media exchange Energy & Rockets: Exothermic Reactions Time: Format: Price:
24 minutes 16 mm film and videocassette $445 for film $310 for videocassette Cat. No.: M66051 Supplier: Purchase-The Media Guild 11526 Sorrento Valley Road Suite J San Diego, CA 92121 Rental-University of Illinois Film center 1325 S . Oak Street Chamoaian. IL 61820 This is the second best new fiimon the chemistry market today. From the self-satisfied look on the young lady's face when the "rocket" fires, t o t h e explanation on a molecular basis of whv some reactions are exothermic. students will be involved! Wording has been carefully considered (i.e., "when Hz reacts with F2, the net effect i s . . ."). T h e both clever and appropriate use of a captured German WWI film of the experiments done on NzH4,Hz02 rocket fuels adds a n important historical perspective as well as much good chemistry of the bond breaking and forming processes. Theory and practice are beautifully integrated. GORDANE. MORLAN Gross Pointe North High School Gross Poinie. MI 48236
Nomenclature in Organic Chemistry Filmstriplslides in color Cassette tapes with audible advance signal Workbook included TIME: Approximately 36 minutes CAT. NO.: CSC 9101FS PRICE: $269 for entire series $ 99 for individual sets SUPPLIER: Prentice-Hall Media ServCode WL 150 White Plains Rd. Tarrytown, NY 10591 This is a n interesting filmstrip/slide/cassette program which can easilv be inteerated within the o r ~ a n i cchemistrv unit. This seriei ~ o n s i s t ~ three o f individual programs which can be purchased separatelv or as a set. The five natural stop points kcluded along the w& enable theteacher to use easily portions of these tapes in lecture or in question-answer sessions. I found the workbook included with the series to be skimpy, and I felt compelled to include additional questions. Answers are provided a t the end of the workbook. Some of the topics included are the IUPAC convention; isomers; branchink the alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes; cyclic compounds including the aromatics, halohydrocarbans, and functional groups; and heterocyclic compounds. Review sections are included a t the end of the filmstrip. All i n all, this would be a useful program to enhance any organic chemistry unit. I would not use this as a substitute for FORMAT:
84
Journal of Chemical Education
Rochester Institute of Technology P.O. Box 9887 Rochester, NY 14623
input from the teacher, but as a variation within t h e allotted class period. HARRIETG. FRIEDSTEIN Rochester lnstltute of Technology Rochester. NY 14614
DE LlRRlf JUDICIA Chemistry: A Science for Today Spencer L. Seagerand Stephen H Sfaker,Scott, Foreman & Co., Chicago, IL, 1973, $14.95. This college chemistry text should be in every high school chemistry teacher's lihrary The book is written in an interesting, easyto-read style. Since the average high school student can easily understand the vocabulary, I will use the hook for huth reference and supplemental reading. Major chemical principles are reviewed and explained quite concisely using an essentially non-mathematical approach. This hook gives refreshingly simple explanations for the basic concepts of chemistry. The authors delve into the practical aspects of chemistry including a discussion of selected, common industrial chemicals and their environmental and human impact. One of the best summaries of air and water pollution I have seen is presented in this text. The four chapters on biochemistry treat that complex discipline in amanner understandable to the elementary chemistry student. A chapter on nuclear processes is also included in the book and it, too, is well written. Each chapter has an excellent selection of review questions and suggestions for further reading including readily available and camprehensible references (1963-1972). The strength of the book lies in its simplified explanations. In the preface, the authors say that "in a few instanchs, where the change makes little difference in the ideas heing taught, we have used terms or concepts that are a little less rigorously correct but are more familiar to the student and more easily understood." Since the text was im tended for nowchemistry majors, the authors have succeeded in their goal, "to impart some of the feelings of interest, appreciation, and (still) amazement that we, the authors, experience as we learn more about this subject."
