic diagram (first introduced by Max Born) and associated procedures for reducing the formal manipulation of partial derivates to "a simple recipe".
Callen's text has been widely used. I reviewed the 1960 first edition, eighteenth printing. A second edition published in 1984 is easier to find and is often used today as a supplementary text.
Thanks again for the advice from previous reviewers.
Average customer rating:
- spectacular introduction!
- Good enough to be self-study book
- Want to understand the physics if life? Need to read this!
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Molecular Driving Forces: Statistical Thermodynamics in CHemistry & Biology
Ken A. Dill
Manufacturer: Routledge
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An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics
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ASIN: 0815320515 |
Book Description
This text shows how many complex behaviors of molecules can result from a few simple physical processes. A central theme is the idea that simplistic models can give surprisingly accurate insights into the workings of the molecular world. Written in a clear and student-friendly style, the book gives an excellent introduction to the field for novices. It should also be useful to those who want to refresh their understanding of this important field, and those interested in seeing how physical principles can be applied to the study of problems in the chemical, biological, and material sciences. Furthermore, Molecular Driving Forces contains a number of features including:
*449 carefully produced figures illustrating the subject matter
*178 worked examples in the chapters which explain the key concepts and show their practical applications
*The text is mathematically self-contained, with 'mathematical toolkits' providing the required maths
*Advanced material that might not be suitable for some elementary courses is clearly delineated in the text
*End-of-chapter references and suggestions for further reading
Customer Reviews:
spectacular introduction!.......2007-03-10
I have this book assigned as a text book for one of my classes and it is superb. Very clear explaination from the very basics of statistics and how it builds up to thermodynamics and beyond. The book succintly explains all of the necessary math and has instructive examples to drive the point home. I really like this book!
Good enough to be self-study book.......2006-02-26
This book is really amazing, gives good examples and alot of questions. It is easy to follow, but it hasn't the whole math of many derivations.
Want to understand the physics if life? Need to read this!.......2003-08-02
The topic of this book, the physical chemistry of molecules, especially those relevant to biology, is one of the most challenging courses to a college student in chemist. But these authors have tried to make it easy for you - and they succeed. They used figures, pictures and analogies to help you to understand some of the most sophisticated concepts in science. For example entropy. The authors are leading researchers in the field and they brought a unique perspective to the subject; the writing is very lucid.
Book Description
The most successful theory in all of science--and the basis of one third of our economy--says the strangest things about the world and about us. Can you believe that physical reality is created by our observation of it? Physicists were forced to this conclusion, the quantum enigma, by what they observed in their laboratories. Trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics and found, to their embarrassment, that their theory intimately connects consciousness with the physical world. Quantum Enigma explores what that implies and why some founders of the theory became the foremost objectors to it. Schrodinger showed that it "absurdly" allowed a cat to be in a "superposition" simultaneously dead and alive. Einstein derided the theory's "spooky interactions." With Bell's Theorem, we now know Schrodinger's superpositions and Einstein's spooky interactions indeed exist. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all of this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and bits about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, with an emphasis on what is and what is not speculation. Physics' encounter with consciousness is its skeleton in the closet. Because the authors open the closet and examine the skeleton, theirs is a controversial book. Quantum Enigma's description of the experimental quantum facts, and the quantum theory explaining them, is undisputed. Interpreting what it all means, however, is controversial. Every interpretation of quantum physics encounters consciousness. Rosenblum and Kuttner therefore turn to exploring consciousness itself--and encounter quantum physics. Free will and anthropic principles become crucial issues, and the connection of consciousness with the cosmos suggested by some leading quantum cosmologists is mind-blowing. Readers are brought to a boundary where the particular expertise of physicists is no longer a sure guide. They will find, instead, the facts and hints provided by quantum mechanics and the ability to speculate for themselves.
