Physical Chemistry - Peter Atkins, Julio De Paula

After starting at UCL to read Chemistry; I had to purchase the specified core textbooks needed for the course, this was one of them. There are three main branches in Chemistry; Organic, Inorganic and Physical. I would have to say that Physical is the toughest branch out of all of them due to its highly theoretical and mathematical nature. I enjoy all the branches thoroughly, perhaps Physical a bit more due to its unlimited possibilities of what could be done with mathematics. I only like it WHEN it has been explained very well, with adequate explanations to accompany the equations and mathematical notations. This textbook Physical Chemistry is mainly penned ...  Read the complete review

At my University (Imperial College, London) This is the bible for Physical Chemistry. Used extensively by both the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering departments, it has been the text book of choice pretty much ever since the first edition was released back in 1978. Book Structure The book is divided into an introduction and 3 Parts Conventions - Background etc.. i) Equilibrium ii) Structure iii) Change *Conventions* explains useful definitions and basic principles required to begin using the book *Equilibrium* Contains the first 10 Chapters. This section covers properties of gases, ...  Read the complete review

It must be said that this is not the best book I have read recently. Published by the Oxford University press, this book shows much promise until you actually start to delve deeper that just browsing. On the whole the explanation is pretty poor not to mention almost impossible to follow unless you actually have a degree. In many of the sections the explanation is simply insufficient for such difficult subject matter, and the derivations for the equations obtained are simply incomprehensible. Unlike many, I enjoy Physical chemistry when it is explained properly; however, this book fails to deliver in this area. Complicated issues are dealt ...  Read the complete review

How Far,How Fast ? -Cambridge Modular Board Price : 8 pounds If your stuck with A level physical chemistry this could be the book for you , even if you are not studying Cambridge board ( i didn't ) . I found chemistry A level really hard and I struggled through most of it , luckily with lots of learning I passed it ! I found How Far , How Fast ? a really helped with my studies it covered the core of information and reactions I needed to know . I found areas in physical chemistry such as thermodynamics and reaction kinetics really hard to follow and understand . The book really helped as the information was laid out in a methodical format , ...  Read the complete review

This is an essential book for any undergraduate studying chemistry. Unfortunatly, as an undergraduate, you cannot escape the horrors of physical chemistry, so you may as well try to make life a bit easier for yourself! This book certainly does help. It's a book which not only explains the most difficult concepts of physical chemistry (which I find extremely difficult full stop), it also makes it interesting. Once you start to read relavent chapters, it reminds you that you're not doing the course just to learn what you have to learn to pass, rather that you want to know HOW things work, and WHY they work. It's not a book I would sit down and ...  Read the complete review