Elements of Physical Chemistry

Getting to grips with physical chemistry can be a daunting task. With new concepts to understand and a large amount of mathematics to master, it is no wonder that students can sometimes find it overwhelming. Elements of Physical Chemistry has been carefully developed to help readers increase their confidence when using physics and mathematics to answer fundamental questions about the structure of molecules, how chemical reactions take place, and why materials behave the way they do. The content is tightly focussed and well-matched to undergraduate courses, making it easy to find the information needed. Topics are covered in a clear, easy-to-follow style, using everyday examples to help students to visualise concepts and procedures that can otherwise seem very abstract. This edition sees further development of the learning features. These include Chemist's toolkits, which provide a reminder of mathematical techniques and introductory chemistry and physics needed to follow material in the chapters; worked examples providing step-by-step routes through problems; brief illustrations explaining how to use equations to calculate numerical values; and self-tests that allow students to check their understanding. On the accompanying Online Resource Centre, students have access to multiple choice questions and Webcasts, short videos showing, step-by-step, how to solve an exercise. For lecturers, there is a test bank and the figures from the text are available to download.1. The properties of gases ; 2. Thermodynamics: the First Law ; 3. Thermodynamics: applications of the First Law ; 4. Thermodynamics: the Second Law ; 5. Physical equilibria: pure substances ; 6. Physical equilibria: the properties of mixtures ; 7. Chemical equilibrium: the principles ; 8. Chemical equilibrium: solutions ; 9. Chemical equilibrium: electrochemistry ; 10. Chemical kinetics: the rates of reactions ; 11. Chemical kinetics: accounting for the rate laws ; 12. Quantum theory ; 13. Quantum chemistry: atomic structure ; 14. Quantum chemistry: the chemical bond ; 15. Molecular interactions ; 16. Macromolecules and aggregates ; 17. Metallic, ionic, and covalent solids ; 18. Solid surfaces ; 19. Spectroscopy: molecular rotations and vibrations ; 20. Spectroscopy: electronic transitions ; 21. Spectroscopy: magnetic resonance ; 22. Statistical thermodynamics ; Resource section