Molecular Driving Forces: Statistical Thermodynamics in CHemistry & Biology

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.

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness

Average customer rating:

Importance of Einstein's inquisitiveness.
Quantum questions at their best
Absolute must-read
A perspective shaking journey
Excellent treatment of the subject

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness
Bruce Rosenblum , and Fred Kuttner
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 019517559X

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.

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...

Transmission Electron Energy Loss Spectrometry in Materials Science and the EELS Atlas

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Transmission Electron Energy Loss Spectrometry in Materials Science and the EELS Atlas

Manufacturer: Wiley-VCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3527405658

Book Description

This book/CD package provides a reference on electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) with the transmission electron microscope, an established technique for chemical and structural analysis of thin specimens in a transmission electron microscope. Describing the issues of instrumentation, data acquisition, and data analysis, the authors apply this technique to several classes of materials, namely ceramics, metals, polymers, minerals, semiconductors, and magnetic materials. The accompanying CD-ROM consists of a compendium of experimental spectra.

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Nonlinear Physics of DNA
Ludmila V. Yakushevich
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471978248

Book Description

The study of DNA is one of the most important areas of research in modern biochemistry and biology. It is an extremely complex field, and in recent years researchers have found that the application of nonlinear physics methods has led to significant increases in our understanding of the subject. This, the first book on the subject, examines both the experimental and theoretical methods which have been used to study the DNA molecule. Beginning with introductory chapters on DNA structure and dynamics, Nonlinear Physics of DNA goes on to discuss the more advanced recent work. This includes a comparison between linear and nonlinear approaches to the DNA molecule, a chapter devoted to the statistics of nonlinear excitations of DNA, and examples of the interpretation of experimental data on the dynamics of DNA in terms of nonlinear theory. Nonlinear Physics of DNA will prove essential reading for graduate students and researchers in biophysics and nonlinear physics as well as allowing biologists, biochemists and physicists to continue to develop nontraditional techniques of investigating the DNA molecule.

The Physics and Chemistry of Wave Packets

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The Physics and Chemistry of Wave Packets

Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471246840

Book Description

One of the major goals in atomic physics is to refine our ability to manipulate the atom. This timely and authoritative book offers an overview of the role played by wavepackets in physics and chemistry. It examines dynamic processes occurring in many areas of physics and chemistry, including quantum control, quantum information, and quantum measurement systems.

Coherence and Statistics of Photons and Atoms

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Coherence and Statistics of Photons and Atoms

Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471388610

Book Description

Up-to-date, expert new research in quantum optics and its applications
Coherence and Statistics of Photons and Atoms provides cutting-edge research in modern quantum optics and complete information about systems of interacting photons and atoms based on the quantum statistical properties of such systems. Editor Jan Perina has collected eleven articles from experts around the world to illuminate the changing science of quantum optics and push the development of new, more powerful, applications such as quantum cryptography, quantum computation, and quantum teleportation.
Recent articles highlight the most interesting directions in the development of contemporary quantum optics with important consequences for other physical sciences and their applications. The first chapter presents a basic analysis of quantum electrodynamics, including cavities, followed by chapters devoted to properties of photons and atoms and their interactions in quantum computers. Other articles cover these vital subjects:
* Nonlinear quantum couplers
* Internal correlations in optical pulses
* Detection and reconstruction of quantum states from the point of view of quantum information
* Quantum interference, coherence, and correlation
* Quantum information and teleportation
* Interaction of atoms with squeezed reservoirs
* Quantum statistics and coherence of trapped atoms
* Dynamics of systems of atoms
Coherence and Statistics of Photons and Atoms extends earlier treatments to include up-to-date results and organizes them into a form suitable for further research in the fundamental concepts of quantum optics and in new optical applications. Comprehensive discussions of preparation, transmission, detection, and reconstruction of quantum states, as well as in-depth coverage of quantum computing, make this the most complete source of new information available to students and professionals.

