reviews Chemistry, The Molecular Science
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John Olmsted Illand Gregory M. Williams. Mosby: St. Louis, MO, 1994. xvii + 1067 pp. Figs., tables, and photos. 20.9 cm x 26.2 cm. $61.95. A casual glance a t the Geneml Chemistry textbook by Olmsted and Williams will reveal an emphasis on the particulate nature of matter. Numerous graphics in vivid color fill each chapter as the traditional concepts are methodically developed. Exercises a t the end of chanters contain eve-catchine conceotual oroblems. On closer examlnntmn the reader wll ree how the extensiveuse of models emourage* the student to thmk on a molccular level. The book is much more than attractive graph~csand photography The macrdmicrolmalecular nature of matter is portrayed consistently in discussion, figures, and student problems. For example, in Chapter 10, Effects of Intermolecular Forces, a solution in a beaker is photographed and with two sections keyholed and enlarged containing graphic particle representations. Throughout the book students are asked to interpret molecular drawings and then "draw a molecular picture that shows . . . (concept)." A concern of chemical educators often reported in this Journal is the miscancention and misconstruction hv students that actuallv impedes understandmg Olmated and Williams are addressmg the problem dlrertly by preJentlng a qualily textbook from a conceptual perspective. a molecular approach The level of understanding gained and not possible with text nndmathematrcal expresrrunsis nuteworthy in Chapter 16, Aqueous Equilibria. A molccular new of a oolvorotic acld is visualized in solution. Astudent must then study the-diagrams and "think molecules" before answering the concep tual orablems and nramessine on to the mathematical exercises. By the t m e thestudent reaches theend ofthesect~nn, theoprmtIng processes wdl have been developed clearly. Thrs textbook targets an able student, competent in math, who needs a fundamental course in chemistry. The molecular perspech basis for tive will augment mathematical skills to provide a further study in chemistry and other sciences. Several topics not discusred in other textbooks are emphasized by Olmswd and Wilhams. For examde. In Chanter 7. AtornicSt~cturc,the sh~eldinn effect of inner e l k i o n s on the size of atomic orbitais is presentea tharouehlv and students are then asked to make some challeneine wsual ~nterpretilti~ns ofthe s u e ofatornicorbitala, drawn to scale. In Chapter 18, The Chemistry o f h w i s Acids and Based, the concept of hard and roR avldu-bases is included. Organic molecules are used as examples throughout the text. The structures are drawn in four styles (structural, ball-and-stick, space-filling, and line) with two or more of these types of drawings used simultaneously. Astudent will be ahle to interchange the formats quickly to correlate chemical concepts with information from other biolaw .,- or nolvmeric science courses. Pedagopcally, sume attractive features include the insertion of an answer section to cxercises at the end of the chapter, rather ~
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than in the annendix. I found the answers a real stimulus to read the question8 knd perhaps a student will too! The Chapter Summaries are concise numerical lists. The molecular diagrams throughout the text are large and uncluttered. Color is used creatively Graphing techniques such a s pie charts and bar graphs in the discussion of isotopes and mass spectrometry were appropriate. Some users may consider the modest amount of descriptive chemistry undesirable. Applications and real world examples are included in special hoxed sections. The Periodic Table on the inside front cover is so fragmented, it is almost unusable. In a hook that has outstanding graphics, I was disappointed in the poor stvle used in the reference Periodic Table. Overall, this texthook hns a unique feature in its molecular appmarh. Students will be forced to think on a molecular level conceptually and mathematrrally The presentations are sound and would be appropriate for a rigorous introductory course. ~~
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Karen E. Eichstadt Ohio University Athens, OH 45701
Chemistry: The Central Science, Sixth Edition Themore 1. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay. Jr., ana Bruce E. Burslen Prentice-hall: Englewood Cllls, NJ, 1994. xxxii + 1079 pp. Figs. and Tables. 21.1 x 26.2 cm. This most recent revision of a venerable textbook (the first edition a ~ n e a r e din 19771 renresents a n incremental imnrovement. on th; ;.hole, of the finh'editlon. Sectam throughout the book have been reworked in an elfon to improve clarity Many sample exercises haw heen rewritten to make more explicit the assumptions, thought processes, and intermediate calculations involved: and much of the artwork has been enhanced. 'Ib address better the interests of the majority of students who enroll in a first-year chemistry course, ahout half of the mnterial (about 15 pp, on bioc h e m i s t ~in hat s,as the last chapter in the fifth edman has been i n c k o r a t e d earlier in the new text; the balance is now combined in a single chapter with the material on organic chemistry. Anew setofsix briefessays,Strategies in Chemistry, provide guidance to students in their studv of chemistrv. Three collections of supplemental essay3 ton chem~calapplwatinns, on enrichment and ~ topirs, and on the signilicance of chemical concepts m b w l o ~ medwine, have undergone minor revis~ona.End-of-chapter problem sets, already comprehensive, have been extended somewhat. Three new supplements have been added to a long list, a n interactive simulation program that provides a set of data analysis tools, a laser disc that combines demonstrations, still images, molecular animations, and segments describing new frontiers i n chemistry, and a modular classroom multimedia presentation tool. While most of the changes in this edition are for the better, 1 do have a feu reservatrons. I think that the new page design is so
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Reviewer
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Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay, Jr., and Bruce E. Bursten Chemistry: The Central Science, Sixth Edition
Jonathan Mitschele
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Carl Djerassi, Creators of Modern Chemistry Series. From the Lab into the World: A Pill for People, Pets, and Bugs
George B. Kauffman Laurie M. Kauffman
A108
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New Volumes in Continuing Series
Volume 72 Number 5 May 1995
A107
