Chemical Demonslratlons: A Sourcebook for T e a c h e r s Lee R. Summerlin and James L. Ealy, Jr., American Chemical Society. Washington, DC, 1985. Spiralbound. x 190 pp. Figs. and tables. 20.9 X 27.8 cm. $19.95 (U.S. 8 Canada), $23.95 (Foreign).
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For those of us who regularly employ demonstrations in our lectures, a new hook of demonstrations is always welcome. Accordingly, this volume should find widespread use in the introductory general chemistry course. Containing 108 simple, effective demonstrations "intentionally designed t o be enjoyed by the student," i t is divided into ten sections-(1) "Properties of Atoms," 1demonstration, 2pp.; (2) "Gases," 10 demonstrations, 13 pp.; (3) "Soluhility and Solutions," 10 demonstrations, 12 pp.; (4) "Acids and Bases," 4 demonstrations, 4 pp.; (5) "Energy Changes," 5 demonstrations, 5 pp.; (6) "Equilibrium," 11 demonstrations, 16 pp.; (7) "Kinetics," 31 demonstrations, 43 pp.; (8) "Electrochemistry," 2 demonstrations, 3 pp.; (9) "Other Chemical Reactions," 26 demonstrations, 37 pp.: and (10) "Smoke, Fire, and Explosions,"9demonstrations, 13 pp. Each one or one and one-half page demonstration consists of a one- or two-sentence summary; a concise, stepwise procedure; teaching tips; notes; and questions for students. Where appropriate, reactions and equations, ealeulations, and preparation of solutions are included. Much less detail is given than in Bassam 2. Shakhashiri's volume of the same name (See J. Chem. Edue. 1985.62, A31), but Summerlin and Ealy's hook is a single volume rather than a multivolume work. Among the perennial favorites included are the ammonia fountain, diffusion of HC1 and NH3, the silicate garden, the endothermic dissolution of NH4N03, the iodine clock, the Hg beating heart, oxidation of sodium, dehydration of sucrose by H2SOc syntheses of nylon and rayon, and the
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(NH&Cr207 volcano. Novel demonstrations include "Flick Your Bic" (molecular weight of butane), polar properties and solubility, a "Voice-Activated Chemical Reaction" (actually a n indicator color change caused by COz in the breath), "A Traffic Light Reaction," several oscillating reactions. oxidation states of manesnese. and "Copprr into I d The 'klrhemw's I)renm!" (formation of brass,. The authors hnvr made ingeniuus use uf a minimal numher of rmctions; e.g , the uell-known TPXtion between the C'o" i h and the ('1- ion forms thr basis uf no 1e.i~than five different demonstrations. The book concludes with four appendiceb(1) "The Periodic Table: Eleetronegativity, Atomic Diameters, and Ionization Energy;" (2) "Properties and Preparation of Laboratory Acids and Bases;" (3) "Equipment and Reagent List;" and (4) "Safety and Disposal." Unfortunately, this book is marred by a large number of errors. Although since the turn of the century "ammonium hydroxide" (NHIOH) has been known not to exist (See Davis, J. B., J . Chem. E d w . 1953, 30, 511), the authors insist on using this archaic designation for aqueous ammonia (NH3). Also, obsolete terms such as "double displacement" rather than metathesis are employed. Furthermore, although rules for the consistent use of principal net equations are readily available in textbooks or in the literature (See, e.g., Kauffman, G. B., J. Coll. Sei. Teach. 1979,9,83), SummerlinandEaly use a capricious and inconsistent blend of oldfashioned "molecular" and principal net equations. swnetrmer wrltmp: the snmr SPPcirr differently withrn the lame equation. !They also &en fail t u "rancel""sprcrator" ions.) A number of equations are unbalanced, and often unbalanced reaction schemes are provided instead of equations. The omission of charges, symbols, and subscripts give evidence of inattentive proofreading, while species such as Ag2+ (for Agt), Fe(aq) (for Fe(s)), (CH3C0-)~ ( f o r Z(CH3C02-)), a n d Na2C02
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(for NazC03) recall examination papers from students a t the bottom of the class. Although thevolume is "intended for use by professional chemists and chemistry teaehers," who would undoubtedly discern the dozens of errors that leap out from a large proportion of the pages on even a cursory reading, the writing of equations is an important topic with which students usually encounter difficulty, and if this book somehow fell into the hands of students, i t would add immeasurably t o their confusion. Finally, the successful performance of demonstrations requires careful attention t o detail. and the inexeusablv excessive number of e r n x i in thrs hook may rnsr d m h r on th? fca4ility of the demon~trotronn thpmselves. George B. Kauffman California State University. Fresno Fresno. CA 93740
inorganic Coordlnatlon Compounds George 8. Kauffman, John Wiley & Sons. 205 pp. Inc., New York, NY, 1981. xvii Figs. and tables. 14.4 X 20.8 cm. $23.95.
