Physical Chemistry: Kinetics

This is a new undergraduate textbook on physical chemistry by Horia Metiu published as four separate paperback volumes. These four volumes on physical chemistry combine a clear and thorough presentation of the theoretical and mathematical aspects of the subject with examples and applications drawn from current industrial and academic research. By using the computer to solve problems that include actual experimental data, the author is able to cover the subject matter at a practical level. The books closely integrate the theoretical chemistry being taught with industrial and laboratory practice. This approach enables the student to compare theoretical projections with experimental results, thereby providing a realistic grounding for future practicing chemists and engineers. Each volume of Physical Chemistry includes Mathematica® and Mathcad® Workbooks on downloadable resources. Metiu's four separate volumes-Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, Kinetics, and Quantum Mechanics-offer built-in flexibility by allowing the subject to be covered in any order. These textbooks can be used to teach physical chemistry without a computer, but the experience is enriched substantially for those students who do learn how to read and write Mathematica® or Mathcad® programs. A TI-89 scientific calculator can be used to solve most of the exercises and problems. ® Mathematica is a registered trademark of Wolfram Research, Inc. ® Mathcad is a registered trademark of Mathsoft Engineering & Education, Inc.

Table of Contents:
1. Generalities about the Rates of Chemical Reactions 2. Irreversible First-Order Reactions 3. The Temperature Dependence of the Rate Constant: the Arrhenius Formula 4. Irreversible Second-Order Reactions 5. Reversible First-Order Reactions 6. Reversible Second-Order Reactions 7. Coupled Reactions 8. An Example of a Complex Reaction: Chain Reactions 9. Enzyme Kinetics

About the Author :
Horia Metiu is Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1974. Prof. Metiu has won several Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar awards and is a former Alfred P. Sloan Fellow. He received the Exxon Solid State Chemistry ACS Award, the UCSB Faculty Research Lectureship, and a Senior Humboldt Award. Prof. Metiu is Associate Editor for the Journal of Chemical Physics and a fellow of the American Physical Society and Japan Association for the Promotion of Science.

Review :
"Metiu’s four-volume text is an ambitious attempt to present the traditional, core areas of physical chemistry in a fresh way, using modern symbolic manipulation programs to perform many of the derivations and calculations. The endeavor deserves to succeed. I anticipate that the work will come to be seen as a yardstick against which other mainstream physical chemistry texts will be judged." - Chemistry World "The scheme adopted by Metiu allows individual areas of physical chemistry to be treated in greater detail than would otherwise be possible... The work is overall to be welcomed, representing as it does an approach to the teaching of physical chemistry that in some respects differs radically from the customary one." - Prof. Ian R. McDonald, University of Cambridge, UK (review for Molecular Physics journal) "I anticipate that the work will come to be seen as a yardstick against which other mainstream physical chemistry texts will be judged." - Prof. Mike Ashford, University of Bristol, UK (review for Chemistry World) "Horia Metiu has created a significant set of volumes on undergraduate physical chemistry. The integration of Mathematica and Mathcad workbooks into the four texts provides instructors with an attractive new option in teaching. Metiua's writing style is folksy and the graphics minimal, a refreshing approach¦.Taken as a whole, the four volumes on physical chemistry by Metiu are impressive, particularly Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics¦.Without a doubt, the four textbooks provide essential materials of great utility to physical chemistry instructors. The bottom line is that the set of four volumes is a must have-a keeper- as a novel resource or invaluable classroom tool." - Journal of Chemical Education, February 2008, Vol. 85, No. 2, p. 206 Horia Metiu has created a significant set of volumes on undergraduate physical chemistry. The integration of Mathematica and Mathcad workbooks into the four texts provides instructors with an attractive new option in teaching. Metiua's writing style is folksy and the graphics minimal, a refreshing approach¦.Taken as a whole, the four volumes on physical chemistry by Metiu are impressive, particularly Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics¦.Without a doubt, the four textbooks provide essential materials of great utility to physical chemistry instructors. The bottom line is that the set of four volumes is a must have-a keeper- as a novel resource or invaluable classroom tool. Journal of Chemical Education February 2008, Vol. 85, No. 2, p. 206