Physical Chemistry (EBT238/3)

This new edition of Robert G. Mortimer's Physical Chemistry has been thoroughly revised for use in a full year course in modern physical chemistry. In this edition, Mortimer has included recent developments in the theories of chemical reaction kinetics and molecular quantum mechanics, as well as in the experimental study of extremely rapid chemical reactions. While Mortimer has made substantial improvements in the selection and updating of topics, he has retained the clarity of presentation, the integration of description and theory, and the level of rigor that made the first edition so successful.

The first IUPAC Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units (the Green Book) of which this is the direct successor, was published in 1969, with the object of 'securing clarity and precision, and wider agreement in the use of symbols, by chemists in different countries, among physicists, chemists and engineers, and by editors of scientific journals'. Subsequent revisions have taken account of many developments in the field, culminating in the major extension and revision represented by the 1988 edition under the simplified title Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry. This 2007, Third Edition, is a further revision of the material which reflects the experience of the contributors with the previous editions. The book has been systematically brought up to date and new sections have been added. It strives to improve the exchange of scientific information among the readers in different disciplines and across different nations. In a rapidly expanding volume of scientific literature where each discipline has a tendency to retreat into its own jargon this book attempts to provide a readable compilation of widely used terms and symbols from many sources together with brief understandable definitions. This is the definitive guide for scientists and organizations working across a multitude of disciplines requiring internationally approved nomenclature.

This book presents some of the most recent advances in the theory of chemical processes in the condensed phase. The approaches and applications studied in the book vary widely from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics, encompassing a range of systems from atom transfer reactions in simple fluids to charge transfer in water to biological systems. Each chapter presents an overview of a state-of-the-art technique by investigators who have been at the forefront of developing the approaches. The theoretical study of condensed phase chemistry is one of the most exciting and rapidly expanding fields of chemical physics, and this volume provides a snapshot of the forefront of research in this area.