Focusing on the quantum-mechanical foundations of chemical bonding, this textbook delves into essential concepts like superposition, state degeneracy, and electron spin. It addresses the complexities often overlooked in other texts, catering to readers eager to grasp the intricate reasons behind molecular stability, such as the binding of two protons with a single electron in the simplest molecule, hydrogen. This approach offers a deeper understanding for those serious about the subject.
Providing the quantum-mechanical foundations of chemical bonding, this unique textbook emphasizes key concepts such as superposition, degeneracy of states and the role of the electron spin. These quantum mechanical notions are usually oversimplified or meticulously circumvented in other books, to the frustration of serious readers who want to understand, for example, why two protons can be stably bound with only one electron to make the simplest molecule H 2 +. An initial, concise and compact presentation of the rudiments of quantum mechanics enables readers to progress through the book with a firm grounding. Experimental examples are included to illustrate how the abstract concepts are manifest in real systems.