MAURICEOEHLER Prairie due Chien High School Prairiedu Chien, WI 53821
This feature will allow for extended coverage which will include ail instructional aids (e.g.. games. models, kits, charts, booklets. brochures, and. of course. the standard audiovisual items. With the lame volume
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are interested in assisting in this process, send your nameand address to the feature editor.
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General Applied Chemistry Stanley E. Manahan, Willard Grant Press, Boston, MA 02116,
1978. This book is aptly titled. Hallof its pages are devoted to chapters on applications of chemistry, and it is these chapters which form the most useful part of the text. Subjects discussed include organic chemistry, biochemistry, spectroscopy, industrial chemistry, food chemistry, chemistry and medicine, and forensic chemistry. The discussion is descriptive and generously illustrated with tables of such things as food additives, uses and preparation of important industrial chemicals, and cancer causing chemicals. This is a good source fur teachers because it contains many applications. allunder one cover, which could be used ta add to or enliven class diseussians. It could be a useful source for students when preparing reports ar as supplemental reading. The reading level and presentation are such that the text is suitable for non~scienceor liberal arts~typechemistry courses. Each chapter contains fill-in-the-blank review questions with answers and exercises. The book could be used with a more mathematical orientation, but only with considerable additional teacher presentations. Important words are in boldface type but their large number apparently precludes inclusion of a glossary.
E. L.
BURROWS Green Hill School 14255 Midway Road Dallas. TX 75240
Fundamentals of Chemistry Edward Kostiner and Jesse R. Rea, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1979,480 pp, $17.95with an accompanying "Lab Manual" and "Instructor's Manual."
The book "Fundamentals of Chemistry" by Edward Kostiner and Jesse R. Rea is written for an introductory chemistry course. I t assumes no prior knowledge of chemistry and is designed for t h ~ student who will continue studying in the subject. The textbook could be used in either hieh school or colleee.
as well as the answers. The second and third chapters are devoted to stoichiometry, which in my opinion, is extremely important. A problem with many texts is that nomenclature is only superfieiallv covered. Often a student can have a vear of chemistrv but still an entire chapter to it. I found that this book does exadlywhat it is intended to do: provide the beginning student with a good chemistry background. About the only topic that I would have liked to have seen covered in more detail is enthalov .. changes. . Since the book is organized so well, i t would be very easy to use in teaching ROBERT SUDER portage Northern High School Portage. MI 49009
Beginning Chemistry: A Workbook to Use in the Laboratory Elizabeth P. Rogers. Stipes Publishing Go.. Champaign, IL. 1978. 132 pp. $5.00.
This book is a combination workbook-laboratory manual written for use in a beginning college chemistry course. The author does not state the type of course at the University of Illinois for which this book was meant, but i t is probably for the nonscienee student. By choosing experiments which illustrate general concepts and not the chemistrv of an individual chemical. the author has uraduced a there are 16 lessons in the manual. Laboratory notes and general student directions are listed in a clear, concise manner. This book could be used with a traditional type high school chemistry course. Most high school chemistry students could handle all experiments with most of the equipment readily available in high school labs. The level of this book probably would not present enough of a challenge far most AP chemistry students, and thus would not he useful for these students. Brief answers to numerical problems are in the back of the hook. High school teachers may find same experiments too dangerous and may want to do them as demonstrations. Examples are reaction of alkali metals with water, heating of potassium chlorate, and testing substances for electrical conductivity. There are few well written combination workhonk-laboratorv manuals available. For those interested in this combination, this book should be seriously considered. ~~~
stimulate student interest. The hook b e g m in the traditional manner by discussing measurement, exponents, significant figures, and states of matter. All definitions are clear and concise. SIunits are used throughout. At the end of the first chapter, numerous practice problems are provided,
ANTHONY F. (TONY) KARDIS Horton Watkins High School 1201 S. Warson Rd. St. Louis. MO 63124
Volume 60
Number
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January 1983
85
