Customer Reviews

Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Dynamics

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Chemical kinetics and reaction dynamics are not easy subjects, demanding quite a lot of physics in some complicated settings. Thus, it is all the more impressive that Paul Houston has managed to write this extraordinarily clear and concise text that is accessible to an advanced undergraduate.

Do not get me wrong; the prerequisites for this book are extensive. A good grasp of basic newtonian mechanics, quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, and statistical thermodynamics are musts. But nothing is needed beyond what can be expected from a good, stiff one-year course in physical chemistry.

From the first chapter on the kinetic theory of gases, Houston's focus on the physics - on keeping derivations short and clear, on connecting formulae with sound physical intuition - is striking. It does not lag as the book goes on. Houston continues with a clean exposition of empirical chemical kinetics and how to integrate and/or simplify the resulting differential equations. The grungy business of theoretical kinetics - how to kludge your way to a theoretical gas-phase reaction rate constant - is well treated after that. In the third chapter, Houston delivers an elegant and unified flux-driven treatment of transport phenomena. He gets the basic equations correct up to a numerical factor with a minimum of effort. This is beautiful; I wish chemical engineers would read this before beginning their own transport travails! There are then several chapters on the chemistry of more complicated systems, like solution-phase, solid surface-phase, and photochemical reactions. While I haven't read these, I am sure they are wonderful. The high point, in my opinion, is the final chapter on reaction dynamics. Its ongoing tacit motivation is the question, "How does a hydrogen fluoride laser work?" Read, and you will learn. In doing so, you will also become acquainted with the basic concepts in gas-phase reaction dynamics: the details of the crossed-beam molecular scattering experiment, the concept of a potential energy surface, and what these can tell us about reaction mechanisms. Throughout Houston, the emphasis on looking up from the math and seeing the physical big picture prevents the blind and frustrating equation-crunching which is all too common in the quantitative sciences.

This little book is really amazing. It takes you from a good undergraduate background to the forefront of modern chemical physics research with minimal pain and maximal excitement. Read it.

This book provides a very thorough introduction to chemical kinetics at an almost rigorous level. The mathematical derivations are given direct physical interpretations (something that is missing in many physical chemistry books) that are on par with physics books. Its introduction states that a full year of calculus is all that is required. I totally disagree. At the very least, the math requirements are multivariable calculus (double and triple integration appear through out the text; vector calculus {gradient , divergence, & laplacian}; partial derivatives), methods of approximation (power series & Taylor expansions), & working knowledge of ordinary & partial differential (Fick's second law of diffusion) equations are helpful in understanding how the solutions are determined. Moreover, the homework exercises present problems where Laplace transforms (small section is provided for Laplace transforms) are needed to solve the D.E.'s and P.D.E.'s. What is most surprising is that from the first page the author directly dives into kinetics with clear & precise definitions without getting sidetracked or giving any unwanted wordiness or jargon. In no way is this book what I call difficult but very accessible. The author never makes any of the subjects more difficult than they have to be in understanding the material. Mr. Houston's book stays focused to kinetics and its outcome is a book with few pages but dense & rich with material, a welcomed addition for anyone in the fields of theoretical, physical chemistry, or chemical physics. In addition, a plethora of homework problems are presented. However, it has been difficult to find the solutions manual for the problems in the book.

It should be go deeper in some areas, but it is a good help anyway and I really enjoy it.

I was recommended this book by several people, and due to the low cost and having an Amazon Prime Membership, I figured it would be worth purchasing. Received the book in 1 day (sweet, right?), and overall the book seems OK. However, the book is obviously not in "new" condition, having minor scrapes, bruises, and scratches all over the cover. Material inside the book seems good, however I was hoping for something a bit more graduate-level, and this is definitely and undergraduate level textbook.

Overall, great book, and an OK buy. This is what happens when you get a Prime Membership and decide to buy everything from Amazon, not always the best.