Customer Reviews:
Importance of Einstein's inquisitiveness........2007-10-03
Remember "Blue Velvet" movie and frequently shouting "don't you f@#$ look at me!!" Frank (played with raving mania by Dennis Hopper)? Maybe Frank knew something we do not. But.. jokes aside - it is again about Einstein mostly, and about his two famous quips: "I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it" and: "God does not play dice". He related to measurement/observation problem and Nature's randomness. His questions, musings and skepticism spawned further research into "what is going on?" bringing quantum physics and consciousness enigma into the light. As we read the text, we learn that physicists can be divided into two groups: these who does not want to enter the hazy border of physics and philosophy, and much smaller but not less respected cluster of open-minded scientists who are not afraid to investigate and ask dipper questions. Second group consist(ed) among others Schrodinger himself and John Wheeler - dreamer and colleague of Einstein. There is something wrong with the way science is conducted, and authors clearly point at it quoting many names and opinions. For example: reductionism may be soon in retreat and reasoning by induction has logical problems. Mathematics is not always a panacea for theory -says Stephen Hawking: "The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe" (string cosmologists take heed!). Even philosopher and physicist Victor Stenger ("The Unconscious Quantum") - strong believer in empirical facts/observations and total critic of consciousness admits that we do not live in deterministic Newtonian clockwork universe. I mention him here because I read several of his books not without pleasure. In conclusion: "Quantum Enigma" is a fascinating and provocative book. The only small disappointment comes from marginal treatment of Roger Penrose's interpretation of quantum weirdness that goes without any need to invoke observers or parallel universes. For details one may check June 2005 Discover magazine. Soon after this book was published, May 12th 2007 New Scientist magazine printed information about planned experiments at the University of California , Santa Barbara. The researchers believe they will have ruled out one of the most popular explanations for how quantum things turn classical and that decoherence theory cannot be correct. Experiment will offer an inside into the fundamental nature of quantum measurement, and possibility to take a quick peek inside the box, glimpse the cat's state and observe "superposition" marching one step at a time. This could be a very profound discovery..stay alerted.
Quantum questions at their best.......2007-09-12
A good concise format for the most pressing quantum questions.
A very good read. Recomended for anyone needing more input on how our peception of reality, changes as quantum questions arise..
IM
Absolute must-read.......2007-08-24
I just finished reading Quantum Enigma and it has left me stunned.
Although I am sure many folks would not agree, I think the topic of this book examines the most important questions facing us humans -- the fundamental nature of consciousness and "reality", and how the two interact. The authors explain how quantum theory clearly shows that microscopic particles behave in a way that does not "make sense". Not only can those particles exist in two places at once, but the theory shows that they only exist when observed by something or someone. And since our everyday macroscopic objects are theoretically made up of those tiny particles, what does that mean about the chair I am sitting on? Is it there only because I am here? As stated on page 156, "There is no way to interpret quantum theory without in some way addressing consciousness."
This is not a "pop-quantum" book like the Tao of Physics or The Dancing Wu Li Masters. Nor does it present nonsensical extrapolations of quantum theory to spiritual phenomena, as in the "What the Bleep..." movie. But it does explore realms where most physics text books do not go -- the juncture of physics and philosophy. It shines a bright light on physicists' "skeleton in the closet", the enigmatic meaning of quantum theory.
The book is written in a friendly and entertaining manner, without sacrificing depth or seriousness. I enjoyed the photos of the great minds of quantum theory - Bohr, Heisenberg, Einstein, etc - the guys who knew from the start that quantum theory required a different world view.
It may be true, in some sense, that nothing exists unless and until "observed"! How can that possibly be? The authors don't provide an answer, but the beauty of this book for me was the courageous and competent way in which it asks the questions. And they freely admit that "The more deeply you think about quantum mechanics, the more strange it seems." No kidding.
--Joel Nisson
A perspective shaking journey.......2007-08-14
The concepts are simple but profound, mind creates matter. This book takes this idea and a few other mind bending, and mind blowing concepts that quantum physics has shown us about ourselves, and our universe and expands on them in a readable format. The astonishing realization for me is the apparent direct correlation between what quantum physics has told us about reality, and what mystics have been saying for thousands of years, especially the Buddha. This book is a must buy for any inquiring minds out there. It will change the way you look at yourself, and the world!!
Excellent treatment of the subject.......2007-08-10
The authors do a great job of presenting the issue. Some of the basic quantum concepts seem a bit dumbed-down, but their focus on the subject of quantum physics vs. consciousness is precise and well-thought-out. Refreshingly free of all the wooly-headedness that plagues other discussions of this type ("The Holographic Universe" comes to mind as a particularly bad example), which hijack science, broadly and clumsily applied, to justify belief in everything from ESP to reincarnation. They stick to the science, and properly so. Quantum mechanics is already so weird, it doesn't need to be conflated into anything else.
