Following in the wake of Chang's two other best-selling physical chemistry textbooks (Physical Chemistry for the Chemical and Biological Sciences and Physical Chemistry for the Biosciences), this new title introduces laser spectroscopist Jay Thoman (Williams College) as co-author. Following in the wake of Chang’s two other best-selling physical chemistry textbooks (Physical Chemistry for the Chemical and Biological Sciences and Physical Chemistry for the Biosciences), this new title introduces laser spectroscopist Jay Thoman (Williams College) as co-author. This comprehensive new text has been extensively revised both in level and scope. Targeted to a mainstream physical chemistry course, this text features extensively revised chapters on quantum mechanics and spectroscopy, many new chapter-ending problems, and updated references, while biological topics have been largely relegated to the previous two textbooks. Other topics added include the law of corresponding states, the Joule-Thomson effect, the meaning of entropy, multiple equilibria and coupled reactions, and chemiluminescence and bioluminescence. One way to gauge the level of this new text is that students who have used it will be well prepared for their GRE exams in the subject. Careful pedagogy and clear writing throughout combine to make this an excellent choice for your physical chemistry course.
Raymond Chang was an emeritus professor at Williams College in the Department of Chemistry and a textbook author. His most popular textbook was titled Chemistry, which was published up to the thirteenth edition. He also published a few children's books. He was a naturalized American citizen who came from Hong Kong to America to start graduate studies at Yale University. There he received both his master's and PhD degrees. His family was originally from Shanghai, but Chang was born in Hong Kong as a result of his family's deportation in 1937. They left to escape the Japanese invasion of China. However, in 1941, Chang and his family returned to Shanghai for eight years before they again re-returned to Hong Kong. As a result of his forced movement through different regions of China Chang became fluent in many Chinese dialects. At the age of seventeen, Chang followed his sister to London. He received his B.Sc. with a first-class honors degree in chemistry from the University of London and Ph. D. from Yale University. He completed his postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis and served as a professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York, prior to joining the faculty at Williams College in 1968. On August 3, 1968, he married Margaret A. Scrogin. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Chang.