Physical Chemistry

bakdaulet — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:55:35 +0000

Physical chemistry (also called physicochemistry) is the explanation of macroscopic, microscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical concepts; sometimes using the principles, practices and concepts of physics like thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and dynamics.

Physical chemistry in contrast to chemical physics is still predominantly a macroscopic or supra-molecular science, as the majority of the principles on which physical chemistry was founded are concepts related to the bulk rather than on molecular/atomic structure alone; for example, colloids.^[2], chemical equilibrium etc. Some of the relationships that physical chemistry has lately tried to resolve include the effects of:

Intermolecular forces on the physical properties of materials (plasticity, tensile strength, surface tension in liquids).
Reaction kinetics on the rate of a reaction.
The identity of ions on the electrical conductivity of materials.

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Physical Chemistry