The World of Physical Chemistry

Abstract

Abstract This book might have been entitled ‘A History of Physical Chemistry’, which to some extent it is. I am not, however, a historian, and my object has been somewhat different from that of a historian. I wanted primarily to give scientists some insight into how one important branch of physical science has developed. At the same time I have tried to write the book in such a way that historians of science who are not also scientists may find the book useful, even though they may well want to skip over some of the early material with which they will be familiar, and perhaps some of the more mathematical parts.A science like physical chemistry is not necessarily best taught in the first instance by a purely historical approach. A historical approach to science does, however, have important uses. For one thing, the teaching of science can be more effective if the teacher has some knowledge of its history. An account of some personal incident that occurred during the course of scientific work can greatly arouse the interest of students. I have found, for instance, that the story of Arrhenius’s difficulties with his Ph.D. examiners always seems to go down well with students, and seems to make them think that electrolytic dissociation is perhaps not such a dull subject after all.