Physical Chemistry Principles and Applications in Biological Sciences Editors Ignneio Tinoea, Kenneth Sauer, and James C. Wang, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1978. Figs. & tables. 24 X 18.5 cm. xv 624 pp.
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This textbook is designed for a one-year course in physical chemistry for students whose major interests lie in the life sciences. It is basedon such a coursegivenat the University of California, Berkeley, for the past fifteen vears.'l'he first five chanters . .rive . the necessary coverage of thermodynamics. The remaining chapters stand essentially by themselves and can he covered in almost any order or omitted a t the discretion of the instructor. Therefore, this textbook tali he adapted to a two-quarter or one-semester
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pp.); The Concentration Dependence of Free Energy (51 pp.); Physical Equilibria (43 pp.); Transport Phenomena (57 pp.); Kinetics (74 pp,); Enzyme Kinetics (39 pp.): Quantum Mechanics (55 pp.); Spectroscopy (60 pp.); Molecular Distrihutinns and Statistical Thermodynamics (67 pp.); X-ray Diffraction and Related Topics (48 pp.). The author's presentation of material is m i t e clear and lo~icallvdevelooed. This
ples in the chapters, there are an ample number of thought-pmvoking pmldems a t the ends of the chapters. These tend to have a strong biological orientation. For example, a t the end of the chapter on enzyme kinetics there is a whole series of questions on the chemical aspects o l alcoholism. Answers tu selected problems are given a t the end of the hook. A complete solutions manual is available from the publisher. The material is presented using calculus (including partial derivatives).
This may include a summary, important mathematics needed for a given chapter as well as references and suggested readings. This book uses ergs and calories far energy units. The S1 svstem of units is eiven in the appendix. useful approximati& for AG as a functionof temperature are given on p. 80. Most textbooks base the calculations of equilibrium concentrations of all species in a mixture (assuming all the equilibrium constants are known) on "intuitive" approximations. On p. 118 a general approach is presented whichsucceeds in more complex eases where intuition mieht - fail. An examole of more sophisticated material not usually h u n d in textbooks of this nature is a presentation (pp. 498-505) ofthe random walk pmblem. Application of this is then made lo problems uf biological interest. There are a few weaknesses. A small slip is made on p. 266 where it is stated that electrons (rather than neutrons) are involved in the furmation of carbon-14 from nittogen-14. More serious isa misleading statement on p. 9: "The second low, which states that the entropy of an isolated system always increases.. Surely, it would be better expressed as follows: "The entropy of an isulated system tends to a maximum." In the reviewer's judgment this textbook is one. of the best available for physical chemistry courses designed for students of the life sciences.
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Scott L. Kittsiev Marquette University Milwaukee, W153233
dent through a systematic understanding of problem-solving by the conversion factor method. Almost all the types of problems encountered in general chemistry have been solved by this method. As a result, chemical educators can profitably use this text for assignments to enhanie student problemsolving ability and understanding. The following features should be appreciated by the student. The easy-going conversational language is easily understood. Repetition is often used to fortify the learning process. Concepts which may have been forgotten are frequen~lyreferred to by page number to facilitate a student's review, if it is needed. Timed pretests are given for each chapter. Students whose results show sufficient understanding of that chapter are encouraged to either skip the chapter or review only the necessary parts of the chapter. Each chapter is also followed by 10-35 pmblem questions. Because answers to each of the problems have heen worked out in detail, the student may readily understand the problem-solving
concerned with moles, per cent etrmposition, empirical formulas, limiting reagents, molarity, molality, normality, equivalent weights, dilution, specific gravity, density, freezing point depression, boiling point elevation, calorimetry, staichiometry. gas laws, phase change heat involvements, and Faraday's Laws. In addition to these types of problems, the text adequately explains balancing of chemical equations by inspection, starting with the most "complicated" molecule. Dr. Loebel's discussion of logarithms is excellent and should remove the "mystery" about logarithms from the minds of most students. Appendices cover other useful concepts such as pH, oxidation numbers, and simple inorganic nomenclature. A particularly good aspect of this text is that it teaches a student tu ask appropriate
Chemical Problem-Solvlng by Dimensional Analysis
Arnold B. Loebel, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1978. Figs. & tables. 19.6 X 25 cm. xiv 423 pp. $6.95
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This self-paced learning text is a valuable supplement for chemistry students who have difficulty solving problems. It leads the stu-
a,nversion factors suggested by the problem become the right hand side of the equation. If the oarts of the rieht hand side of the
(Continued on pope A240)
- Reviewed in this Issue Ignacio Tinoco, Kenneth Sauer and James C. Won& Editors, Physical Chemistry.
Reviewer Scott L. Kittsley
Principles and Applications in Biological Sciences
Arnold H . Lnebel, Chemical Pmblem-Solving by Dimensional Analysis Glenn Seaborg, Editor, Benchmark Papers in Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics Volume 1: Transuranium Elements-Products
Jimmy W. Hinkson Alan Campbell Ling
of Modern Alchemy
O. Pattenden, Editor, General and Synthetic Methods. Volume 1 W . J . Popiel, Introduction to Colloid Science J . H, Knox, Mulecular'l'hermodynamies Bruce C. Gales, James R. Kotzcr. and G. C. A. Sckuit. Chemistry of Catalvtic Pro-
Stephen A. Monti Ira Blei Douglas Poland John Overend
cesses
Charles M. Starka and Chorlcs Liolto, Phase Transfer Catalysis-Principles
and Tech-
Pothen Varughese
niques
Joseph C . Tou,uch.st,me and Murrell F Dobbins, Practice of Thin Layer ~ h m m a k g - James M. Bohbitt why
Volume 56. Number 7. July 1979 / A239
