book reviews Chemical Principles:
A Pmgrammed
Text, Parts I and II
Olaf 13?1nqiiist,Cli'ord J. Creswell, and J . Thomas Head, all of Hamline Universit,y, St,. Paul, Minn. Burgess Prthlishing Co., Minneapolis, 196% iv 228 pp. and iv 233 pp. Figs. and tables. 22.5 X 27.5 cm. Spiralhoundtwo volumes, $9.75.
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A programmed text differs from t,he rwual teslbook in that it provides a very limited ?mount of factual information and hnckg~.ocu~dreading material, and consttwcts inst,ead a highly sequential progTessive learning experience. Programmed materials are used predominantly a? self-help devices for slow or deficient students who need learning assistance; to he used in {,his wny the mat,erials mnst, closely p~rnllel the organization of topics in the course syllabus. Another possible use which should he considered is the total or partial replaeement of lectrms t,o honor students by programmed materials, relying on strong previow training in chemistry and on t,he intelligence and initiative of studont,~ seeking to teach themselves. "Chemical Principles" is published in two vol~~mes, spiral-hound, with suitable t,able of ean(ents hut wit,horrt an index. The publishers plan far the next printing t o be hound as n single vohrme. Each chapter is previewed with a listing of objectives. Parallel cohmns of quest,ions
and answers permit the stlrdent to uncover answers easily rtfber reading and comidering each question. Each suhtopic is introdneed by a concise statement which defines or explains the operations or concepts to follow; the qnestions are followed by a hrief resmne statement. Small graphs and line drawings appear frequently as the basis of the inst~.rrctional question. Tables (e.g., logarit,hms, elect,rodc potentials) are fomd in immediate content, to the relevant topics rather than in an appendix. The type is clean and easily readable; space allocation is full but not crowded. The first volume begins with an excellent treatment of Mat,hemslicsl Manipulations: gaod instr~~ction in scientific notation, logarithms, slide rule, graphing, and st,at,isticitl analysis of data. The second chapter on Staichiometry conbains the usual items of balanced eqnat,ions, mole method of computation, percentage rompositian, etc., hut also goes into stoichiometry of soh~tions before the lsbter topic hay been considered. Chapter three on Atomic Structure begins with a too brief section on nocleat. chemistry. Electranio strnct,nre, tho~rghoveremphasizing the Balmer la~~mule. portion, gives a gaod introdnction to quantum mechanical treatment of the atom, qmntom numbers, and orbitals. Periodlcit,y is covered well, hot the chapter lacks hist,orieal background. The Chemical Banding rhapt,er, one of the best, ia very lucid an urhibal-overlap, hybridization, and elect~ron-1~epilIsinn, h r ~ thas little or no molecdar orbital theory. The first
volume ends with chapter five on Gases, Liquids, and Solids. Treatment of the gas laws is adequate, hut the kinetic molecnlar theory should he derived in more detail. Liquids get hrief attention as do crystalline solids. The second volume opens with chapter six on Colligativo Properties. Too moch t.ime is devoted to liqoid-vapor fraction* t.ion and far too Mile to solubilily factors. The colligative properties get fair coverage hut shoilld be better related to each other. The extensive chapter seven on Thermodynamics and Kinetics has good sections on bond energies snd reaction enthalpies. Entropy and free energy are introduced briefly hot adequately. Reaction kinetics t,reats satisfactorily the concepts of rate equation, order, malecrdarit,y, and mechanism; the chapter conch~deswith introduction of ehemicd eqnilibrium from reaction rate and free energy. Chapter eight,, Chemical Eqdihrium, continues a rather thorough treatment of equilibrium constants. Application to acid-base systems, solubility, and complexion eqnilihria is concise and correct; this admittedly difficult topic could use a larger nnmher of exercises. Titrstions are adequstoly explained. Chapter nine an Eleetl.ochemistry presents this often confusing topic with clarity throngh proper definitions and development of the Nernst equation from redox potentials and salot,ion concentrations. Balancing of redax equations follows, based on cell half-react,ians. The final chapter, Acids, Bases, and Complex Ions, is curioosly separated from earlier (Continued on page A447)
Volume 46, Number 6 , June 1969
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book reviews treatment of ionic equilibria where i t would seem t o belong. Bronsted and Lewis acids are well defined and illustrated. The sect,ion on complex ions, while i t relates well t h e geometry of complexes t o hybridized orbitals, is very deficient in nomenclature of complexes and in ligand field Lheory. I n general this reviewer considers the work to be an excellent, programmedlearning text. However there should be a n index so that st,udents could look up specific information. Some topics might be better organized (e.g., acid-base), and topics do not progress in difficulty a t the same rate. The book might be improved with more exercises in ionic equilibria. of various types. Rote programmed learning must be snpplemented with hist,oricsl and descriptive material by lecture and reference readings t o insure proper context. There are no problems for homework assignments. We have fonnd t h a t s t u d e n t , ~do chafe m d e r the questionanswer proceduw of x programmed text, especially if they are trained in rapid reading; often they must bc advised to learn to skip aver repebitious qnestions. Programmed learning will probably not meet the needs of most freshman chemistry courses. Able students e m cover most of the book in one semester, as we do in our honors course. The book can be highly recommended to the deficient stndent in need of supplementary helps as an excellent if expensive drill aid.
