book reviews Alchemy Revlslted. Chemistry Experlmenls for Today
C. G . Vlassis, Keystone Junior College. Oxford University Press, New York, 1976. 122 pages. Figures and tables. 21.5 x 28 cm. No price given. The author of this laboratory manual has wisely added a subtitle, "Chemistry Experiments for Today," lest potential users mistakenly conclude that this is a compendium of arcane esoterica. T o be sure, several of the sixteen experiments do have an historical twist. InExperiment4studentsare asked t o complete a Cannizzaro-type table of relative masses of the elements in thirteen compounds. Another experiment duplicates Boyle's measurement of gas volume as a function of pressure, and the final exercise in the manual is Joseph Black's classic investigation of magnesia olba and "fixed air." Others are decidedly more contemporary: the synthesis of aspirin and the extraction of caffeine from tea leaves, the determination of phosphate in tap water, and an analysis for water hardness by titration with a soap solution. Designed as a companion piece for Leonard Fine's admirable text, "Chemistry D d e d , " hut by no means exclusively linked t o it, "Alchemy Revisited" is clearly aimed a t nonscience majors. The level of sophistication is not particularly challenging. Laboratory
operations are generally quite simple and mathematical manipulations are kept t o a minimum. Nevertheless, the approach is, in many instances, quantitative. No doubt many instructors will find the relatively small selection of experiments too limiting. For example, there are no exercises illustrating kinetics or chemical equilibrium. But many of the fundamental concepts and techniques of chemistry are represented: elemental periodicity, chemical bonding, gas laws (but not in the form of the ideal gas law), heats of fusion and vaporization, specific heat, solutions (including aeid-base properties), paper chromatography, electrolysis and electroplating, spectral analysis, radiation bhemistry, coordination compounds, and organic functional groups. The first two exp e h n e n t s on "Dimensionalysis" and "Techniques and Tools," the latter including scientific notation and lo~arithms,should be a useful introduction foFstudents with limited laboratory experience. Instructions do not include much detailed information, and while this approach may discourage "cookbooking", i t also suggests that considerable assistance and explanation may be required of the laboratory instructor. A case in point is found on page 51, where the text refers t o tubes A and B, but the figure does not specifically identify the tubes as such. Worksheets are provided for the recording of data and an interesting set of questions is included in most experiments. An appendix lists the chemicals and equipment required for each experiment. In most cases common laboratory reagents are used and equipment demands are modest: pH meters, ammeters, vacuum pumps,
spectroscopes, Geiger wuntem, mnductivity apparatus, and a linear expansion apparatus. Analytical halances appear to be necessary for only very few of the experiments. In summary, this is a collection of fairly standard laboratory experiments showing little innovation or originality. But few laboratory manuals do, and the completion of ten or twelve of these, over the course of s term, should considerably enhance a nonscience major's understanding of chemistry and its methodology. A. Truman Schwartz
Macalster College St. Paul. Mlnesota 55105
An Experience Approach to Experimental Chemistry Philip W . West, Louisiana State University, and Roberto Bustin, Arkansas College. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York and Collier MacMillan Publishers, London, 1976. xii + 147 pages. Figures. 21 X 28 cm. $5.95. Given the declinine level of rrrerraration of many beginning chemistry students, this hook will not be suitable for many freshman chemistry courses. The authorsset a fast pace in the experimental studies and make no attempt to correlate the experiments with any lecture texts. Their teaching philosophy is experiment based on the premise that almost always precedes theory. Theories are developed t o explain experimentally observed phenomena." This approach will probably be uon-productive and frustrating for the poorly prepared student just as it would for the poorly prepared researcher. For a select number of students who have had an excellent high sehaol preparation and who like the challenge of explaining experimental results long before they are covered .fun as well in lecture, this baok could be as intellectually rewarding." The text is divided into seven chapters covering reaction chemistry, separations by wet chemical met.hods, qualitative identification by spot test procedures, chemistry and analytical significance of coordination compounds, design of testa, an introduction to quantitative analysis, and ring w e n studies. Each chapter consists of an often too brief description of the theory of the experiment, an experimental section, a challenging "Just for Fun" experiment, exercises, and references. Some of the experiments are related to areas such as crime detection, studies of medicine, and environmental problems. One of the unique aspects of this baok is the emphasis of spot tests and ring oven studies. These experiments do eliminate the laborious separations that are normally used in the conventional qualitative analysis schemes. Unfortunately, the chemical principles are mare complicated and not easily related to the lecture material. The book appears to be relatively free of errors. The few found were of minor importance such as on page 6 rel'errinl: tn Chapter IV instead of 4. The volume number in reference (2) on page 139 should be 4fi instead of 49. An H + was omitted in each spot test
