In thermodynamics, Peter A. Rock (1939-2006) was an American chemical thermodynamicist, of the Lewis school of thermodynamics, noted for his 1969 textbook Chemical Thermodynamics. [1] The UC Davis Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory is named after him. [2]
Education
Rock was born in 1939 in New Haven, Connecticut. He attended high school in Lowell, Massachusetts, and received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Boston University in 1961. He then went on to UC Berkeley, where he was awarded a doctorate in physical chemistry and chemical thermodynamics in 1964. That same year, he joined the faculty at UC Davis as an assistant professor, where he remained for the rest of his career.
In his research, Rock measured the energy flows that accompany chemical reactions and used this training to advance theory within physical chemistry, study the chemistry of the Earth, and design treatments for medical disorders. His thermodynamic measurements were so precise that virtually all of them were incorporated into the National Institute for Standards and Technology source book that identifies data of the highest quality for use by the nation. Rock also wrote textbooks for students at all levels of chemistry and geochemistry, averaging a book every five years. His first book, Chemical Thermodynamics: Principles and Applications, written in 1969, remains in high demand and is still used as a text in engineering and geosciences. [3]
References
1. Rock, Peter A. (1969). Chemical Thermodynamics. MacMillan.
2. UC Davis Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory – University of California, Davis.
3. Obituary: Peter A. Rock – UC Davis News & Information, June 15, 2006.
External links
● Peter A. Rock Hall – LocalWiki.org.
