Edited by
textbook forum
GEORGE WIGER CaliforniaState university Carsan, CA 90747
Errors in Retrospect W. H. Eberhardt Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332 The Textbook Error Column was instituted by Professor Karol Mysels in 1955 and it was my privilege to serve as editor of the Column from 1965 to 1979. Professor George Wiger has encouraged me to write this retrospektive column in part to provide a little perspective on the point of view which characterized the column and, in part, toexpiate my sins. During the period I served as Editor, I received over 300 manuscripts for consideration and recommended publication of 60, Iess than 20%. The general level of topics was a t the freshmanjunior level, i.e., the introductory course, the first organic course. the first nhvsical . " chemistrv course and corresuondinainorganic, analytical and biochemical courses. Most manuscripts submitted to me went throuxh several revisions before p"b1ication. The usual pattern wasthat of an author who identified a problem he considered incorrect or i t ~ : i d e q ~ ~ ; ifrvafvd, f ~ I y irtqucnlly \unwtl!ing h v li~m.vlt had ,u,t r n t t r ~ n t r r t dIII hi: w n rvwawh. hntl -en1 o11 :I shtm rnmuscript 10 InQ < > i tthe rq,it. Stmit m;rnw~.riptsnppcurcd i~iiil)prupr~dte I U t h t C I ~ I I I \~I I~I PIF ~gf~i(r:~lI). I !elf lllclf t h i s initial m m u s c r i p t ,~ildresr(lx i lt!ter(,-l!t1g I q ~ i lcu t req~lirtd hackgruurd het.,rt. mrhvr the prdrlc!~t i r < rt.iettinr. 'l'h!~., w n l m r v .. . to most research-journal editors, I frequently encouraged authors to expand their manuscript and, if appropriate, include some of the history or development of the ideas involved. In many instances, the topic addressed did not seem to he an error in standard texts, but rather just an incomplete t r e a e ment and I recommended that the author consider expanding his contrihution to the extent of a regular article for the JOURNAL. Some authors felt that these extensions were worth the effort; many did not. Some very interesting manuscripts still remain in limbo, to my regret. A substantial number of manuscriuts addressed tonics which were clearly inerror, hut a t a levei more advanced than I considered Droner . . for the Column. Unfortunatelv, " . there seems to be no outlet for such discussions. As examples, W.
J. Deal of the University of California a t Riverside pointed out that the expansion of the interelectronic repulsion energy, l/rlz, was mathematically incorrect as presented in the appendix of a well known and highly regarded text on quantum chemistry. P. L. Goodfriend of the University of Maine pointed out inadequacies of the analysis of time-reversal areuments in ouantum mechanics. I. J. McNaught of the
topics appea; to he treated adequately in most advanced references and, in my judgment, did not seem appropriate for the Column and those I believed to be its readers. However, there exists an unfilled need for their exposition. Mechanisms of reactions posed another problem. Almost everyone agrees that a mechanism of a reaction is only a sufficient exposition of a set of chemical facts which must he consistent with those facts. As new facts become available, mechanisms generally require revision. Although some Columns were published relating to mechanisms, it seemed to me that the Column was not the place to correct everv inconsistenis d t . \ e r y mtw Imni.mi, tin2 I rnrt 1) r e c ~ ~ n i t n ~ ~pt1111~~ded ~ C .Ad cation ~ , i m n u s , r , ~ )r rl st a l i ~w i~f h t l ~ e *~~ ~. V I Itc,~i,.s. mittedly, new experimental data make old mechanisms incorrect, hut there was not enough room in This Column to address all these corrections. I t appears that every decade has its PROBLEM, a topic
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and other quantities which could be expressed as an exponential. Another PROBLEM related to the meaning, representation, and implication of probability densities, radial
Introduction to the New "Textbook Forum" Over the years, under the editorships of Professor Karol Mysels and Professor William H. Eberhardt. "Textbook Errors" has played a significant role in the JOURNAL. To provide some insight into the column. Professor Eberhardt has agreed to present a candid retrospectiveatter having sewed so ably as edit& for over 13 years. As you will readily see from-reading Professor EberharOf's discourse. there is much more to this column than the drab recital of the mistakes of authors. Through discussions of not only enan, but, equally important, the histories of and remedies f w the miscues, the column has provided considerable insight into the unique nature of the chemistry textbook. One would like to feel that the current scarcity of significant errors in modern textbooks is at least eartially attributable to the articles published in "Textbwk Errors". Althoughthis demise of the written &or is certainly pleasing, it does present us with cwtain problems. The column has been the only regular feature in the Journal, outside at the book reviews, whose central theme was the chemistry textbook. Thus, a decrease in the frequency of textbook errors has the direct effect of sharply curtailing textbook-related
