Chemical Kinetics and Chain Reactions

AbstractTHE mechanism of the ‘chain reaction’ was devised by Bodenstein in 1913 in order to account for the fact that, although Einstein had postulated that each quantum of light absorbed in a photochemical process would decompose one molecule of the absorbing medium, the action of one quantum of light on a mixture of hydrogen and chlorine gave rise to 105-106 molecules of hydrogen chloride. It was therefore clear that the primary decomposition initiated by irradiation was propagated almost indefinitely by some other mechanism.Chemical Kinetics and Chain Reactions By N. Semenoff. (International Series of Monographs on Physics.) Pp. xii + 480. (Oxford: Clarendon Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1935.) 35s. net