"Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure" by Gerhard Herzberg

[SummeryWinter]

I just wanted to know if this book has clear exposition, if it's any good and what are the prerequisites for it. Also, I don't think it's can be a primary resource so I just wanna know how good it really is in terms of supplementary material and just in general as a dover book. Also, I wanna know if it's chemistry-centric and how mathematically rigorous it actually is.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Ah yes, "I just need to find the perfect book". This strategy is often tried, but is seldom successful.

If you want to learn, use standard textbooks. There's a reason they are standards. "Can I use this as a supplement?" Of course. You can use any book as a supplement. Is it suited for what you want and where you are? How do we know?

Yes, the Dover books are cheap. We have a member elsewhere at PF who has a penchant for buying the near-cheapest option, only to discover it is ill-suited for what he wants, and that somehow this is our responsibility. A Dover book may be exactly what you want, and it may be irrelevant.

It's definitely not the standard treatment. I could spend hours of my time writing an in-depth review that might save you $7. Seems like a poor use of my time.

 

[WWGD]

Users are more likely to find solved problems, discussion on topics, from well-trod textbooks.

 

[SummeryWinter]

Ah yes, "I just need to find the perfect book". This strategy is often tried, but is seldom successful.

If you want to learn, use standard textbooks. There's a reason they are standards. "Can I use this as a supplement?" Of course. You can use any book as a supplement. Is it suited for what you want and where you are? How do we know?

Yes, the Dover books are cheap. We have a member elsewhere at PF who has a penchant for buying the near-cheapest option, only to discover it is ill-suited for what he wants, and that somehow this is our responsibility. A Dover book may be exactly what you want, and it may be irrelevant.

It's definitely not the standard treatment. I could spend hours of my time writing an in-depth review that might save you $7. Seems like a poor use of my time.

I agree with you and realised this the second I posted this thread but I just couldn't find the delete button and I even searched for a thread on PF on how to delete a thread but to my surprise there's no such thing and even if there is, I don't know how, if you know vanadium, you can tell me and I'll delete this thread otherwise it could be used as a warning to other people who might try the strategy of choosing the "perfect" book, something I USED to do before I posted this thread


Anyways, thanks vanadium...

 

[dextercioby]

For the future readers: Herzberg, G. - Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure (2nd Ed., 1944, Dover Publications) is a small-sizes monograph (last page before bibliography and index is 234), it's not a textbook aimed at teaching university students. Aimed at (future or current) phyicists, it touches less than briefly upon the applications of atomic structure to chemistry. The fact that it's 80 years old right now should tell one that perhaps a more up-to-date book, be it a textbook for students, or a monograph.

For the OP, you cannot delete your own topic, even after your first message (i.e. in the absence of replies). You can at least report your own starting post and ask a moderator to delete the subject, if you consider you have opened it erroneously. The moderator has the liberty to not comply to your request and leave the topic open.

 

[SummeryWinter]

For the future readers: Herzberg, G. - Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure (2nd Ed., 1944, Dover Publications) is a small-sizes monograph (last page before bibliography and index is 234), it's not a textbook aimed at teaching university students. Aimed at (future or current) phyicists, it touches less than briefly upon the applications of atomic structure to chemistry. The fact that it's 80 years old right now should tell one that perhaps a more up-to-date book, be it a textbook for students, or a monograph.

For the OP, you cannot delete your own topic, even after your first message (i.e. in the absence of replies). You can at least report your own starting post and ask a moderator to delete the subject, if you consider you have opened it erroneously. The moderator has the liberty to not comply to your request and leave the topic open.

Got it but I think I'll just let it serve as a warning to people who want the "perfect" book...