Chemistry: An Investigative Approach
book reviews
F Albert Cotton, Texas A & M, C.
Editor: W. F. KIEFFER College of Wooder Woorter, Ohio
Keys to Chemistry Eloine W. Ledbetter and Jay A. Young, Auburn University. AddisonWesley Publishing Co., Reading, Mass. 1973. vii + 332 pp. Fig. and tables. 22 x 28.5 cm. "Keys to Chemistry" is a high school chemistry book which the authors apparently intended to be different from most texts now on the market. If so, they sueceeded. It would he much easier to evaluate the book if the authors would have been more clear as to the kind of student for whom the book was written. They state that the course is designed for students "who want to know what chemistry involves and how it relates to their daily lives" and who "want to study chemistry without heeoming lost in theory or the memorization of facts." This statement is too broad to he useful for definine .. the notcntiol u w s . One never di-cnwn nhether the hook was inrrndrd for college preparatory scwnre st )dent< or, m conlra,r. rollege preparatory nonscience students, or some other category of students. Hopefully, the reader of this review will, if he is a high school teacher, he able to infer from the ensuing discussion whether or not i t is likely to be useful for his students. The self-paced instruction approach is promulgated in this hook with a list of objectives a t the beginning of each chapter and a suggested order of study. Topics are introduced by the observation of phenomena in the laboratory or in demonstrations. Practice exercises and a self-test are included a t the end of each chapter to help the student know when he is ready to be tested. Students are encouraged t o be creative;
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i t is hoped that they will design experiments and invent hypotheses. Also, they are encouraged to write essays and poems or to-create posters related to chemistry, e.g., "Write a poem, using a concept introduced in Chapter 2 as a theme". (Chapter 2 is entitled "classification of matter.") Basically, the hook seems to have resulted from an attempt to "humanize" the presentation of chemistry, to point out the relevance of the subject, and yet t o offer a relatively rigorous development of the topics chosen for inclusion. Most of the same facts and theories that constitute the subject matter of the typical ehemistry h k for college preparatory students of ehemistry are presented in this one, topichy-topic and ehapter-by-chapter, but some chapters are missing in this text. It is doubtful that the average nonscience student would find it appreciably more palatable than the average text; he might very well get lost in the facts and theories. Any teacher casting about for a somewhat different ehemistry text would he well advised to examine this one. He should realize, however, before he decides to make such a n investment of time, that "Keys to Chemistry" does not include the topics of oxidation-reduction, eleetrachemical cells (neither electrolytic nor galvanic), or chemical kinetics. The treatment of chemical equilibrium is not quantitative. Also, there is no treatment of organic chemistry or biochemistry. A strong point of the text is the inelusian of bibliographies a t the ends of the chapters which are quite thorough. Frank S. Ouiring Clavton Hioh School
Clayton. Missouri
-Reviewed in this Issue Elaine W Ledbetter and Jay A. Young, Keys to Chemistry F. Albert Cotton, Leroy Darlington, andLawrence D. Lynch, Chemistry: An Investigative Approach J. Calvin Giddings, Chemistry, Man and Environmental Change R. Aveyard and D. A. Haydon, An Introduction to the Principles of Surface Chemistry Gordon M Barmw, Physical Chemistry John Avefy, The Quantum Theory of Atom, Molecules and Photons W. G. Richords and J.A. Horsley, Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Calculations for Chemists W G. Richards, T E. H. Walker, and R. K. Hinkley, A Bibliography of Ab Initio Molecular Wave Functions Donnld Rapp, Quantum Mechanics Jean Barrio1 and J. Warren Blnker, translator, Elements of Quantum Mechanics with Chemical Applications W L. Braggand G. Porter, editors, The RoyalInstitutionLihrary of Science Samuel H. Willen and Ernest L. Eliel, editor, Tables of Resolving Agents and Optical Resolutions M. H. Green, International and Metric Units of Measurement New Volumes in Continuing Series
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Leroy Darlington, Montclair High School, New Jersey, and Lawrence D. Lynch, Palo Alto Senior High School. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1973. Figs. and tables. 23 x 19 cm. nvii 798 pp. $6.90.
