BOOK REVIEWS is found a very rigomm application of molecular orbital and valence bond theories to the electronic structure of diatomic and polyatomic molecules. I n the last six chapters (pp. 203343) are found the applications of quantum mechanics to inorganic and organic chemistry. These chapters are one of the strong points of the hook. Most of the meterid in these chapters is discussed in fairly rigorous mathematical terms. Chapter 13 describes the techniques of Crystal Field and Ligand Field Theories, Chapter 14, the electronic structure of electron-deficient molecules, mainly the boron hydrides. The pi-electron theory of organic molecules is discussed in Chapter 15. The emphasis is placed an the Hiickel method asapplied to calculating the relative energies of ethylene, hutadiene, and naphthalene, for which compound the use of symmetry and group theory is illustrated. The Hiickel "4N 2 rule" is developed for cyclic conjugated polyolefins and polycyclic system. The Hiickel approximation is also applied to nonclassical intermediates and to heteroatomic molecules. An excellent sevenpage critique of the Hiickel method is offered which is followed by a description of the Wheland-Mann, Pariser-Pam, and Pople methods of treating electron interactions within the framework of the zerooverlap approximation. The freeelectron model for pi-electron molecules is intrw duced briefly. Chapters 16 and 17 are
+
A152
/
Journal of Chemical Educafion
concerned maiuly with the extent that the theories of structure and reactivity of organic molecules can be cornlilted to the concepts and methods of quantum mechanics. Included are the theodes of induction, resonance, and hypereonjugation. Special attention is devoted to aromatic substitution far which the isolated molecule approximation and the localization theory are utilked. In the lsst chapter, the concepts of quantum mechanics sse applied to account for van der Wads forces, donor-acceptor complexes, hydrogen-bonding, and "sandwich" molecules, such as ferrocene. I n the preface, the authors acknowledge the omission of spectroscopy, since this topic would require a hook for adequate presentation. Nevertheless, a chapter d e voted to a diecussion of excited states would be appropriate, as would be a discussion of isotope effects. The book cannot he easily used for selfstudy because of the cursory treatment of several topics, as for exsmple, correlation diagram. I t should however find a niche as a textbook for a senior or first level graduate course, in which the lecturer could elaborate on the subject matter. The purpose of such a course would necessarily be to acquaint the student with the mathematical basis of the concepts of quantum theory, and the applications of these concents to inareanic and oreanic chemistrv. IIAI I I I I I Iit.~ a trx~hnok~ s e n l m r c dh,v tla. ~urlwwud P P I I I ~ I L , . 111 the n p p e d ~ a the a u ~ l n mtirat prwidc hinth for sdu~iot~s, and then answers to each problem. Key references, some as recent as 1965, are fur-
nished for readers who might wish more elaboration.
HERBERT MEISLICH City College of the Cily Uniuersity of New York Physical Principles of Chemistry
R. H . Cole, Brown University, Pravidence, Rhode Island, and J. S. Coles, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1965. vi 795 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 24 em. $12.
+
College curricula change so rapidly nowadays that a reviewer's joh is much harder than it used to be (or so the p r e s ent reviewer thinks). This hook was developed during the first decade of Brown University's then revolutionary curriculum for chemistry majors, in which freshmen took a year of organic chemistry and sophomores had a first year of physical chemistry with this text. Today, according to local circumstances, the hook may be useful for advanced placement freshmen as well as far students in more traditional courses a t the sophomore, junior or senior level. The authors assume the student to have had a good secondary-school chemistry course, a year of college physics or its near equivalent in advanced secandaryschool work, and some acquaintance with differential and integral calculus. Use (Continued on page Al64)
BOOK REVIEWS of the latter is not extensive in early chapters, although the first differential appears in the text an p. 38 and the first integral in a problem on p. 52. The hook begins with two short chapters an Evidence for the Existence of Atoms and Molecules and Determination of Atomic and Molecular Weights, both of which are extremely well done. Their purpose is not only to plug holes that may have been left in the student's earlier study, but also to make him realize again the justification of his probably almost subliminal faith in atoms, electrons, nuclei and even neutrinos. The reviewer shares the authors' concern for this essential element of basic education, and suspects that most readers of TAIS JOUIINAL feel the same way. The student is then led through discussions of atomic structure, molecular constitution, crystals and gases. As one might have expected from the senior author, the chapter on molecular properties including dipole moment is outstanding. The laws of thermodynamics, whioh in many texts appesr almost at the first move of the game, are denied formal entry until the tenth chapter (p. 246),where heat is defined and heat capacities of gases and crystals are related to the stn~cturalprinciples and elementary kinetic theory of earlier pages. Such placement of the thermodynamics has many followers, for it not only defers heavy use of calculus, as mentioned before, hut also permits concrete illustrations of thermodynamic properties in terms of the molecular and kinetic principles given earlier. The latter half of the book then treats classical physical chemistry, including much on the msss action lttw. whioh will preromably not have Iwen mwered in the student's previuus vu rrses. The electruvhemistry is par~ivularlywdl dune. The problems are well chosen and seldom trivial. I don't know how to convey in concrete terms the general character and degree of excellence, call it flavor, of a textbook a t this level. You have to read it and decide how much sense the words make to you, to potential students, and to the writers themselves. This hook leaves me with no doubt that the authors (even if I lacked confirmation through personal acquaintance) know their stuff so well that they can tell and teach effectively. ~
~~
WIY~ERH. STOCKM.IYER Davtmouth College Hanmer, New Hampshzre
The World of ihe Alom. Volumes 1 and 2
Edited by Henry A. Boorse and Lloyd Molz. Basic Books, Inc., New York, 1966. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 cm. Volume 1, xxvi 859 pp. Volume 2, xx 1014pp. $35 theset.
+
+
I n the words of the preface to this twovolume work, "The World of the Alom (Continued on page A1681
A154
/
Journal of Chemical Education
