The chapter introduce our current understanding of the origin and nature of the matter in our solar system. It then discusses the atomic properties of the elements and summarizes how atomic structure is rationalized in terms of the behavior of electrons in atoms. We review trends in atomic parameters such as radius and the spacing of energy levels, and rationalize these trends in terms of the r…
The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal--everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. Written by Peter Atkins, one of the world's leading authorities on thermodynamics, this powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible lan…