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I t is fortunate for chemists (and for chemistry) that George Kauffman is a direct "academic descendant" of Alfred Werner (through T. P. Mecuteheon and L. W. Baker). This relationship first stimulated his interest in Werner and his work and has led him an to become the leading American authority on the history of coordination ehemistry. His exhaustive studies on the subject have brought tolight many little known and unknown pieces of history that are illuminating and useful. The series of Nobel Prize Topics in Chemistry is designed primarily for those who have not had extensive training in the various branches of chemistry, but who want to Continued on page A118
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Books
L e e R. Summerlin and James L. Ealy, Jr. Chemical Demonstrations: A Sourcebook for Teachers George 6. Kauffman, Inorganic Coordination Compounds Monograph New Volumes in Continuing S e r i e s Textbook Announcement
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Journal of Chemical Education
George B. Kauffman John C. Bailar,
Jr.
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know something about the research that merited the Nobel prizes and about the chemists who won them. In this small volume, Kauffman has admirably succeeded in achieving this goal. He has given us a picture of Alfred Werner not only as a chemical genius, but also as a friendly, jovial person who, unfortunately, drank too much and who suffered terribly from it. In this fascinating book, Kauffman has outlined the development of coordination chemistry, starting from the discovery of the first coordination compound (in 1597) and carrying it up to the middle of the present century. The central theme, of course, is Werner's theory and the criticisms which it had to withstand. Adaptation of the theory to electronic structures is then introduced, with emphasis on the valence hand approach. Crystal field and molecular orbital theory are mentioned, hut they are not discussed. Like the other volumes in the series, the hook contains a publication by the Nobel prize winner himself. In this volume, it is an English translation of a lecture entitled "Molecularly Asymmetric Metallic Compounds." Werner gave this Lecture in French (his native language) in 1912. I t reviews the most important of Werner's work on eoordination compounds, and for those not familiar with coordination theory, this chapter should certainly be read before the later chapters are attempted. In the appendices and glossary, Kauffman has included a goad deal of information which will he useful to coordination chemists-a list of historically significant events in coordination chemistry, much bihliographic material, and a compilation of important coordination compounds that hear the names of their discoverers or the colors that they show. There are also many photographs of chemists who have played significant roles in the development of the coordination theory. Some of the material in this book has appeared in Kauffman's earlier publications. However. the material is oresented here i n a quit? dificwrnt way. That, and rhc author's inimitnblr style, make rending this\,olunwa rrol plruiure. I recummend i r highly. ~~
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This book documents the way the basic equations of motion have been put into a form suitable for the computation of a variety of observable phenomena. The result ia a single theory-reduced model theory or RMT-to describe several rate processes of importance in a wide variety of disciplines.
Continuing Series
S e l e c t e d Methods of Trace Metal Analysis: Blologlcal a n d Environmental Samples Jon C. Van Loon, John Wiley and Sons. Inc., New York, NY, 1965. xix 357 Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $55.00. (VOI ume 80 in Chemical Analysis)
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Molecular Thermodynamlcs of Fluld P h a s e Equillbrla, S e c o n d Edltlon John M. Prausnitz, Roediger N. Lichterr thaier, and Edmundo Gomes de Azevedo, Prentice-Hall, Inc.. Englewood Cliffs. NJ. 1986. xvii 600 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $44.95. (Prentice-Hall lnternational Series in the Physical and Chemical Engineering Sciences)
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Food Chemlotry a n d Nutrltlonal Blochemlstry Charles Aznmlis and R. Anderle Beck. John ~ i l e y . 8Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 1985. xxi 1219 pp. Figs. and tables. 18 X 26 cm.
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John C. Bailar. Jr. University of Illinois. Urbana-Champaign Urbana. IL 61801
Prlnclples of Clinlcal Chemlotry Kenneth E. Blick and Suzanne M. Liles. John Wiley 8 Sons, Inc., New York. NY. 1985. ix 697 pp. Figs. and tables. 18 X 26 cm. $28.95.
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Memory Functions Approaches t o Slochastlc Problems in Condensed Matter Myron W. Evans. Paolo Grigolini, and Giw seppe Pastori Parravicini. (Editors). John Wilev 8 Sons. Inc.. New York. NY. 1985. xlv ; 556 pp. Figs. andtaoles. 1 5 . 5 23.5 ~ cm. $84.95. (Volume 62 in the Wiley Series on Advances In Chemca Physics) A118
Journal of Chemical Education
