INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
E. d e Barry Bamett, Sir John Cass Technical Institute, and C. L. Wilson, The Queen's University of Belfast. Second edition. Longmans, Green & Ca., Inc., 588 pp. 16 X New York, 1957. xvi 2 5 cm. $7.
+
THE firat edition of this hook was reviewed in this journal only fivo years ago. Thc socond edition is not changed auhstantiitlly either in plan or in coverage of subject. I t is approximately 70 pages longer than the first edition, of which about ten pages are required to include xn author index and an appendix dealing with tho litcraturo of inorganic chemistry. The latter is incomplete and somewhat superfluous. The author index means, of course, that the only serious objection to the first edition has been corrected in the present edition. Excellent lists of citations to reference books and to the original litera; ture are appended to each chapter. This reviewer views with mixed feelings the adoption of the text for use in the standard advanced inorganic chemistry course. As was true of the first edition, the first seven chapters might he called "theory," with the remaining 20 chapters devoted t o a wellargmieed summary of the descriptive chemistry of the elements. This latter portion, comprising 482 pages of s total of 588 pages, appears to be adequate. The theory chapters are inadequate for such courses as taught in the United States, unless the teacher is fortunate enough to be assured that his students will get a. thorough introduction to the chemicrtl bond in 8. course in physical chemistry within the department. Most certainly the book testifies eloquently to the difference between the British and American students taking advanced inorganic chemistry. In many topics the authors demonstrate their acquaintance with current literature. Their judgment is excellent in selecting new knowledge for inolusion in the revision. Thrrc specific examples of new material should suffice to indicate the nature of the additions. Under the several chapters dealing with the transition metals note is made of Seholder's work de~crihing several new metallate salts, e.g., BaCrO,, Ba&o04; the Steinberg process for the production of elemental titanium is dcscrihed briefly; the metal isonitriles, such as MO(CN-R)~,are included with the discussion of the metal carhonyls. I t should he pointed out that the second edition is changed not only by virtue of additions. An occasional paragraph has hem omitted in the revision. Topics have been lifted from one chapter, revised slightly, and set down in another chapter, e.g., elsthrate compounds have been moved from Chapter 9 to Chapter 1, same hydride chemistry has been moved from Chapter 21 to Chapter 9. Such unfavorable criticism as can be made on the text is apt to reflect the reviewer's personal interests and minor differences in usage between U. S. and British chemists. Throughout the book -ic and -ous endings are used, even when it hcoomes obviously inconsistent. For
oxamplc, TiCh is titanic chloride, TiCI, is titanous chloride, hut TiCL is titanium diehlorido. What hetter place is there to use either t h r Stack or the stoichiometric systems? The symbol Hlg is used as the generic symbol for halogen. This seems unusual even for an English text. Alanate is the name for A H - , gallanate for GaH*-, etc. Despite recent research which is alluded t o by the authors, MoCI, is still considered to be trimerie, which opinion is not shared by the majority of chemists today. For some reason the extensive studies of Lipscamh and coworkers in the field of horon compounds is not included. No mention is made of the new theories that have been propoaed to explain honding in the horon hydrides. Graduate students of this reviewer have found tho text useful as a review of descriptive chemistry for comprehensive examinations. As well, i t is a handy, orderly, well-indexed reference hook. I t cannot be said to do the same for theoretical inorganic chemistry.
includes procedures, with the "Speotronie 20" Calorimeter, for manganese in Dowmetal, and iron in organio matter, iron ores, and natural water. A four-page appendix includes a brief discussion of exponents, logarithms, and pH calculations on the slide rule. The author states in the preface "Rather than place theory and laboratory work in separate sections of the hook.. .we have used the 'case history' approach.. .theory and technique are discussed in roli~tionto specific laboratory work!' The problems a t the ends of the chapters artre well chosen. Answers are given for six or seven prohlems in each chapter. The laboratory directions me quite detailed. Appropriate notes follow each procedure. The author has accomplished his purpose in giving us a well-designed and well-written hook suitable for an elementary one-semester course. HORACE E. ROGERS D ~ c n n r r mCOLLEGE C A n ~ r a mPENNBILVANIA
INORGANIC SYNTHESES. VOLUME 5 Edited by Themld Moeller, University of Illinois. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 265 pp. 1 9 New York. 1957. xiv figs. 16 X 24 cm. $6.
+
ELEMENTARY QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS HaroldF. Walton, Professor of Chemistrv, University of Colorado. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1958. ix 342 pp. 15 X 22 cm. $5.75.
+
"Tms book is an elementary one, inA tended for a onesemester course.. year of freshman chemistry is assumed but the author has always kept in mind the student who had difficulty with his freshman chemistry or has hoen out of school a year oar two. . . . At the same time, material is included to interest the more advanced student." The first seven chapters (130 pages) deal with an introduction to grltvimotric analysis, the balance and weighing, the laboratory notebook, solubility products, and experimental procedures for chloride, sulfate, iron, nickel, silica, magnesium, and the electrolytic determination of copper. The remaining eleven chapters (199 pages) deal with the principles, techniques and calculations of volumetric analvsis. acid-base theory, oxidation-reduction theory and experimental procedures for chloride, vinegar, solid acids, soda ash, carbonatebicarbonate and carbonate-hydroxide mixtures, wheat germ or dried blood for nitrogen, dissolved salts in "hard water" by ion exchange, iron in an iron ore, and calcium in calcium carbonate by permmganate. Iadimetric methods are used t o determine chlorine in bleaches and watersterilieation tablets, active bromine in brominating agents, phenol in phenol solutions, and copper in a copper ore. Versene titrations me used t o determine calcium and magnesium in carbonate mixtures and cement. The last chapter treats photometric analysis briefly and
..
THEappearance of a new volume in this series.is always a. milestone. Since these events arc not too frequent, a general review seems to be in order; s. listing of preparations, out of order. The new preparations run to ahout 100 after detailed counting. The syntheses in this series, after suhmission to the editor, have all been carefully carried out and studied in other laboratories. The pitfalls have been removed, or a t least cut to a minimum, by this process since corrections and suggestions of this independent group are added to the directions before publication. The index in each volume is cumulative. Tho indexes of this fifth volume now have over 700 entries, listed both by formula and name. The preparations are arranged in each volume according to the Mendelegv system using A and B families. There is an introductory descriptive section in areas where some explanation has been thought to he appropriate; for instance, in this volume a six-page general discussion of arganogermanium compounds precedee the 6rst prepamtion in this particular section. Each separate preparation includes analytical data, on the product, special analytical instructions (if needed) and a fairly complete listing of properbies. The reviewer feels that these volumes should he regarded ss a. journal and a regular subscription maintained. There has been a, remarkable continuity of quality in any and all senses of the word, the only detectable change from volume to volume having been in the name of the editor-in-chief, and the new syntheses. HARRY H . BATEY, JR. COLLPOE OF N*BXLNOTON P U ~ . X ANASIIINCTOI N. STAT.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