Exploring the Quantum: Atoms, Cavities, and Photons (Oxford Graduate Texts)

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Exploring the Quantum: Atoms, Cavities, and Photons (Oxford Graduate Texts)
Serge Haroche , and Jean-Michel Raimond
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198509146

Book Description

The counter-intuitive aspects of quantum physics have been for long illustrated by thought experiments, from Einstein's photon box to Schrodinger's cat. These experiments have now become real, with single particles - electrons, atoms or photons - directly unveiling the weird features of the quantum. State superpositions, entanglement and complementarity define a novel quantum logic which can be harnessed for information processing, raising great hopes for applications. This book describes a class of such thought experiments made real. Juggling with atoms and photons confined in cavities, ions or cold atoms in traps, is here an incentive to shed a new light on the basic concepts of quantum physics. Measurement processes and decoherence at the quantum-classical boundary are highlighted. This volume, which combines theory and experiments, will be of interest to students in quantum physics, teachers seeking illustrations for their lectures and new problem sets, researchers in quantum optics and quantum information.

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Perfect for engineers

Modern Physics for Engineers
Jasprit Singh
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471330442

Book Description

Linking physics fundamentals to modern technology-a highly applied primer for students and engineers

Reminding us that modern inventions-new materials, information technologies, medical technological breakthroughs-are based on well-established fundamental principles of physics, Jasprit Singh integrates important topics from quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, and materials science, as well as the special theory of relativity. He then goes a step farther and applies these fundamentals to the workings of electronic devices-an essential leap for anyone interested in developing new technologies.

From semiconductors to nuclear magnetic resonance to superconducting materials to global positioning systems, Professor Singh draws on wide-ranging applications to demonstrate each concept under discussion. He downplays extended mathematical derivations in favor of results and their real-world design implication, supplementing the book with nearly 100 solved examples, 120 figures, and 200 end-of-chapter problems.

Modern Physics for Engineers provides engineering and physics students with an accessible, unified introduction to the complex world underlying today's design-oriented curriculums. It is also an extremely useful resource for engineers and applied scientists wishing to take advantage of research opportunities in diverse fields.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for engineers.......2000-08-22

This book covers topics in modern physics that are the most important for the engineer. It makes an equilibrated use of figures, tables and conceptual diagrams, thus providing a clear guideline for the student. It also provides small but interesting historic introductions in some chapters, that also help to understand why different theories appeared. This could all be done without forgetting the necessary theoretical and mathematical rigorousness. A very good book for engineers.

Molecular Gas Dynamics and the Direct Simulation of Gas Flows (Oxford Engineering Science Series)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book
Great Material -- This edition is terribly made...
Tour de Force

Molecular Gas Dynamics and the Direct Simulation of Gas Flows (Oxford Engineering Science Series)
G. A. Bird
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Rarefied Gas Dynamics: From Basic Concepts to Actual Calculations (Cambridge Texts in Applied Mathematics)

ASIN: 0198561954

Book Description

The direct simulation Monte Carlo (or DSMC) method has, in recent years, become widely used for engineering and scientific studes of gas glows that involve low densities or very small physical dimensions. This method is a direct physical simulation of the motion of representative molecules, rather than a numverical solution of the equations that provide a mathematical model of the flow. the computations are nolonger expensive and the period since the 1976 publication of the original Molecular Gas Dynamics has seen enormous improvements in the molecular models, the procedures, and the implementation strategies for the DSMC method. the molecular theory of gas flows is developed from first principles and is extended to cover the new models and procedures. For more information visit the website on http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gabird/

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2005-12-12

Despite the odd typographical error, this book is outstanding. It is clear, concise and quite readable. Material is presented in a manner which is easy to understand. The only slight criticisms are that my copy did not include the promised computer disk, that often the descriptions of what the code does are often hard to understand and that the binding on the book is of extremely poor quality (my copy was losing pages within days of purchase). Otherwise very highly recommended.

Great Material -- This edition is terribly made..........2005-03-04

I gave the material in the book 5 stars, but the new edition 0 stars (at least for ~$200). My advisor just bought the newest edition (the old one finally falling apart after years of use) and it is cheaply made. The binding is already coming apart and the text is difficult to read because the text is fuzzy. Hopefully Dr. Bird will write a newer edition with some of the most recent advances and a better printing.

Tour de Force.......2000-05-15

An astonishing accomplishment by the man who more or less invented the field of DSMC calculation. Includes a handy-dandy disk (with source) so you can run you own problem with a variety of different boundary conditions. See also Bird 1973, Phys Fluids, v16 pp1830-1834.

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