Book excerpt: Phases of Matter and their Transitions An all-in-one, comprehensive take on matter and its phase properties In Phases of Matter and their Transitions, accomplished materials scientist Dr. Gijsbertus de With delivers an accessible textbook for advanced students in the molecular sciences. It offers a balanced and self-contained treatment of the thermodynamic and structural aspects of phases and the transitions between them, covering solids, liquids, gases, and their interfaces. The book lays the groundwork to describe particles and their interactions from the perspective of classical and quantum mechanics and compares phenomenological and statistical thermodynamics. It also examines materials with special properties, like glasses, liquid crystals, and ferroelectrics. The author has included an extensive appendix with a guide to the mathematics and theoretical models employed in this resource. Readers will also find: Thorough introductions to classical and quantum mechanics, intermolecular interactions, and continuum mechanics Comprehensive explorations of thermodynamics, gases, liquids, and solids Practical discussions of surfaces, including their general aspects for solids and liquids Fulsome treatments of discontinuous and continuous transitions, including discussions of irreversibility and the return to equilibrium Perfect for advanced students in chemistry and physics, Phases of Matter and their Transitions will also earn a place in the libraries of students of materials science.