JULY, 1952
PROBLE' BOOK FOR GENERAL CHEMISTRY Royce H. LeRoy. Professor of Chemistry, A. & M. College of Texas. McGraw-Bill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1951. v 170 pp. 7 tables. 21.5 X 28 om. $1.90.
+
THEREme 26 sections to this book of prohlems in general chemistry. The commonly accepted categories such as "Percentage composition from the formula" and "Equivalent weights and normal solutions" are preceded by "Arithmetic review" and "The metric system of measurement." Most of the sections : is a general review contain from 10 to 26 problems, bui t : ~ lest of 57, and a. rough check indicates s. total of 127 prohlems in the book. Use of letter-size pages, 8'/1 X 11 inches, with only five or six problcms to the page, leaves plenty of room to write solutions in the book itself. The oampleted pages can be easily removed and reassembled by means of holes already punched. One of the easiest of the questions is: "What is the volume of 500 g. of concentrated sulfuric acid?" One of the hardest questions is: "One drop of 0.1 M hydrochloric acid was added to 20 ml. of a saturated silver chloride solution. Ignoring the slight increase in volume, calculate (a) the total resulting chloride ooncentmtion and ( b ) the concentration of the silver ion remain-
an answer to part (c) that is quit,^ inacouratp. Each sect,ion is preceded by a page or so of explanation. Most of the explanatory text is scientifically accurate, but the explanation of equivs.lent weight, for example, is in need of revision. There are at least two educational resfions to justify the use of a book of this kind. For the first, it should help the busy instructor to vary assignments 80 that students of different capabilities can be trained in the techniques of solving partiaular kinds of chemistry prohlems. Although this book provides plenty of challenge far same, and additional practice for others, there is little to hold the interest and attention of a. first-rate mind. Many believe, moreover, that in addition to providing training in the techniques of solving pmticular problems, a book of this kind should provide opportunities to learn to apply the generalizations of chemistry in solving difficultiespresented by situations that are almost entirely new. In the book under review there is no hint of the recognition of this fundamental aim of all science education. Instead, there seems to he only a recognition of the need to develop stereotyped and, therefore, superficial thinking. Strengthening the impression that the solution of these particular prohlems is to be but an end in itself, we find that all genwaliaations are rle:trly handed to t,hn ~tudent. He is never
permitted to wade through a bog of data in order t,o enjoy the thrill of capturing 101.himelf even the most elementary principlr. The author state8 the more restricted ~ o i nof t view most olearlv in the find sentence of his preface, when he says, "It is thr hope of the author that he has mceeeded in evolving an orderly approach to the problems of chemistry based on the simple principles of arithmetic, and that the student will work his rvsy successfully through the book from beginning to end." BENTLET EDW4RDS CHICOSTATEC O ~ E ~ CHIC".C A ~ ~ ~ F O R N ~ A
TOPICS IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
0
W. Mansfield CIark, DeLamar Professor of Physiological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University Schwl of Medicine. Second edition. The Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1952. 777 pp. Illustrated. 16 X 23.5 cm. $10. miii
+
\I.\su, iinot inosr,of h e physiwl vhemi~frytL~xtlwdii