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This text for the high school chemistry course is a complete revision of the 1968 hook hearing the same title. Mr. Darlington is the additional coauthor for this new version of the original CHEM Study material. Directions for student experiments are a n integral part of the text. The major change in this important feature is the addition of new material. Now included are experiments on measuring the length of oleie acid molecules, probability, molecular shapes (using Styrofoam spheres), and illustrating simple redax "replacement" reactions by adding iron powder to s hot aqueous solution of copper sulfate. The directions make the student aware of how important the control of conditions is for the validity of experimental results. The chapters on organic ehemistry, biochemistry, and "giant molecules" have been expanded by 19 pages. The treatment afforded the electrical nature of water is superior to the earlier version. The discussion of the structure of atoms and the nature of ions has been clarified. In linr with II.'PAC rerommendar~uns. standard reductam potcntialc are tshulat ed and used in the s r r t h deahnp with o r . idation-reduction phenomena. An up-to-date touch has been added by inserting excellent two-page summaries of various ecological and environmental topics a t appropriate places in the text. The expanded table of contents should make reference use of this text much easier. This reviewer feels that he would prefer t o have an earlier use af the mole concept and to see more emphasis placed on the consistent use of correctly labeled eonversion factors in problems. He questions the use of formulas such as P V = nRT which may encourage memorizing ahead of understanding. College bound students may n d be helped by omissions of such eoncepts as electronegativity, conjugate acids and bases, or even the Lewis-dot idea of what constitutes a base. The abbreviated section an balancing redox equations could be strengthened by suggesting that half cell reactions supply some laboratory evidence for the use of oxidation numbers. Raymond T. Byrne
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Batavia High School Batavia, New Ywk 74020
Chemistry, Man and Environmental Change
J Calvin Giddinga The University of Utah. Canfield Press, San Francisca, 1973. viii 472 pp. Figs. and tables. 26.5 X 18.5 em. $10.95.
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This text was written for nonscience students desiring an introduction to the science of environmental ehange and presupposes no prior chemical background on (Continued onpageA2541 Volume 51. Number4, April 1974
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book reviews the part of the reader. Rather than merely adding to an existing introductory chemistry text, as others have done, the author has succeeded in skillfully interweaving the chemical basis of pollution with the resultant environmental impact. The hook is divided into two parts. The first five chapters introduce the principles of ehemistry and show the fundamental hearing they have on the environment of planet earth. The introductory chapter sets the stage by covering such topics as the nature of environmental threats, thermadynamics, mixtures and mixing, measurement and units. In most cases examples used are directly pertinent to environmental problems. Other subjects covered in the first part are atomic and molecular structure, structures and propertie? of important organic and bio-chemicals, and reactions and equilibria. The latter six chapters are essentially self contained and may be read in any order. Topics covered are: the atmosphere. and -air-pollution, with particular attention being given to the role of coal hurning power plants and the internal combustion engine; water and its pollution and treatment; environmental contamination by heavy metals and pesticides; and the effects of nuclear energy and radioactivity on the environment. Each chapter concludes with a glossary, a list of additional reading, and a set of exercises. The exercises in the latter part of the book are most noteworthy. The problems are interesting, practical, and quantitative, and concern specific current environmental problems. Frequently the student is forced to make critical judgements. Although heavy emphasis is put an the quantitative aspects the mathematics used is kept very simple and is very carefully explained. The reader is slowly and carefully taken through the steps involved in relating chemical equations and atomic quantities to more familiar units and relstionships. Frequent footnotes are used to demonstrate how figures were manipulated to yield the given results. The text is appealing in appearance and easy to read. The material is presented in a clear and straightforward approach with a smooth style which is occasionally marred by anthropomorphism and slang. Subjects are treated in a broad but not too detailed manner. Up to date quantitative data concerning pollution is included. As one would expect in a book of this sort, the treatment of environmental pollution is unemotional and scientific. The development and discussion of fundamental concepts varies in its effectiveness. Some topics are forcefully and clearly presented through the use of graphical representation (e.g., the significance of one ppm), and examples and analogies with whieh the reader may be familiar. Other concepts are not as clearly presented as they might be. Among the shortcomings of the presentation is the tendency to downplay the controversy among scientists about various effects on the environment. Also very little is included in terms of how pollution is measured and monitored. The material is presented in a manner which deernphas~. zes crniral questioning of it$ qigniiicnncc. reliahiliry, and impart. A number d rypaA254
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Journalof C h e m i c a l Education
graphical errors occur, particularly in the last few chapters. Although liberal use is made of figures, diagrams, and tables, in many cases they are insufficiently labeled or described. Overall the hook should serve its purpose very well. Covering it completely in one quarter or semester, however, would result in a fairly intensive course. A. L. Fink University ot Caiilornia Ssnta Cruz, Caiilomia 95064
An Introduction to the Principles of Surface Chemistry
R. Aueyard, University of Hull, and D. A. Haydon, University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1973. xv 232 pp. Figs. and tahles. 22 x 14.5 cm. $16.50.