Those familiar with his other textbooks will recognize Slater's distinctively lucid and incisive style of writing. Characteristically, he emphasizes physical and intuitive lines of reasoning in preference to elegant mathematics. All in all, he bas produced anolher book of considerable value, bath t o beginners and to mare experienced teachers and research workers.
S. M. BLINDER Uniuemily of Michigan Ann Arbor The Wave Mechanics of Atoms, Molecules, and Ions. A n Introduction for Chemistry Students C. J. H. Schvtle, University of Sonth Africa. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1968. xiii 502 pp. Fis?. and tables. 15 X 23.5 em. SlR.:O.
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Ten or fifteen years ago, many physical chemisls longed for a revised edition of Pauling and Wilson's classic "Int,roduetion t o Quantum Mechanics," first poblished in 1835. Today, this need appears t,o have been fulfilled by a. wide variet,y of texts, ranging from simple qualitative discitssions to more detailed expositions of theory and comp,~tat,ionalmethods. This text by Professor Rehutte is a n additional altempt to introduce chemistry students to t h e theory and uses of quantum mechanics. ~ a r t i c u l a r l vas a ~ o l i e dt , atomic ~
principles of wave mechanics, a. well as ALLENL. HANSON their applications to simple potential St. Olaf College systems which w e of direct interest to t,he NorlhfLeld, Minnesotn chemist. I t also aims to bring t,he st,udent t o s. level a,here he can fallaw t,he papers Quantum Theory of Maner on valeney theary, molecular st,ructure, spectroscopy, etc., which appear in modern John C. Slater, University of Florida. chemical journals." I n view of t h e large 2nd ed. McCraw-Hill Book Co., New amount of material, the a ~ t t h o rmight be York, 1968. 763 pp. Figs. and tables. credited with having been srmessft11in the 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $15. second of these goals. For the same reawn, however, there is a question John C. Slster, a. distinguished contribwhet,her this text would serve efiect,ivelyas utor t o the development of t h e quantum a n introdnetion for most chemistry st,,,theory of matter, has added t o his voludents. minons writings on the subject a comTypical of many authors of texts pubpletely redone version of his 1951 book. lished in England, Professor Schutte The new edition consists, for t h e most part, writes in a terse, no-nonsense style. This of material condensed or adapted from his succinctness pays off in the number of m~dtivolumetreatise, "Quantum Theory topics that can be discussed in a relatively of At,omicStruelure," I and 11,and "Quanfew (400) pages. The material is logically tum Theory of Molecules and Solids," oreanised and oroeresses from a n initial I, 11, and 111. The hook is intended for use as a bext in a one-year graduate-level course on quantom theory. I t incl~ides, on simple models, atomic and molecular accordingly, a. selection of problems and a strucbore, and spectroscopy. I n addition bibliography of recent research papers. t o the more traditional topics found in Professor SIater favors a n approach in inf.roductory quantum chemistry texts, which development of quantum-mechansuch as the particle-in-a-box, the harmonic ical principles is closely interwoven with oscillator, the I3 atom, the H I + and H. applichtians t.o the struct,ore of atoms, molecules, simple conjugat,ed systenls, molecules, and solids. Of particular inote., there are discussions of group bheary, terest to t,he chemist is his thoroughgoing polyatomie molecules, transition metal treatment of the foundat,ions of valence ions, magnetic resonance, and the results theory. The prototype systems Ifst and of relnlively recent calculations. Another H. are analyzed in considerable detail feature t o be applauded is the insertion of from several points of view. This is folproblems a t the points in the text a t which lowed by chapters on homonuclear and they should be worked and the sololions heteronuclear diat,omic molecules, the t o these problems are collected in a n symmetry of wavefunctions, tho central appendix. A student who stildies the hydrides, t,he electron-pair band and the (Continmd on page A4481 ethylene end benzene molecules. Volume 46, 1Yumber 6, June 1969
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