Why Chemical Reactions Happen

by James Keeler, Peter Wothers

By tackling the most central ideas in chemistry, Why Chemical Reactions Happen provides the reader with all the tools and concepts needed to think like a chemist. The text takes a unified approach to the subject, aiming to help the reader develop a real overview of chemical processes, by avoiding the traditional divisions of physical, inorganic and organic chemistry.

To understand how chemical reactions happen we need to know about the bonding in molecules, how molecules interact, what determines whether an interaction is favorable or not, and what the outcome will be. Answering these questions requires an understanding of topics from quantum mechanics, through thermodynamics, to "curly arrows". In this book all of these topics are presented in a coherent and coordinated fashion, showing how each leads to a deeper understanding of chemical reactions.

Genres: Science, Chemistry, Nonfiction, School, Physics, Stem

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2003

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

cried over this

[daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for my Cambridge Natural Sciences interview- I hope it will be useful! As an A-Level student, I found the content challenging, but all the concepts were well explained with many helpful diagrams and graphs. I also enjoyed the references to Biology in areas such as C-N bonds and coupling reactions. Hopefully this will give me something interesting to talk about in my interview!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was perfect for me to read during/after A-level chemistry. I initially started it back when I applied for the natural sciences course at Cambridge: it is a classic book to read when preparing for the interviews there. This book focuses a lot on the physical aspect of chemistry and supplies a huge amount of knowledge which allows you to triangulate the reasons for why and how particular reactions happen. There is a lot of content to learn from it, and the only thing I can complain about is the lack of excercises to practice and solidify the knowledge.

[Calum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked up this book from the library as it was on a university reading list. As an interesting analysis of the concepts behind chemical reactions, I can say that its presence there is not unwarranted. Why Chemical Reactions Happen covers ideas from entropy to atomic and molecular orbitals to kinetics and energetics. Keeler and Wothers start by introducing the book as intended for those starting a university chemistry/natural sciences course, or for those who have completed A-Levels (high-school) in chemistry as a way of furthering their understanding. I think that they succeed in presenting the relevant topics to the titular question in a straightforward manner: constructing an argument as the chapters progress.

Synopsis of concepts covered
The book begins with the idea of entropy, or disorder in physical systems. The authors show how formulating the Second Law of thermodynamics in terms of net entropy increase can reveal why both endo- and exothermic processes can occur. Water freezing is an example of an exothermic process. Above 0C, the heat given out raises the entropy of the surroundings less than below 0C. Below 0C, this entropy increase outweighs the entropy decrease by the water freezing and becoming ordered. Consequently, the process only occurs below 0C. This is analogous to chemical processes, where reactions will take place only if the net entropy decreases. An endothermic process such as the dissolution of ammonium nitrate occurs because the entropy decrease due to the heat absorbed is outweighed by the decrease in order of the solute. An expression for the Gibbs energy of a system is also derived, which has the advantage that it is derived wholly from system properties. A negative Gibbs energy indicates an increase in entropy, and consequently a possible process. The result is that reactions which reduce Gibbs energy, as opposed to enthalpy, are the ones which will occur (even though many do both.)

[K-dizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone who has done Chemistry all the way through high school and is interested in finding out more. It is also a great refresher for anyone teaching high school Chemistry or studying Chemistry at university. The diagrams and tales in the book are well annotated and easy to understand. The book tries to avoid too much mathematics and admits to not explaining how some theories/mathematical functions were derived, as they are not relevant to the reader understanding the concepts being explained. I do wish that they had included a little note for those a bit more interested in digging a little deeper.

[Braeden · Rating 2 out of 5]

More textbook than I expected.

[Matthew Dai]

The book Why Chemical Reactions Happen is a brilliant book written by Dr James Keeler and Dr Peter Wothers. The book was able to effectively communicate Chemical ideas to students who are currently enrolled in undergraduate Chemistry courses or considering to enrol in a university Chemistry course. I definitely suggested people considering a uni course in Chemistry to gain a better comprehension of Chemistry.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very information dense and helpful for understanding chemistry at a level beyond what normal people would need to know. I recommend this book for anyone pursing an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, especially if they think they would go on to graduate level work.

[Kdlk Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book!

[Brian Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classical masterpiece.

[Michiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brushing up on my chemistry. Very readable, technical text. I enjoyed it, though some more technical parts about the molecular orbitals would have required a bit more focus from my part.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers the fundamental ideas needed to underpin more complicated topics in chemistry and is the only suitable bridging text for A level students that I have found. The information is presented in an understandable manner with plenty of diagrams and examples making this book suitable for a wide range of ages. Each chapter builds on the previous, helping to consolidate knowledge; by the end of the book, I definitely felt that I knew a lot more about chemistry than I did previously. Overall a must read for any aspiring chemistry, natural sciences applicant or interested scientist.

[Gregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply to understand and gives you the ability to understand not just chemistry itself but all the natural processes that are going on.

[Mike Spencer]

The best..great way to review your chemistry!

[Rashed Alarfaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting title