NEW BOOKS Elementary Quantitative Analysis. Theory and Practace. By HOBART H. WILLARD and N. HOWELL FURMAN. 14 x 22 cm.; viii 406 pp. New York City; D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 1933. Price: $3.25. This book by two of America’s leading contributors to analytical chemistry presents more than enough theoretical and practical material for two semesters of work. Thus teachers are enabled to choose their determinations judiciously according t o the samples available for analysis and the interests and aptitudes of their students. Although there has been a tendency in recent years to teach analytical chemistry mainly for the purpose of illustrating certain principles of physical chemistry, this text not only gives a thorough presentation of theoretical derivations and interpretations, but also describes a n unusually large number of analytical determinations with t h a t patient attention to detail which is essential for the successful guidance of beginning students. The introduction of many new methods presents analysis as a living, growing branch of chemistry. The theory of adsorption indicators is carefully explained, and the Fajans method for chlorine in a soluble chloride is described in adequate detail. Although some recent texts make little or no mention of internal indicators for use with standard solutions of oxidizing agents, the authors have discussed these carefully and have described the use of sodium diphenylaminesulfonate in the bichromate method for iron. There is also a n excellent section on ceriometry, which is based largely on the authors’ own researches. An interesting innovation in gravimetric analysis is the addition of urea to a solution from which calcium is to be precipitated with ammonium oxalate. Because of the hydrolysis of the urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia and the consequent slow neutralization of the slightly acidified solution, the calcium oxalate comes down in a very coarse form. The solutions of many typical problems and the thought-provoking questions will be a great aid to both student and instructor. On pp. 272-3 two methods are given for calculating the results of indirect analyses. The second of these is by far the better. Because of the large errors involved in indirect analyses, very little space has been devoted to calculations of this type. The detailed discussions of the interfering substances and errors involved in each method and the various applications of each procedure are especially valuable. Because of the wide scope of the book and its frequent references t o the original literature, many thoughtful students will wish t o keep it for their permanent libraries. Experienced analysts, also, will find in it many helpful suggestions. MARYELVIRA WEEKG.
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Physical Constants, Selected f o r Students. By W. H. J. CHILDS. 17 x 10 cm.; viii 77 pp. London: Methuen & Co., 1934. Price: 2s. 6d. The dimensions of this small book, one of the publisher’s series of monographs on physical subjects, comply with the intention of the author to present useful lists and tables in a form compact enough to go easily into the pocket. The data chosen, under the headings General, Heat, Light, Magnetism and Electricity, and Sound, will be found useful to the physicist. A somewhat different 853
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selection of material is needed to be of most use for the physical chemist, e.g., the replacement of astronomical and geodetical data by a more extended list of melting and boiling points and more information on definite chemical compounds. Units are defined, but only one calorie is mentioned. Conversion factors are few; there is none for electrical energy to heat. The data given for the surface tension of salt solutions imply that the latter is proportional to concentration. At the end a list of general constants is given and mathematical tables which include four figure logarithms. A pleasing feature of the book is the inclusion of seven nomographs which are practicable even within the small compass which the size of the pages allows. W. H. PATTERSON. Physico-chemical fl4ethods. By J. REILLYand \Ir. N. RAE. Second edition, revised. New York: D.Van Nostrand Co. In the comparatively brief time since the first edition appeared, this book has become widely known and generally accepted as a reference book of physico-chemical methods. The second edition has been enlarged by the addition of new subject matter (twenty new chapters), and to some extent by the revision of the entire book. The general revision still leaves something t o be desired, since in a number of instances no reference is made to recent improvements of standard methods. For example, the use of butyl phthalate in condensation pumps is not mentioned. No reference is made t o circulating pumps of the all-glass electromagnetic type. The extremely practical sensitive quartz spiral manometer of Bodenstein and Dux is not mentioned, although several other manometric devices of rather doubtful utility are described in detail. The Dennis melting point apparatus is not referred t o . I t is unfortunate that the chapter on photometry was written before the coppercupric oxide (photronic) type of photoelectric cell came into general use. The chapter on rates of reaction is not, in the opinion of the reviewer, up t o the standard set by the rest of the book. This chapter consists of a brief discussion of the elementary theory of rates of reaction followed by detailed descriptions of seven experiments. The chapter would be much more useful if the space were devoted to a critical survey of methods available for measuring rates of reaction. There can be no doubt, that, in spite of minor weaknesses, this book is an improvement on the excellent first edition. I t is a highly practical book and will undoubtedly prove a time saver to many research students and investigators. ROBERTS. LIVIXGSTON. T h e Kinetics of Reactions in Solution. By E. A. MOELWYN-HUGHES. Oxford: Oxford Press, 1933. In this book the author attempts the difficult task of summarizing the more important data on the kinetics of chemical reactions in liquid systems and of coordinating this data i n terms of the results of statistical mechanical analysis. Special emphasis is laid upon the experimental results which are in agreement with the predictions of the simple theory; and various explanations are advanced t o demonstrate t h a t the cases which are apparently not in agreement with the simple theory are not incompatible with it. As is probably unavoidable in a work of this sort, the chapters are not of equal value. Three of the most original and valuable chapters are those dealing with the comparison of the kinetics of reactions in gaseous phase and in solution, with bimolecular reactions, and with unimolecular reactions. The chapter on equilibria seems unnecessarily involved, possibly because the activity concept is not intro-
