Abstract
THE first edition of Prof. Macdougall's book was well received, and in the new edition the author has incorporated a considerable amount of new matter and has revised the old so that the work is considerably improved. The treatment is straightforward, with a free use of the calculus. The rather long section on phase rule diagrams is out of place, since there are separate text-books giving a better and more detailed treatment of this branch of the subject, which is more a matter for the drawing office than for the student of thermodynamics. The properties of electrolytes are dealt with from the point of view of activity, and the Debye equation is used, although its detailed deduction is omitted. A good feature is the inclusion of problems, but these are omitted in the last chapter on the quantum theory and Nernsts heat theorem. The number of books on chemical thermodynamics is not large, and Prof. Macdougalls is a useful member of the group. The only unsatisfactory feature of the book is its price, which is excessive, although that of the first edition was even higher.
Thermodynamics and Chemistry.
Prof.
F. H.
Macdougall
By. second edition. Pp. vii + 414. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1926.) 27s. 6d. net.
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Thermodynamics and Chemistry . Nature 120, 580 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120580b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120580b0