Book Description
The worldwide bestseller Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach brings further refinement to an approach that emphasizes a physical understanding of the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics. The authors offer an engineering textbook that "talks directly to tomorrow's engineers in a simple yet precise manner, that encourages creative thinking, and is read by the students with interest and enthusiasm."
The new edition features an early introduction of the first law of thermodynamics, separate coverage of closed systems energy analysis, combined coverage of control volume mass and energy analysis, and revised coverage of compressible flow. Over 300 comprehensive problems have been added to this physically intuitive text, many of which come from industrial applications.
The media package for this text is extensive, giving users a large variety of supplemental resources to choose from. A Student Resources DVD is packaged with each new copy of the text and contains the popular Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software, Physical Experiments, and an Interactive Thermodynamics tutorial. An Online Learning Center is also available to students and instructors at http://www.mhhe.com/cengel. Instructors also have access to an Instructor Resource CD-ROM that provides useful tools in order to optimize in-class presentations.
Customer Reviews:
Textbook.......2007-01-12
It was the correct textbook. It's an old version but that is what the prof required. Books are Books.
Ivestigation and extra help.......2007-01-07
This book provide a excellent definition of Thermodynamic that help you to understand all concepts that you need to learn this subjet, the problems are very clear to understand the process to resolve they.
A book for chemical engineers written by mechanical engineers..........2007-01-04
My class used only the first eleven chapters, but it was clear that the chapters were written more with a mechanical engineering bent of mind. The theory part was great, but the examples could use more work, especially for the thermodynamic cycle problems, which would have been much easier if an accompanying entropy-temperature graph was present. also, a few of the worked out solutions were incorrect. Overall, a good book, but keep a look out for alternates. Maybe the updated edition is better..
Also, make sure your copy has the property table accompanying it, because they are really important and for many problems, it is easier to use the slim tables than the heavy book.
Good product.......2006-11-10
I got my book that I ordered in the time they specified and it was ing good condition.
Fantastic.......2006-10-29
Frankly, I think that this was one of the best engineering texts I have had. Granted, I am only a stupid mechanical engineer, but this book gives your all that you need for as a basis for heat transfer and other courses. Also included in the special topics are refrigerators. Yes, they are random, but they actually connected pulling values out of tables with real life. The book had good examples, and enough of them. The text was readable and straightforward.
Something that I rather like is that the pictures were in red, black, and white. I think it makes the pages less distracting and easier to read (although sometimes it does take an extra minute to figure out the diagram).
I am not sure what the DVD was--some software, I believe, but no professor ever bothers to use it. That is what I wish they had cut to save money.
Book Description
This book deals with the derivation of the Fokker-Planck equation, methods of solving it and some of its applications. Various methods such as the simulation method, the eigenfunction expansion, numerical integration, the variational method, and the matrix continued-fraction method are discussed. This is the first time that this last method, which is very effective in dealing with simple Fokker-Planck equations having two variables, appears in a textbook. The methods of solution are applied to the statistics of a simple laser model and to Brownian motion in potentials. It is shown that the solution of the equation for Brownian motion in a variety of potentials can be expressed in terms suitable for evaluation on a computer. A supplement is included, containing a short review of new material together with some recent references. The book should be very useful to graduate students in physics, chemical physics, and electrical engineering, and also to research workers in these fields.
Customer Reviews:
Rigorous book .......2006-12-28
This book is a classical reference in the subject of stochastic dynamics. It is a graduate level book written in clear and concise language. It covers all the basics about Langevin and Fokker-Planck equations (Chapters 3 and 4). In these chapters, Moyal expansion, Ito and Stratonovich interpretation of stochastic processes is presented carefully. Then they move on to study various methods of solving FP equation in the next 7 chapters. In the final chapter, FP equation and its application to Laser is discussed.
I recommend reading this book along with Gardiner's book (Handbook of Stochastic Methods) to anyone who wants to learn about stochastic dynamics seriously.
