Quanta: A Handbook of Concepts - Hardcover

Atkins, P. W.

4.17

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9780198555728: Quanta: A Handbook of Concepts

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198555725 ISBN 13: 9780198555728

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1991

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This book provides a non-mathematical and highly visual account of the concepts of quantum mechanics widely encountered in chemistry and related disciplines. Entries - ordered alphabetically - range in length from one paragraph to several pages, and describe the physical significance of each topic with simplicity and precision. Each entry is extensively cross-referenced and ends with a guide to sources of further information. This new work continues the tradition of the first edition, which quickly established itself among students and teachers as a rich source of clear, concise explanations of quantum concepts. The text has been completely rewritten - all topics have been brought up to date, and there are many more illustrations and numerous new entries. The book should be helpful to students for its brief non-mathematical summaries of key concepts, to instructors as a source of explanations, illustrations, and references, and to all practicing scientists who need a succinct reminder of a topic. The work is aimed principally at students and teachers of chemistry, and practising chemists who are not quantum specialists; it should also prove useful to physicists and biologists, and an accessible account of quantum ideas for the interested general reader.

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About the Author:

P. W. Atkins, Professor of Chemistry, University of Oxford, and Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford.

Review:

From reviews of the first edition `An excellent book ... sprightly, non-pedantic, often a delight to read ... the book is a gold mine.' Journal of Chemical Education `His marriage of extraordinarily good English with a marvellous grounding in the physical sciences has produced a clear, simple (yet profound) work which will grace any science reference collection. The bibliography ... cannot be faulted; the index is a marvel.' The New York Public Library

'it provides a wealth of concise, non-mathematical descriptions of many of the key ideas used when chemists talk about the shape and structure of atoms and molecules ... this is another marvellous book by Peter Atkins ... It offers something for all involved in chemical education, and I expect it to find widespread use by both students and their teachers ... this second edition of 'Quanta' is quite excellent and a very welcome addition to the chemical education literature.' Faraday Transactions

'"Quanta" will be invluable for students, but also to all practising scientists searching for an interesting, accessible account of almost any aspect of quantum chemistry. This simple yet profound explanation of the concepts of quantum chemistry will be useful for any science reference collection, and can be recommended for a detailed study. Book Reviews

'The standard of production is remarkably good ... In this respect it stands out from the flood of books that are poor value for money ... it can be strongly recommended as an aid to finding one's way around the field and as a reference manual to use in conjunction with other reading.' Wolfram Sander, Institut fur Organische Chemie der Technischen Universitat Braunschweig, Angewandte Chemie, 31/8 1992

'This is a richly illustrated compilation of non-mathematical descriptions of the concepts and tools of quantum mechanics. The book is recommended to all practising chemists.' Structural Chemistry, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1992

'a useful source book for anyone with an interest in the fundamentals of the structure of atoms, molecules and solids ... Quanta is an excellent attempt to portray the quantum world in a way in which the beauty of our current understanding of the interplay of light, electrons and nuclei is made accessible to a wide readership' Professor G. Duxbury, Strathclyde University, Contemporary Physics, Vol. 33, No. 4 24/06/1993

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