Molecular Driving Forces

Molecular driving forces, second edition is an introductory statistical thermodynamics text that describes the principles and forces that drive chemical and biological processes. The second edition includes an additional chapter on thermodynamics and two new chapters: "Microscopic dynamics" which explores single molecule experiments; and "Bio and nano machines" which describes the workings of biological molecules including proteins and DNA. New examples and practical applications are integrated throughout the revised and updated text, exploring topics in biology, environmental and energy science, and nanotechnology. It also includes new end-of-chapter problems, and purely mathematical topics are now in appendices. Written in a clear and reader-friendly style, the book provides an excellent introduction to the subject for novices while remaining a valuable resource for experts. This text is intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates in physical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, polymer and materials science, pharmaceutical chemistry, chemical engineering, and environmental science. Our focus here is on molecular driving forces, which overlaps with--but is not identical to--the subject of thermodynamics. While the power of thermodynamics is its generality, the power of statistical thermodynamics is the insights it gives into microscopic interactions through the enterprise of model-making. A central theme of this book is that making models, even very simple ones, is a route to insight and to understanding how molecules work. A good theory, no matter how complex its mathematics, is usually rooted in some very simple physical idea. Molecular Driving Forces, Second Edition is an introductory statistical thermodynamics text that describes the principles and forces that drive chemical and biological processes. It demonstrates how the complex behaviors of molecules can result from a few simple physical processes, and how simple models provide surprisingly accurate insights into the workings of the molecular world.Widely adopted in its First Edition, Molecular Driving Forces is regarded by teachers and students as an accessible textbook that illuminates underlying principles and concepts. The Second Edition includes two brand new chapters: (1) "Microscopic Dynamics" introduces single molecule experiments; and (2) "Molecular Machines" considers how nanoscale machines and engines work. "The Logic of Thermodynamics" has been expanded to its own chapter and now covers heat, work, processes, pathways, and cycles. New practical applications, examples, and end-of-chapter questions are integrated throughout the revised and updated text, exploring topics in biology, environmental and energy science, and nanotechnology. Written in a clear and reader-friendly style, the book provides an excellent introduction to the subject for novices while remaining a valuable resource for experts.