A good book on a difficult subject........2004-03-15
I got the impression that there are very few good textbooks on the subject of random processes in continuous time and the Fokker-Planck equation, which are accessible for physicists. In this book the subject presented in a manner that I thought to be a good compromise between mathematical rigor and physical intuition. For example to the spirit of the book, white noise is introduced both from the point of view of a physicist (it has a very short correlation time etc) and from the point of view of a mathematician (as the "derivative" of a Wiener process). While I found the book not very friendly or easy to read, it was one of my main sources for self-learning this subject during my Ph. D. work. I found the book three years ago, own it for two years and keep learning from it until today. I recommend the book very much.
Average customer rating:
- an invaluable reference!
- Russian School of Physics
- The BEST
- A masterpiece.
- ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS ON MACROSCOPIC ELECTRODYNAMICS!
|
Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, Second Edition: Volume 8 (Course of Theoretical Physics)
E M Lifshitz ,
L D Landau , and
L P Pitaevskii
Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0750626348 |
Book Description
Covers the theory of electromagnetic fields in matter, and the theory of macroscopic electric and magnetic properties of matter. There is a considerable amount of new material particularly on the theory of the magnetic properties of matter and the theory
of optical phenomena with new chapters on spatial dispersion and non-linear optics.
Customer Reviews:
an invaluable reference!.......2006-07-18
What can I say? There are 9 copies of this book in the library of my university and 8 of them have been checked out. The only one left is a reserved copy. And right now it's in the middle of a summer vacation! So many things that I want to know can be found in this book: the difference between Kerr effect and Faraday effect, the magneto-electric tensor, magnetic symmetries of crystals... etc. The explanations are usually very compact but extremely clear. Once many years ago I was frustrated at being unable to find a "physicist's description" of the galvanic cell. Finally, after searching many books and papers, I found a most satisfying explanation, exactly the way I needed it, in this book. It is an invaluable "reference" (but not textbook) for researchers working on material science, light-matter interactions, and related fields.
Russian School of Physics.......2006-03-27
This book has few uses. The book is so abbreviated that you need two other books to understand it. The one useful feature of this book is the problems with solutions, but even those take a lot of deciphering.
The BEST.......2000-05-16
It the best. I mean the whole course. If you can read Russian buy the original book - they are very very cheap (hardbound): a couple of dollars.
A masterpiece........1998-10-02
In the beginning there was ether. Then Maxwell discovered his wonderful equations and Einstein, drawing inspiration therefrom, discovered Relativity. There was no longer an ether. Thank God! For, before, every electric, magnetic and optical phenomenon was supposed to be explained by properties of this ubiquitous ether. For a brilliant account of the physics of the ether, read "Aether", by Maxwell himself, at the Encyclopaedia Britannica (not the present edition: go to* and look at the Classics). Since Lorentz it became fashionable, and sensible, to, first, derive all properties of the electromagnetic fiel in vacuum, and, then, to introduce matter and the complications which appear (and which give rise to most of the beauty of the world). This wonderful book deals with these complications, and shows the beauties that come out of them. This is a high class text, the reader being supposed to know all of basic physics, including, of course, quantum mechanics. Thermodynamics is used lavishly for static or quasi-static situations, providing depth and cohesion. Did you know that you cannot, in this age of new materials, concoct one with electric permittivity (the familiar epsilon) smaller than one lest you violate the second law of thermodynamics? The chapter on electromagnetic waves is superb, with the best treatment of light dispersion to be found anywhere. Did you know that you cannot produce a transparent material which would disperse light in a different sequence of colours than that of the usual glass prism lest you violate causality? You have to read this book. Grab your copy while you can find it. One never knows.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS ON MACROSCOPIC ELECTRODYNAMICS!.......1998-07-24
This is the Volume 8 of the famous Course of Theoretical Physics by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz. All serious students of theoretical physics must possess the ten volumes of this excellent Course, which cover in detail and rigour practically all the branches of theoretical physics. The Volume 8 treats the subject of the electromagnetic fields in matter, or the macroscopic electrodynamics. The book contains all the basic theory of macroscopic electrodynamics, discussing at the same time some more specialized and very interesting topics. The discussion is rigorous and very detailed, with clarity of exposition. There exists also in this book chapters not usually found in other similar books, such as the chapters on the dynamics of magnetic fluids, the theory of the interaction of fast particles with matter(for example, the Cerenkov radiation), the macroscopic theory of superconductivity and the theory of diffraction of X rays in crystals. There exists a little appendice! on curvilinear coordinates, which serves to auxiliate the reader in the mathematical calculations. Moreover, the authors discuss in a very elegant manner mathematical methods for solving problems in electrostatics, such as for example the method of conformal mapping. Certainly one of the best books on macroscopic electrodynamics!
