Physical Chemistry By Moore

Description

This book is an account of physical chemistry designed for stude.its in the sciences and in engineering. It should also prove useful to chemists in industry who desire a review of the subject. The treatment is somewhat more precise than is customary in elementary books, and most of the important relationships have been given at least a heuristic derivation from fundamental principles. A prerequisite knowledgeof calculus, college physics, and two years of college chemistry is assumed.

The difficulty in elementary physical chemistry lies not in the mathematics itself, but in the application of simple mathematics to complex physical situations. This statement is apt to be small comfort to the beginner, who finds in physical chemistry his ‘ftrst experience with such applied mathematics. The familiar x’s and /s of the calculus course are replaced by a bewildering array of electrons, energy levels, and probability functions. By the time these ingredients are mixed well with a few integration signs, it is not difficult to become convinced that one is dealing with an extremely abstruse subject. Yet the alternative is to avoid the integration signs and to present a series of final equations with little indication of their origins, and such a procedure is likely to make physical chemistry not only abstruse but also permanently mysterious. The derivations are important because the essence of the subject is not in the answers we have today, but in the procedure that must be followed to obtain these and tomorrow’s answers. The student should try not only to remember facts but also to learn methods.

Physical Chemistry By Moore