ESSENTIALS OF Q U A N T I T A W ANALYSIS
A. A. Benedetti-Pichler, Professor of Chemistry, Queens College. The Ronald Press Co., New York, 1956. xiv 666 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 23.5 cm. $15.
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T H E volume offers an approach xvhich differs markedly from the worn-out. traditional pattern of many textbooks on the subject. Those who have read some of the author's papers reporting results of his own precise, exacting research will not be surprised to find that the boak "puts such heavy emphasis on unit operations and manipulative techniques." I t has been his goal to design the book both as a text for fitudent,~ and as a reference work for practiring analysts. An introductory section is f o l l o ~ e dby about 200 pages devoted to measuring and measwing instruments dealing with c o m b ing, length, m a s , volume, temperature, pressure, spectrophotometry, c o u l o m e t ~ , and titrimetry. Next is a 5Spage treatment of preliminary tasks such as the use and care of apparatus and reagents, mixing, crushing, etc. Analytical operations, 140 pages, deals with a thorough disrossion of sampling and methods for the separation of phases. The final part comprises 150 pngrs of a, course of study with complete directions for 85 experiments illustrating neighing, calibration, gravimetric determinations, spectrophotometry, and tit.rations involving acids and hase8, silver nitrate, complox-formation, permenganate, other oxidants, iodine and thiosulfate, and nonaqueous solvents. The appendix contains a variety of information including a bibliography of analyt,ieal literature, suggestions for the administration of a course based on the hook. and an unusual collection of tables. ~ h o r ewould seem to he little criticism t o offpr in connection with the use of the hook as a reference. The indexing-is good, . the figures are very clear, and a great wealth of useful information on methods and techniques is available. On the other hand, the author's statement that the book is adaptable to almost any level of instruction must be taken with some qualification. Certainly there should be no difficulty a t levels above the introductory eomse, hut yet it is this course for which the experiments seem to he designed. The teacher who uses the hook on the elementary level must be prepared to redesign his course rather thor-
oughly, for much more supplementing of the text will he needed than was the ease far the traditional text. Of course, this could have avery beneficial effect on many quant courses. The book is rather short on explanations of theory, and the rather generalized treatment probably would not he clonr to the beginning student. T h e r e fore the instructor might vGh to assign supplementary reading in other hooks and would have to perfect his lecturing technique to a greater degree than before. I t is hoped that teachers will not exclude the boak from consideration merely on the basis of price, which after all is a small nort,ion of the aost of s rood education. nician. RICHARD W. RAMETTE C A ~ L E T OCNo s ~ m E
N o n ~ n ~ r eM ~ om, m s o r n
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
N. K. Adam, Professor of Chemistry, The University of Southamptan. Oxford Uni658 versity Press, New York, 1956. xii pp. 217 figs. 6 5 tables. 1 6 X 24.5 cm. $8.
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THIS text is designed for the use of undergraduate students. The figures are d l done and there are a number of excellent photographic plates. There is considerably more emphasis plwed on the historical development of certain areas then is customarily given in moat American physical chemistry texts. . . This text is especially strong in a couple of fields. Chapters I , 11, V, VI, and XIV (aporoximstely one-fourth of the hook) are devoted to nuclear chemistry, atomic structure, atomic and molecular spectra, and quantum theory. I n spite of this there is virtually no mention made of chemical binding. Chapters VIII (Liquids), XVII, and XVIII (approximately one-fifth of the book) are dovoted to surface chemistry and colloids, strongly reminiscent of the author's classic, "The Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces." With all this emphasis on surfaces, however, i t does not appear that justice has been done to adsorption of gases s t solid surfaces or to the kinetics of heterogeneous reactions. Chapter XI1 treats the subject of electrochemistry fairly extensively (86 pp.); readers will not find (and i t is natural that this should he so) American sign conventions used for
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standard oxidation potentials. Chapters XIII, XV, and XVI (71 pp.) discuss the kinetics of homogeneous reactions, photochemistry, and chain reactions in a good classical manner, but i t is significant that there is very little reference to work done since 1940 in these fields. The great research efforts of recent years in reaction mechanisms, "fast" reactions, flash photolysis, the photographic process, photosynthesis, ete. have largely heen overlooked. This is probably best illustrated by the author's statement, "Little is certainly known as to the chemical steps by which carbohydrates are built up" in photosynthesis. The chapter on Solids is more detailed and helpful along crystallographic lines than almost any American phyaieal chemistry text, but such topics as semiconductors and energy levels in crystals are not discussed a t all. The 30page chapter on heterogeneous equilibrium (the phase rule) is largely devoted to discussion and graphical reprc~entatian of twa-component and thrce-component systems; there are threo psges devoted to fractional distillation and related material. Chapters I11 and IV concern the nature of gases and the kinetic theory of gases and include a derivation of Maxwell's law of dintrihution of molecular velocities. The subject which has been given least emphasis in this text is thermodynamics. The three laws of thermodynamics, Raoult's and Henry's laws, colligative properties, chemical potentials and other partial molar quantities, "thermochemis try," entropy, the equilibrium constant and its dependence on temperature, ete., the Gibhs-Duhem relation, and other related topics are all discussed in a total of 50 psges. With respect to symbolism it should he noted that "E" is used for internal energy and "G" (instead of "F") for the Cihbs free energy. The chapter on chemical thermodynamics is supplemented by a 24-page chapter a n the statistical aspects of thermodynamics. Most teachers of physical chemistry who might consider adopting this text for class use would he interested to know that i t has no problems. Those teachers who do adopt it and who have not built up a. store of reliable and thought-provoking problems d l probably have to rely on such auxiliary sources as Wolfenden, "Numerical Problems in Advanced Physical Chemistry," or SillEn, Lange, and Gabrielson, "Problems in Physical Chemistry." R. NELSON SMITH POMONAC O L L E ~ E CGAREMONT. CAL~FORNIA