title. Within the "Forum" we intend to address a broad range of textbook reiatedtopics. Enom will remainas an integral part of the "Fwum". in this regard, authors wishing to address text errors should follow the usual widelines. The error should a ~ ~ e ainr a1 least two inde~endent textbooks. A list of the texts c o n t h g the error should accomdany the submis~ion,but the article itself should be free of direct references to the offending books. It Is further suggested that authors refer to the previously wbiishec indices 1J. CHEME m . . 44.356 0967)and 57. 129 1198011orior io preparing andsubmitting a manus&t. AS in thepast,theebitar i $ k e
approach:scope and role of the t&tbook are potential topics. ~ s a initiai n stage in this expansion, the editor welcomes suggestions regarding topics readers would like to present or have presented. Full manuscripts inareas pertinent to the textbook are likewise welcomed. The only restraint is that. in deference to textbook authors. manuscripts should conscientiousiv
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Volume 58 Number 4
April 1981
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359
distribution functions, and contour diagrams of atomic and molecular orbitals. Still another, as chemists began to teach thermodynamics in elementary courses, was the meaning of "standard states." In many instances, after extensive revisions and enlargements, manuscripts addressing these topics were oublished. In others, esoeciallv about the logarithm of a number with dimension; I feltthat the prohlek was one of taking a formula out of context-not an error-and that, if the entire context of the statement implied by the mathematical formula were examined, including implications of standard states, the problem would disappear. Unfortunately, many authors disagreed with this view, sometimes rather heatedly. A similar type of problem which continues to lead to strong feelines " is that encountered in trvine to sharoen the meaning of chemical words and concepts. Many notions are useful in chemical loeic but. subiect to sufficientlv rigorous scrutinv. seem vagueand illldefined. For example; can one talk a b o i t a carbon atom i n methane, or only a carbon nucleus with a number of electrons associated with it? Can one attach a "radius" to such an "atom"? Is there such a thing as a "pure: covalent bond"? Is there a real example of an "ideal liquid solution"? These concepts are in some ways idealizations, in some ways useful vehicles to describe phenomenn hut are nut even idealizations of less-than-ideal systems. A somewhat similar conceot is that of "heat" whig.h is imbedded in our intuition and conversation because of concepts popular 200 vears aeo but which reauires auite different . to oersoective . permit the kind of precise analysis consistent with modern electrical measurements of energetic quantities. A similar topic of recent and current contention is the concept of "centrifugal . force": is there such a force or is it iust acceleration? In general I have felt that questions of this sort arise from an attemot to oversimolifv comolex analvtic techniaues. to lift an anhysis out of i& t&l c o r k x t , in an effort to present it a t a n elementarv level. If such tooics are indeed subiect t o the complete analysis required for their definition in precise and verv eeneral terms, the oroblems disaooear. But it is rarely p%ible to provide even relatively ad&ced students with the full details of the analysis needed to reconcile these apparent inaccuracies. hlnnv manuscripu relatrd to figure. presented in texts, eg., the Ibw pH limit ofrhe tirratimcurveof ylycine whichappears in many texts on tr~ochemistry,phase equilibrium diagrams, and more complex applications of theoretical analysis. Sometimes these figures were based on a really significant conceptual error, as in the right and left-handedness of helices (Textbook Error No. 80). More commonly, I felt that they were inadeauacies of the oublisher., or oerhaos . . .iust did not seem sufficiently misleading to justify a Column for their correction. In these cases, I suggested that a note to the author of the text might be the best resolution of the problem. A number of Columns address inaccuracies in chemical
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"facts", usually artifacts passed down through generations of texts. The "syrupy" nature of hydrogen peroxide is a most delightful illustration of this kind of error which arose from a Door translation of the original German reference involving thr mixing of hydrogen perox~deand warer rrextbook l?rroi Nu 115,. Correcttun of these errors preaentrd n prublem because in many Instances 1 mas unal~leto justity a iull Column fur 3 relatively special item. In these cases, the technique of a Miscellanems Column. orieinatrd hv Karol Mvsels. tmved useful, but I suspect manisuzh artifacts remain. ~ o s t ' d these f errors can be rectified by reference to modern advanced reference books. A few, however, seemed to have such interesting historv or such general aooeal that a Column seemed more than jistified; ~ e x t b o o kError No. 132 on "l-Butanethiol and the Strioed Skunk" is a delightful examole. In attempting to determine the suitability of a manuscript for publication, whether it was correct, complete, and accurate or whether it would add more confusion than enlightenment to a topic, I relied on many individuals for review and comments. This article gives me achance to express to them my sincere appreciation for their assistance. In most cases, I was able to take their advice; in a couple I should not have. As far as I know, there is only one large blunder in the Column over these vears..and I received both comments and manuscriots correcting it from individuals all over the world. Ultimately, a treatment of the tonic was oublished which contained both historical perspectivk and a broper analysis of the problem, but many authors were angry that I did not publish or give credit toall those who submitted manuscriptson this problem. To them, my apologies. 1 shall alu,;~ycbe indel~tedro \ V T. Lippincott nho, a i Ediior of the .IOUKNAI., sometimes was obliged to come to my defense in suooort of mv iudement to reiect a manuscrint. In general, I be&e that thlcoiumnhas maintained the hi'ghest possible standards of reliability and accuracy. I t is not a vehicle for publication of research ideas or for the debate of contentious subiects. but rather i t is intended to orovide a definitive exposition'of the topics addressed and r&ommendations for the presentation of these topics a t an elementarv ~ , with the aid of expert reviewers, we level. ~ n f o r t u n a t e leven may not always be perfect. One author has suggested that we publish a Textbook Error Errors, h u t such a Column has not yet been fully justified. In eeneral. it is surorisine how relativelv free of errors most mod& texts appear;, ire.-perhaps this f;eedum reflecu: care and skill on the Dart of the authors: verhaos it reflects skill and knowledge on the part of the pubiishers and their editorial assistants; however. oerhaw it reflects the staenation of chemical education,'the fac't that we are teachingonly facts and topics which have been so well digested over the vears that they a;e no longer curnmt or likely to change. In anit rase, we h q e that the Column has been aud w~llcontinueto bebf value in bringing forth topics for consideration which show that not everything is as it appears on the printed page.
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Short Course on Chemical Health and Safety in the Laboratory "Chemical Health and Safety in the Laboratory," a short course designed to provide detailed instruction on the recognition and control of chemical hazards in the laboratory, will he presented at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, June 1S16. The two-dav course. which issu~oortedbv the Johnson's Wax Fund, is directed at facultymembers andindustrial scientists who have resbonsibility for making rational decisions regarding the chemical enviro"ment in which they and colleagues work. It will consist of major presentations by experts in toxicology, industrial hygiene, environmental health administration,and hazardous waste disposal. A key feature is the hands-on laboratory workshop involving methods used in evaluation of ventilation, evaluation of laboratories and experiments, and chemical storage problems. The registration fee is $95; however, a limited number of stipends that reduce the fee to $30 are available to high school and college science teachers who apply. For further information write: Dr. Richard Bayer, Chemistry Department, Carroll College, Waukesha, WI 53186.
360
Journal of Chemical Education
