Russell M. Pitzer
Chemist, Person
1938 –
Who is Russell M. Pitzer?
Russell Mosher Pitzer is an American theoretical chemist and educator.
He was born in Berkeley, California and attended public schools in this and the Washington, D.C. area.
He received his B.S. in chemistry in 1959 from the California Institute of Technology, his A.M. in physics from Harvard University in 1963, and his Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard University in 1963.
At Harvard Pitzer worked with William N. Lipscomb, Jr. in cooperation with the research group of John C. Slater at M.I.T. to develop computer programs to use Slater orbitals to produce self-consistent field molecular orbitals.
The ethane barrier was first calculated accurately by Pitzer and Lipscomb using Hartree Fock Self-Consistent Field theory. Ethane gives a classic, simple example of such a rotational barrier, the minimum energy to produce a 360-degree bond rotation of a molecular substructure. The three hydrogens at each end are free to pinwheel about the central carbon-carbon bond, provided that there is sufficient energy to overcome the barrier of the carbon-hydrogen bonds at each end of the molecule bumping into each other by way of overlap repulsion.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- May 10, 1938
United States of America - Also known as
- Russell Pitzer
- Parents
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- California Institute of Technology
- Harvard University
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Russell M. Pitzer." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/russell_m_pitzer>.
Discuss this Russell M. Pitzer biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In