Average customer rating:
- A good resource for advanced topics
- Not standard, Not so bad
- Least favorite of all I've seen
- Unreadable
- not bad but lost direct view point
|
Statistical Mechanics
Kerson Huang
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Classical Mechanics (3rd Edition)
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ASIN: 0471815187 |
Book Description
Unlike most other texts on the subject, this clear, concise introduction to the theory of microscopic bodies treats the modern theory of critical phenomena. Provides up-to-date coverage of recent major advances, including a self-contained description of thermodynamics and the classical kinetic theory of gases, interesting applications such as superfluids and the quantum Hall effect, several current research applications, The last three chapters are devoted to the Landau-Wilson approach to critical phenomena. Many new problems and illustrations have been added to this edition.
Customer Reviews:
A good resource for advanced topics.......2007-01-13
I learned statistical mechanics from `Statistical Mechanics' by K. Huang and `Statistical Mechanics' by S.K. Ma. In my opinion, most books on the elementray principles, including the book by K. Huang, are too complicated for beginners. The best treatments as far as I know are given by `Statistical Physics, part I' by Landau and Lifshize and the one by S.K. Ma. Another weak points in Huang's book are the discussions about ideal quantum gases. It presents formal mathematical methods to study this problem. I think that this approach is also too complicated for beginners and sometimes bury the relevant physical ideas. In this part, the best treatment for the ideal Bose gas is given by `Statistical mechanics' by T.D. Lee (in Chinese), and for the ideal Fermi gas given by S.K. Ma.
For these parts, I should give 3 stars. However, the strong parts of Huang's book is the chapters on the advanced topics. The writting is compact and clear. They can be served as a good introduction to the modern theory of critical phenomena and superfluidity. Further, they are useful references for research. In addition, the formal manipulation for quantum ideal gases is necessary for research though it seems a little bit complicated for students. For all these, I gave 4 stars to this book.
Finally, I should say that the approach of Huang's book is not based on the kinetic theory though it spends a few chapters on this aspect. The reason why the kinetic theory is put before the chapters on SM, in my opinion, is to emphasize the important role played by collisions between particles to establish thermal equilibrium and the validity of the basic assumption of SM, as indicated by S.K. Ma in his book. I think previous reviews about this are misleading.
Not standard, Not so bad.......2003-07-23
As repeated by reviewers below, this is NOT STANDARD textbook on statistical mechanics because it stresses the kinetic theory. If reader would like to learn the equilibrium theory, this book might be embarassing. However, this book is recommended to anyone who is interested in "unusual" viewpoint. I prefer Huang to other numerous too standard textbooks. But I am a little disappointed that some interesting topics are removed in the new edition, such as the Chapman-Enskog method.
Now, it is NOT SO BAD.
Least favorite of all I've seen.......2003-06-06
Huang approaches the subject as a series of proofs: he does not make physical arguments, and his writing is wooden. Instructors--avoid this book!
Some have said that this book approaches stat mech from the refreshing view of kinetic theory. But it leaves out the Fokker-Planck and Langevin approaches, by which the Boltzmann equation is usually solved. Anyone interested in this approach would be *far* more rewarded by Landau's Physical Kinetics.
Anyone interested in Gibbs theory should consult Landau or Sommerfeld.
Anyone who wants good problems (and real applications) would be better served by the canonical McQuarrie.
Anyone who wants a feel for what the subject *actually now is* should see Kadanoff or Chandler. Actually I think allowing students to leave stat mech without seeing the monte carlo algorithm or solving a stochastic equation is a crime.