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This hook is intended as a text for finalyear undergraduate or for graduate students. It seems much more suited to the latter. The emphasis is primarily on principles, as the title suggests. Nevertheless, sufficient factual material is included to give a reasonably balanced presentation. There are sir chapters dealing with general considerations, electrical properties of interfaces, liquid interfaces, polarized and non-polarized electrode surfaces, the solidgas interface, and the solid-liquid interface. In so far as possible all equations are derived from thermodynamic or statistical considerations. There are occasions where this procedure is unnecessarily complex. The student is the poorer for not being intraduced also to the familiar kinetic derivations. An example is the BET equation far the adsorption of gas on non-porous solid surfaces. The material is extremely highly organized and the coverage is very broad. Apart from chemisorption and catalysis, whieh are deliberately omitted, there are very few topics which are not at least mentioned. Nucleation and particle growth is one such, and the whole concept of dynamic surface tension is another. It is inevitable that the effort to reduce all of the principles of surface chemistry to a mere 223 pages should result in some omissions. These generally take the form of making a given treatment more abbreviated than is customary. Several examples of such curtailment can be given: In considering the Gihhs adsorption for a two-component system, the fact that the surface excess of neither component is uniquely determinable is merely stated without elaboration or proof as is the further fact that these quantities are independent of the location of the Gibbs' dividing surface. Again, the equation of state for an ideal localized monoLayer is simply given, together with the statement that it can he readily derived from a preceding equation; in fact, the derivation is not obvious, especially to a member of the audience for whom the hook is nominally intended. All the controversy in the literature over the inclination of the paraffin chains to the aqueous surface in the case of spread monolayers is passed over with the statement that the chains are roughly normal to the surface.
The section on the physical adsorption of gases is hurt rather than helped by the authors' distrust of any and all models for the surface in its interaction with gas molecules. This section is remarkably eomplete, although it is plagued with petty omissions such as, for example, the fact that the value 0.162 nm2 molecule-' cross-section for Nz in the application of the BET equation is not independent of the extent of coverage or the nature of the substrate. In the chapter on adsorption by solids from liquid solutions the authors have achieved an outstandingly well-organized condensate of a tremendous volume of material. This is particularly the case with adsorption fiam binary liquid mixtures. However, the discussion of adsorbed polymers is far too cursory and abbreviated. The choice of nomenclature and symbols is mostly standard, although the reviewer is bothered by the use of ho and co-area since the overhead dot is so widely used elsewhere to indicate the time derivative of a quantity. The index is good, but an author index as well as a subject index would he useful. In summary, the book provides an excellent synopsis of the principles of surface chemistry and should he part of the library of every surface chemist. However, as a textbook, it would seem difficult to teach fiam or learn from. It is worth nating that in addition to the hardback edition, the hook is also available in paper hack for $6.95. Marjorie J . Vold University 01 Southern California 10s Angeles, CaBtornia 90007
Physical Chemistry Gordon M. Barrow, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1973. xvi + 787 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 x 17.5 cm. $16.95. When a new edition of a text appears, the chief characteristics are already established and need not be reviewed. This volume follows the same organization as previous editions hut has improved clarity of presentation in some areas. One of the most obvious changes is the transition to SI units, although the Angstrom unit and standard atmosphere are retained. As the author says, the change to new units will probably he harder on teachers than on students. Everybody who teaches physical chemistry has his personal list of topics that are often treated in confusing ways, and he checks any new book to see how they are handled. As will be true of any book, this one treats some topics in ways that will cause trouble for students and omits some rather standard concepts entirely. Thus, the discussion of adiabatic expansion of gases certainly does not make it clear the derived expressions are valid only if the expansion is conducted reversibly. The treatment of entropy of mixing is restricted to one mole of a binary mixture and is not generalized. The "electrode potentials" are actually reduction potentials, (Continued on page A2561
