book reviews Physical Chemistry
Farrington Daniels and Robert A. Alberty, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1975. xii 687 pp. 17 X 23.5 cm. $15.95.
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This latest revision of a text which has had a sizable impact on chemical education provides once again a very usable, current treatment of physical chemistry for undergraduates. In this edition, the authors have made a number of real changes t o reflect modern areas of emphasis and importance in physical chemistry. None of the features which have contributed to the substantial success and popularity of this text, however, have been sacrificed in the process, and it is the opinion of this reviewer that instruetdrs who liked the third edition will he even more pleased with the fourth edition. One of the major changes is the incorporation of the International System of Units (SI Units). The authors have chosen t o retain the calorie, atmosphere, tom, Angstrom, liter, and electron volt for various reasons including the lack of standard reference data tabulated in SI units, but they have followed SI recommendations for base units, symbols, and abbreviations in other eases. This change which is occurring in all teathooks may be awkward for some instructors a t first, but after the initial exposure, usage of SI units usually becomes routine. New tahles of SI units are included in the front of the book replacing the Tables of Constants and Symbols and Abhreviations of the earlier editions. The organization of the text is similar to that of the third edition with the material divided into four areas: Thermodynamics with eight chapters and 270 pages; Dynsmics with three ehapters and 113 pages; Quantum Theory with seven chapters and 216 pages; and Structure with two ehapters and 68 pages. There is no longer a separate section or chapter on Nuclear and Radiation Chemistry. Three new chapters entitled "Ionic Equilibria and Biochemical Reactions," "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy," and "Macromolecules" have been added although the number of ehapters has not changed, and the total number of pages in the text has actusllv decreased. This has heen achteved by rvnsidrrahle compression 01' material which is now commonly intru. duced ar the general chemistry level and by elimination of material on nuclear ehemistry. The latter choice may he questioned on the grounds that energy production from nuclear sources is a pressing contemporary scientific issue, but the authors apparently feel that this area of ehemistry should be covered in a separate course. As in earlier editions, a large number of very fine data tables are included along with numerous graphical representations. The appendix has been shortened t o include only Units and General Physical Constants. Most of the information on selected topics which was included in the appendix of earlier editions has been integrated into the text in a very condensed form. A524 / Journal of ChernicalEducation
The extensive and challenging problem sets which have previously characterized this text are once again present. The prohlems following each chapter are divided into three levels of difficultv with answers provided for the first and-easiest group. There are over 1000 prohlems of which 229 are new. Most ehapters also contain several worked examples. A separate companion book consisting of selected problems and complete solutions from the first section of the problem sets is also available. An improved and expanded treatment of quantum ehemistry and spectroscopy is welcome as is the inclusion of additional material on photochemistry and the solid state. Once again, the clear and concise treatment of topics is a very attractive feature of this text for hoth students and faculty. While it is inevitable that not all topics can be covered in sufficient detail in a hook of this size, the authors have managed t o provide a coherent treatment suitable for a one-year undergraduate course in physical ehemistry. In sum, this venerable text in physical ehemistry appears t o have undergone another successful revision with the fourth edition. Leonard D. Spicer university of Utah SahLake Ci?y. Utah 84112
Problems in Physlcal Chemistry
A. Woad, Liverpool Polytechnic. Oxford University Press, New York, 1974. viii 166 pp. Figs. and tables. 13.8 X 21.6 cm. $6.50.
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As the title implies, this paperback is a workbook of problems (312 in all) and is.intended as a supplement. S I units are used exclusively. This reviewer is in full agreement with the author when he states in his Preface "a proper appreciation and understanding of the principles of physical ehemistry depends to a considerable extent upon working with the material normally supplied . . ." It is unfortunate that the cost of workbooks of this type often inhibits the extent of their usage. The main topics covered in this hook, with the corresponding number of pages and problems devoted t o each, are: Thermodynamics, 34 and 139; Phase Equilibria, 10 and 2 6 Electrochemistry, 19 and 48: Kinetics, 16 and 46; Surface Chemistry, 4 and 9; crystallography, 4 and 20; Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy, 4 and 21; and Speetrophotometry, 3 and 3. There are six pages of references, indexed by problem number, which covers approximately 5Wb of the prohlems. The remainder of the book, 61 pages, pertains to the solutions. These include a very brief indication of the solution method and numerical answers when applicable (in most cases). Some of the topics, such as Thermodynamics, are quite adequately covered while others are not. For example, Surface Chemistry has some good problems on adsorption isotherms and micelle formation but none on capillarity, surface energies,
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ete. Likewise, the coverage of Quantum Chemistry, Spectroscopy, and Spectrophotometry is hardly adequate for a good review of such broad topics. The book appears to be relatively free of errors although some spot checking did turn up a few. For example, in the solution for problem 1.13.3 on page 122, a minus sign is missing in the definition of the isothermal compressibility and the answer t o part (iii) of 7.2.1 on page 154 should list 3 instead of 2 active modes t o account for the double degeneracy of the bending mode. There are a t least two other similar type problem hooks which this one should perhaps he compared with. These are; Physical Chemistry Problems and Solutions by L. C. Labowitz and J. S. Arents (Academic Press, 1969) and reviewed in J. CHEM. EDUC., 47, A722 (1970) and Understanding Physieol Chemistry by A. W. Adamson (W. A. Benjamin, Ine., 1964) and reviewed in J. CHEM. EDUC., 42, A420 (1965). Of these three, this one is the smallest in scope and number of problems, many of which require some kind of graphical means of salving. Adamson's book, on the other hand, has exsm-type problems which tend t o avoid these time consuming techniques. The book by Labowitz and Arents has a variety of problems, separated according to level of difficulty, and quite detailed solutions. Thus one's choice between these books may wel! he determined by the main objective desired. In this reviewer's opinion, the main deficiency of this book, as compared to the other two, is the level of familaritv which i t assumes that the reader will h&in regard to the names and equatlons used in phyiiral chemtstry. Fur cxample, how many readers, particularly firstyear students, will know the Mark-Houwink equation (problem 1.14.7). or the Deford and Hume method (problem 3.9.4) or the electrophonetic mobility (problem 5.3.1)? It can be very frustrating to a student if he has no idea what the problem is all about! In summary, it would be hard t o reeommend this hook to a student who is just starting to learn physical ehemistry. But it should he excellent for review purposes for advanced students and for teachers who want examples for exam questions. Rolland R. Rue So& Dakota State University Brookings. 57006
Orbnal Theories ot Molecules and Solids
Edited by N. H. March, Imperial College of Science, University of London. Oxford University Press, New York, 1974. xiv 385 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 em. $29.50.
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Though this elegant work ranges over several diverse topics in molecular and crystal electronic structure, its contributors have shared a common association a t various times with the late Professor C. A. Coulson a t Oxford. Band theory ealeulations and cellular expansions are dealt with in ehapters by L. Pincherle and S. L. Altmann. One-body crystel potentials and
