Customer Reviews

Spectra of Atoms and Molecules

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

 

 

I took a course in Laser Spectroscopy and this was the suggested text. Overall, the book covered most topics relevant to the course. I don't think this would be the book I would purchase, if there were no course, as some of the information is severely attenuated and leaves important details/concepts out.

This is a comprehensive exposition of the concepts in spectroscopy essential to the graduate student. As a student, I found this textbook an invaluable learning tool and reference. It is no surprise that "Spectra of Atoms and Molecules" is highly recommended and widely used.

Where do I begin?

If I could have given it zero stars, I would have.

1. Examples: There are almost no examples. Many of the formulae that he uses are actually quite simple when put into practice. But he doesn't give any good examples.

2. Partitioning: The book is not partitioned into discrete parts that deals with each subject, one at a time.

3. Application: One uses this book in a course on spectroscopy, which is something used in the lab in *real life* (picture someone in academia knowing about that!). But he does not give us any examples of how this could apply to a real life problem. That may have been the best way to solidify some of these rigid, technical formulae.

4. Problems: There are no answers to the problems. The Atkins book (Physical Chemistry) is used for about 95% of Physical Chemistry classes in the USA. But they give the answers to the odd numbered problems, so that you can go through and work them out and check your answer. The even numbered problems are not given answers, but are usually a variation of the odd numbered ones.

This book, though usefull, isnt not praticial for the begining spectroscopist. Knowing when and how to use the equations is difficult, sketch at best. I would never recomend this book to anyone unless they already know what they were doing.

I really want to write to Dr. B what inspired him to write such a "fabulous" book!

this book's contents are messy. I am EE major and got A's on Quantum Mechanics and E&M

the biggest joke is the author said in his preface that "......To the uninitiated ,the subject of spectroscopy seems enshrode in layers of bewildering and arbitrary notation.......Although the student may not be happy with some aspects of spectroscopy notation,itis easier to adopt the notation than to try to change long-standingspectrocopic habits.......

A humorous guy! But I wonder whether the author fully understand what he wrote in this book!