Unreadable.......2003-06-03
The reviewer below who said that this book pursues primarily a kinetic theory - Boltzmann Transport Equation approach, got it right. It really is a fearsome, and by and large, pointless read. Our professor used this book in our stat. mech. class back in 1992. He also used Mahan's Many Particle Physics book in our solid state course and de Genne's Superconductivity text in our superconductor course, so that gives you an idea of what kind of person likes Huang. Most students I've talked to feel that this text is the worst sort of student pain. The pain you feel when after exerting colossal effort trying to understand, you realize at the end of the semester that you didn't learn anything, and that you could have, if only the instructor had chosen one of any number of better books. I am completely mystified as to why and how this book has reached a 3rd edition. Perhaps there are too many physics professors out there who don't care about pedagogy.
not bad but lost direct view point.......2003-02-12
i think you sluold have a strong background about the history of
statistical mechanics,and have a sense (or taste) of abality to
know what or why this book wanna to do, then Kerson's book is not bad
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
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Binding: Hardcover
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Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy
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Experiments In Physical Chemistry
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Inorganic Chemistry
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Quantitative Chemical Analysis
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Physical Chemistry
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 — 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.
Customer Reviews:
Best book for the serious student.......2004-10-13
Reif reads like thermodynamics is a brand new result and he has written the first giant paper on it. Not only does this book cover every area under the Sun, from the law of mass action to kinetic theory, but he develops each topic in a formal way, with logical consistency and that curious, gray-haired insight.
I continually look to Reif when more "advanced" books fumble explanations. With the firm conceptual grounding I get there, I can then intuit what other authors are trying to convey. How many astute readers of other thermodynamics textbooks have any idea when Boltzmann's canonical distribution can be used? Or who know the difference between this and Boltzmann's equation?
If you are an instructor, the illuminating end-of-chapter problems will be a boon. If you are a student, they will also be, yet less appreciated likely. No matter who you are, if you want to really know thermo and stat mech and are willing to _think_, then buy this book before some competing, flashy, colorized textbook drives it out of print.
A great book for a thinking man. Not for novices........2004-01-24
One thing that distinguishes this book from the rest on stat mech is its emphasis on the physical content behind the equations. The author takes great pain to develop and elucidate, at every turn, a coherent physical picture for the edifice of statistical mechanics, in much the same style as the classic book by Tolman. However, if you are learning stat mech/thermo for the first time, you probably will be too busy familiarizing yourself with the equations to be able to appreciate the value of his explanations and motivations, which may just seem pointless rants. So, simply, if you are a newbie, try one of the more mediocre textbooks on stat mech, to learn the subject at a superficial level. Once you've mastered the more superficial stuff, you will come around to love this book, assuming that you are a reflective person.
one of the worst textbooks ever written.......2003-03-10
I suspect the text was actually designed to inefficiently convey ideas. I cant believe someone has not written a student guide to fill in the holes for all the subtle leaps, overwhich students are expected to understand and apply.
Good introduction, but a bit light........2002-08-07
This book left me with two different impressions. On one hand,
it is extremely well readable (in fact, some explanations are
even too long and boring and could have been kept shorter).
As such, it is a very smooth introduction to equilibrium
statistical physics and its relationship with classical
thermodynamics. This is the good news.
The bad news is that under pages and pages of textual, simple
explanation, the author hides real difficult and subtle points.
So in fact it is a big book with a lot of pages that only
brings you up to a modest height in statistical physics.
Compared to Tolman, the information density is quite low.
But then, that's what makes it an easy read.
Not that great.......2002-04-15
I think this book is an example of what sometimes happens when popularity overtakes quality. This book is definitely popular. Some might even call it a classic. But it can't really compare with newer thermodynamics books that more closely follow the modern approach of teaching thermo. It would not be fair to say that the book is incomplete, as it covers all of the necessary topics. However, it does a fairly good job of making the subject more boring than it needs to be. And to anyone who has learned thermodynamics must realize how serious a charge this is. The single biggest obstacle to students struggling to learn thermodynamics is that they find the subject boring, and this book doesn't do anything to help the situation.
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
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An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics
Terrell L. Hill
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Statistical Mechanics: Principles and Applications
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Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics
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Mathematical Foundations of Statistical Mechanics
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Solutions Manual for Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics
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Statistical Mechanics
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
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Thermodynamics
