Bibliography

G. V. Vinogradov and A. I. Krasilshchikov, Atlas of Nomograms in Physical Chemistry, State Publishing House of Technical-Theoretical Literature. Moscow—Leningrad. 1940. Price 50 rubles. Print run 2,500.

Vinogradov and Krasilshchikov’s atlas is a wholly original publication, the like of which we have not yet had either in our own or in foreign physicochemical literature. Only Berl, Gerbert, and Valich’s Nomograms for the Chemical Industry approaches the atlas under review to a certain degree, but neither in scope nor in rigor of execution can it be compared with it.

The reviewed atlas consists of two hundred nomograms, executed for the most part in the format \(25 \times 36\) cm on separate sheets, and a book (143 pp.) containing a characterization of methods of nomographic calculations in physical chemistry, a description of the individual nomograms, and indexes.

A considerable number of the nomograms are devoted to calculations frequently encountered in laboratory practice, such as: reduction of weighing results to vacuum, reduction of mercury barometer readings to \(0^\circ\), reduction of boiling temperatures of liquids to 760 mm, etc. A large number of nomograms are devoted to various calculations of the properties of vapors and gases (in particular, air): their density, humidity, molecular volumes and fugacity under various conditions of temperature and pressure, reduction of volume to normal conditions, calculation of the constants in the van der Waals and Berthelot equations, etc. Calculations based on the kinetic theory of gases are covered by nomograms that make it possible to determine: the mean free path of molecules and their mean velocity under various conditions; the number of their collisions with a wall; the number of mutual collisions; the relative numbers of molecules whose kinetic energy of translational motion or total energy is greater than a specified value; and so on. Special nomograms are devoted to calculations of adsorbed processes according to the Freundlich formula, according to Polanyi’s potential theory, and the theory of capillary condensation. Others are devoted to calculations of molecular refraction, polarization, dipole moment, and the Langevin function. A number of nomograms make it possible to carry out various calculations connected with the evaporation of liquids: determination of saturated-vapor pressure, boiling temperature, heat of evaporation according to Trouton’s rule, etc. About fifty nomograms are devoted to various calculations in the field of electrochemistry and strong electrolytes (calculations of electromotive forces, \(P_H\), electrical conductivity, the Wien effect, relaxation time, ion activity, etc.). A number of nomograms relate to calculations of the properties of colloidal systems and to calculations in chemical kinetics. This far from complete list shows the great variety of questions encompassed by the nomograms contained in the atlas.

All the nomograms have been compiled very carefully and with great knowledge of the subject, both from the physicochemical and from the nomographic side. Po-

Bibliography

The latter should be emphasized, for, as is well known, many different nomograms can be constructed for any formula, and in the physicochemical literature of recent years there have been many cases in which nomograms compiled rather unsuccessfully have been published. Having a masterly command of the subject, the authors of the atlas have found successful solutions for all the nomograms it contains, in a number of cases applying new nomographic techniques not previously used and showing great rigor in the construction of the nomograms and in the selection and verification of the initial data (from primary sources).

All the nomograms are provided with a convenient and simple scheme of calculation; moreover, the index supplied makes it possible to find the required nomogram easily. In the above-mentioned description, the authors not only give the equations underlying the corresponding nomograms, but in most cases also examine the conditions and limits of their application and the accuracy of the results obtained. The first chapter of the text is also very useful; it describes the most important types of nomograms and also discusses the interesting question of the accuracy of readings on scales of various kinds.

The compilation of the present atlas obviously required truly enormous labor from the authors. But one may safely say that, however great this labor was, the saving of time afforded by the use of the atlas fully justifies it. For different calculation cases this saving of time will of course vary, but in general it is the greater, the more complicated the corresponding equation. The acceleration of work when calculating by a nomogram is approximately from 1.5–2 to 20–25 times. In a number of cases, however, it is even difficult to estimate it quantitatively, since some of the nomograms contained in the atlas make possible a simple graphical calculation by equations that could have been solved only by trial and error.

The atlas is published very well. The great care taken by the authors in compiling the atlas has apparently protected it from the considerable number of omissions, misprints, etc., usual in a first edition.

Of course, only prolonged practical use of the atlas will make it possible to detect isolated possible errors and shortcomings, but apparently there will be few of them. At present only one substantial omission has been found, relating to nomogram No. 107 for Langevin’s function \(L(x)=\operatorname{ctg} hx-\frac{1}{x}\), in whose description the accuracy given by the authors is estimated at four decimal places, whereas in reality the error in calculations by this nomogram reaches, for some values of \(x\), as much as 3 units in the fourth decimal place. In addition, the titles and numbers of nomograms Nos. 105 and 106, relating to the calculation of the dipole moment by Debye’s first and second methods, have been interchanged owing to a misprint. This, however, is so obvious that it is unlikely to lead to misunderstanding.

The only thing one may seriously regret is the high price of the atlas. The atlas costs 50 rubles; an individual nomogram thus costs only 25 kopecks, but the high price of the atlas will be a serious obstacle to the wide dissemination of its nomograms. It would apparently have been advisable to publish it in four to six separate issues by sections. The fact that, alongside nomograms of general interest, a considerable part of the nomograms is of interest chiefly for one or another field of physical chemistry makes such a division especially expedient, and this would have made it possible to reduce the price of the separate issues several times over.

It would also be advisable to put on sale individual nomograms, first of all those relating to auxiliary calculations in laboratory work. This would contribute substantially to their dissemination.

In general, the publication of this atlas should, without doubt, be welcomed. It will be of great benefit.

V. A. Kireev, Moscow