Search results for ""Author E. Brian Smith""

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

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"This gem of a book provides the student with a clear, concise, and compelling introduction to the deceptively simple but vitally important topic of thermodynamics. It involves the relationships between heat, work, temperature, energy, and states of matter, and touches virtually every field of science." Richard N. Zare, Stanford University "This book introduces students to the Boltzmann factor in an exceptionally clear and concise way. This is a key topic for students studying any branch of modern science. Most importantly, this text adds significantly to our understanding of both the simplicity and the importance of the Boltzmann factor." Graham Hutchings, FRS, Cardiff University This vibrant book takes the reader on an exciting journey through much of physical sciences by explaining the wide ranging influence of a single equation, the Boltzmann factor. This simple relation provides the key to understanding a remarkable variety of phenomena ranging from, for example, the behavior of atmospheric pressure at altitude, the appearance of molecular spectra and the factors that determine chemical equilibrium. Compact and clearly written book, this book, which requires no advanced mathematical skills, will enrich and deepen students' understanding of the molecular sciences. The insight it provides will enable them to appreciate the elegant unity that underlies the subject.

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This widely acclaimed text, now in its sixth edition and translated into many languages, continues to present a clear, simple and concise introduction to chemical thermodynamics. An examination of equilibrium in the everyday world of mechanical objects provides a starting point for an accessible account of the factors that determine equilibrium in chemical systems. This straightforward approach leads students to a thorough understanding of the basic principles of thermodynamics, which are then applied to a wide range of physical chemical systems. The book also discusses the problems of non-ideal solutions and the concept of activity, and provides an introduction to the molecular basis of thermodynamics. Over six editions, the views of teachers of the subject and their students have been incorporated. Reference to the phase rule has been included in this edition and the notation has been revised to conform to current IUPAC recommendations. Students taking courses in thermodynamics will continue to find this popular book an excellent introductory text.

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