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equation of mercury(II), nickel, and silver (PP. 54-55). The equation for the identification of ammonia was not balanced. Some smaller chemistry departments might find the cost of obtaining the variety of chemicals needed anegative factor. Many chemistry departments probably do not have commercial ring ovens. Instructions for its fabrication are given in reference ( 2 ) on page 139. The use of this book will reauire more work ten, essentially nothing is said about laboratory techniques or laboratory safety. Many instructions needed by the chemistry stoekroom such as how to make up test solutions are omitted. This information along with an indication of the orobable number of lahoratory hours on each experiment would have been helpful. Donald D. Marshall Sonoma State College Rohnert Park. California 94928
Quantitative Laboratory Experiments for General Chemistry
are the fill-in-theblank type,astslcfhat dirwuracri thmkrng m the student's part. One
worries, too, that in supplying for the student essentially all the necessary mathematical equations the authors have weakened the pedagogical value of the laboratory experience, for only in working these out for himself is the student likely ever t o comprehend the vital relationships among measured, defined, and calculated values that are a t the heart of laboratory science. But these are failings shared with almost every beginning laboratory manual. The difficulties in designing asolid quantitative chemistrv. oromam-and manual.. for studenrs u ho mny hnvc had IW prim labor.mry cxperwnrr nrc obvious 11, anyone uho has taught an introductory laboratory. Quantitative work requires a skill lacking in the beginning student. It assumes, too, an appreciation of the significance of significant figures that students rarely acquire until later in their academic exoerience.~,ifever. A compromise must be made between the need for precision in mass determinations and sophistication in instrumentation on the one hand and budgetary demands for large classes on the other. The authors have selected a top-loading milligram balance and have included no instrumental measurements beyond weighing. The result is a program that concentrates on the basics with no frills and no attempts a t innovation. The selection of experiments is appropriate to the objectives the authors have chosen. I would except the experiment on the law of multiple proportions, which, despite the debugging assurances, I find never to give goad results by the procedure described. The book
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is, however, very well done and easy to follow. If you accept the UNC philosophy, you will probably find it very attractive. Gerald W . Gibson Coliege of Charleston Charleston. South Caroiim
Contemporary Organic Chemistry
Marion H. O'Leory, University of Wisconsin. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1976. xiv 396 pages. Figures and tables. 17 X 24 cm. $13.95
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Marian O'Leary has made a rather successful attempt a t writing an interesting and comprehensive text for a one-semester organic chemistry course for the non-major. In his preface, O'Leary states that "orbital theory, electronic structure of molecules, reaction mechanisms, and the like, are the stuff of which a good introductory chemistry course is made.. .".In the text. these feelines " are evidenced by clear and well-illustrated presentations of material dealing with these areas. Bonding, molecular geometry, and simple "electron bookkeeping" are areas that seem to plague many students of organic chemistry. The author has made an effort to provide a very. . eood introduction to the first two. but in thenrm 01 rlectnm hoc,knrrpinr,rsscntlnl to n inter yrnsp of merhamsrtc w n r r p t ~w. r y ( ( ' w r t n ~ o or r t ixrcr AY 1 1 .
Francis Nash Collier, Jr., and Royce W. Murray, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, and Richard H. Kherlopion, University of South Carolina. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1976. xvi 256 pages. Figures and tables. 21 X 28 cm.
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This is not just a laboratory manual; it is the introductory laboratory program a t the University of North Carolina. A department whose curriculum philosophy similarly restricts the beginning year of chemistry laboratory to quantitative experiments will find this manual well worth considering. "Quantitative" is used here in the broad sense. The exercises include a Boyle's Law experiment, determination of a chemical formula, a study of the law of multiple proportions, and a gram-equivalent weight determination in addition to a series of quantitative analyses. Indeed, the UNC proeram-and the manual-mav be described tairly a * n c ~ d l w ~ w n b e r y t r x l ~ r ~ ~ m n l "trcshmm" nnd "quunt" exprrtmenu. 'l'lusr w h u ;are Ihklng im imrthin:: npw wll ilnd them too traditional. They are, however, very clearly presented, with warnings a t points that have, during seven years a t UNC, proved to present special challenges to technique or safety hazards for the student. The authors have included good illustrations where they are needed without feeling obliged to supply a t least one picture per experiment. The manual is ideally designed for use with teaching assistants and large classes. Details of the UNC operation are generously supplied, as is a list of apparatus and chemicals needed for a thousand stud~rn~q I U perform pnrh erprriment ,\ dupllcarr trur-uut h t . 3 sheet IS iwludrd a i a wnrnll u v t r ' d r \ lahbing."'l'hr d.tta ,he
