Prerequisites for College Chemistry
Russell S . Drago, University of Illinois, Urhana. Harcourt, Brace, and World, 149 p. Inc., New York, 1966. viii Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 23 cm. $2.95.
+
As ever more high schools adopt chemistry programs that emphasize the physical chemistry aspects of the subject, a new complication faces the teachers of firsbyear college chemistry. The increasing use of the CHEM atudy, CBA, and approaches of a similar caliber is producing a. variation in the backgrounds of entering college students that requires major consideration in planning any introductory college course. For the alumnus of such high school programs, the early weeks of the typical ireahman course can he a deadly bore because he encounters little that is new or challenging. When only a few students in any c l a ~ swere in this situation, they could he handled on an informal bask by providing them with outside reading, special recitations, and similar adjuncts to the regular program. Now, however, we are faced with beginning chemistry classes of which a large fraction has experienced such superior high school programs. "Prerequisites for College Chemistry" is one attack on this problem of diverse high school backgrounds among entering college students. I t s aim, as I judge it, is to provide both the student and the instructor with some common basis for the chemistry background that is assumed for a student a t the heginning of the college course. The sectiun contents indicate the topics that the author considers to he p~.ubable high school background these days. Seetion 1, Mathematics Review, briefly snrveys problem solving techniques, exponents and significant figores, the metric system, and simple algebra. Section 2 reviews some basic definitions, the concepts of force, energy, and the male, and the methods of calculating percent eompusition and empirical formulas. Section 3 treats simple chemical equations (no oxidation-reduetian) and stoichiometry. Section 4 comprises the kinetic themy of gases and the gas laws. Section 5 deals with atomic structure to the extent of the Bohr atom (qualitative), the Aufbau concept, and descriptions of s and p orbitals. Section 6 describes the concepts of ionic and covalent bonding. Section 7 lists the rules far oxidation state determination and some simple nomenclature. The appendix contains conversion factors, geometry form!~. las, logarithms, and hasic instrr~ctiouon the slide rule. A glossmy of ehernicd terms precedes an adequate index. No descriptive chemistry is included. The coverage of each topic is defiuitely that of a review, heing too condensed to serve LLY LLR i n l r ~ d u e h y pwserltation. Nevertheless, the expusitinn is well ordered and lucid. Where appropriate, sample problem a)lrttions are presented. A feature of each section is a small gl.oup of self-testing exercises presented in the pmgrammed instruction format. The test questions are well chosen and ilseful, although they are too few in number to a* complish mueh programmed instruction as
374
/
journal o f Chemical Education
such. The author has chosen his "Prerequisites" carefully, heing neither too conservative nor too all-inclusive. Few teachers would disagree that the topics covered in this booklet constitute the minimum chemistry background that we would like to he able to assume for our entering students, and I feel that one could reasonably insist upon such a background as prerequisite for an introductory course. The use of such a review-summary as this haoklet mav be a more humane method far
I n general the text is lucidly written; the exercises a t the c o d u s i o n of the c h a p ters have been chosen to illustrate and emphasize the importaot principles of the chapter, and a selected bibliography of more advanced texts and review xrtirles is provided a t the end of each chapter to aid the student who desires to study a partieular topic in greater depth. Five chaptern are devoted to the exposition of quant~tmmechanics aecol.ding to the Schrddinger method; problems such as the particle in a box, the penet,ratiau of potential harriers, the harmonic oscill&x and the hydrogen-like atom are adequately treated. Approximate methods for aolva poorer memory (or even a poorer high ing the Schriidinger equation are h~troschool background) could he afforded an opportunity to make up his deficiencies duced; in particular the variatiou technique is amplified thrnugh t,he applicstion early in the course and not he relegated to of the Hiickel approximation to conjugated another course that is below his true intelsystems. Two chapters are devoted to spectmscopy. Atomic spectra are interpreted usany or d l of the sections as prereqnisite ing the vector model of the multi-electron stom. This treatmeut should he espematerial without mueh difficulty. cially vduahle to the student since the exThe format and typogmphy are clear planations of RusselWaunden m u p l i g , and attractive. The only error I found is j-j coupling, and the meaning of atomic a. misurinted electmnic charee .. on uaee .. 61. spectroscopic term symbols m e concisely .\It I , . all, :t very
