understanding physical chemistry. by arthur w. adamson, benjamin/cummings, 1980. price: $9.95

1
1NTERNATlONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, VOL. XXI, 941 (1982) Book Review Understanding Physical Chemistry. By Arthur W. Adamson, Benjamin/Cummings, 1980. Price: $9.95. It is a well-known pedagogical truth that the best way to understand a scientific theory is to apply it to real problems. Understanding Physical Chemistry is therefore a highly appropriate title for this book, which is entirely devoted to different applications of theories and method:; in physical chemistry. The book contains more than 700 solved problems covering most areas of physical chemistry, from classical thermodynamics to quantum chemistry. The material is organized into 2 I different chapters, each devoted to a particular topic. Each chapter starts with a short recapitulation, typically 3-5 pages, of main equations and concepts (exceptions are quantum mechanics and group theory, which require about 15 pages each), followed by 20-50 problems of varying difficulty. The solutions are short but clear and easy to follow. A student who has worked through and understood all 710 problems should have little difficulty in performing well in any reasonable examination in physical chemistry. For the instructor, this book is an invaluable source to draw upon for problem sessions and examinations. STEN LUNELL 0 1982 John Wiley & Sons, Inc 94 1

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Page 1: Understanding physical chemistry. By Arthur W. Adamson, Benjamin/Cummings, 1980. Price: $9.95

1NTERNATlONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, VOL. XXI, 941 (1982)

Book Review

Understanding Physical Chemistry. By Arthur W. Adamson, Benjamin/Cummings, 1980. Price: $9.95.

It is a well-known pedagogical truth that the best way to understand a scientific theory is to apply it to real problems. Understanding Physical Chemistry is therefore a highly appropriate title for this book, which is entirely devoted to different applications of theories and method:; in physical chemistry. The book contains more than 700 solved problems covering most areas of physical chemistry, from classical thermodynamics to quantum chemistry.

The material is organized into 2 I different chapters, each devoted to a particular topic. Each chapter starts with a short recapitulation, typically 3-5 pages, of main equations and concepts (exceptions are quantum mechanics and group theory, which require about 15 pages each), followed by 20-50 problems of varying difficulty. The solutions are short but clear and easy to follow.

A student who has worked through and understood all 710 problems should have little difficulty in performing well in any reasonable examination in physical chemistry. For the instructor, this book is an invaluable source to draw upon for problem sessions and examinations.

STEN LUNELL

0 1982 John Wiley & Sons, Inc 94 1