Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry (Dover Books on Physics) [Paperback]

Linus Pauling (Author), E. Bright Wilson Jr. (Author), Physics (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486648710 | ISBN-13: 978-0486648712 | Publication Date: March 1, 1985

This widely adopted undergraduate-level text applies quantum mechanics to a broad range of chemical and physical problems, covering such subjects as wave functions for the hydrogen atom, perturbation theory, the Pauli exclusion principle, and the structure of simple and complex molecules. Numerous tables and figures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 468 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486648710
• ISBN-13: 978-0486648712
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Quantum Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richly historical account of molecular quantum mechanics, June 12, 2002

By 

Bosco Ho (San Francisco, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

In many ways, this is still my favourite quantum mechanics text. Why? Because the text is completely grounded in the quantum mechanics of atoms and molecules.

Historically, Linus Pauling spent his post-doc working throughout Europe where he absorbed the, then, new theory of quantum mechanics. However, the physicists that he learnt q.m. from only analysed the physics of, relatively simple, atomic systems. It would require someone with an immense breadth of knowledge in chemistry to make quantum mechanics come alive for molecules. This was Linus Pauling. Pauling first applied q.m. to such diverse topics as: the chemical bond, resonance energy, electronegativity, crystal structure of molecules and hydrogen bonds.

And it shows. The uniqueness of this q.m. textbook is that it gives immensely detailed references to the different ways the early physicists/chemists attacked the q.m. of bonds in molecules. Many different ansatz's and approximations to pertubation problems are given. And Pauling should know, for he was right in the thick of it. The historical value of these references alone is worth the price of this book. It's a real shame that most modern books leave these out, because a discussion of these approximations methods give a lot of insight to q.m. in molecules.

In contrast, I find modern textbooks on physical chemistry to be often lacking in deep physical insight. However, textbooks written by physicists run into all sorts of esoteric directions like quantum entanglement and the uncertainty principle and as a previous reviewer noted, Pauling's books says nothing about scattering and hardly anything on spin. This is probably because chemists aren't interested in what happens to particles in beams or Stern-Gerlach experiments. They are more interested in ionisation energy, enthalpies and bond energies.

Nevertheless, for out-and-out modern-day quantum physicists, Pauling's explanation of aspects of quantum mechanics will seem quaint, overly pictorial and concrete, e.g. discussion of *actual* orbits. And it is. However, for chemists and even atomic physicists, pondering such esoteric questions clouds the immense power of quantum mechanics in explaining the detailed properties of atoms and molecules.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second Pauling Book Review on the Roll, October 13, 2000

By 

Matthew M. Yau "Voracious reader" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

Linus Pauling's treatise on quantum chemistry is even more brilliant than that on general chemistry. His vivid and clear explanation makes quantum theory so interesting and appealing to learn. Instead of going through the obscure mathematics and operator mechanics, Pauling conveys the essence of quantum mechanics in very simple language. Maybe this is how Pauling distinguishes himself as a Nobel Prize laureate. I studied Donald McQuarrie "Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach" (you may find my review for McQuarrie here as well) and found McQuarrie so much more understandable than Atkins. Yet Pauling's account on the subject is even more concise and motivating. The book teaches basic concepts but also ensures understanding of applied theory. While "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" might not be as reader-friendly as its counterpart in general chemistry, I highly recommend this book for all chemistry students and those who want to adventure in advanced chemistry.

51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book in introduction to quantum mechanics, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

In my opinion I found this book very useful if you start studying QM, it describe in very interesting way how the modern QM theory was develop from the old one, it use simple mathematics to describe the physical phenomena compare to the other books in the same subject, and the chemistry application is something definitely you need to understand the applied theory, with this amazing low price and the material inside the book it worth every penny.