ROOH REVEWS Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, Fourth Edition Douglas A. Skoog and Donald M. West, Saunders College Publishing, New York, NY, 1982. iii f 859 pp. Figs. and tables. 24 X 19.5 cm.
This is the fourth edition of an excellent text used to teach quantitative analysis a t a level suitable for chemistry majors. The authors state that the aims of this edition are identical to orevious editions. Much of the
spectroscopy and separations, and some dated material has been deleted. Improvements have been made in the organization of material in the areas of equilibria, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy. The authors and the new publisher have used bold type and a numbering system to set off section headings in this edition. These changes should make it much easier to refer t o material in the text during lectures and to find specific material. Each chapter ends with a set of well-chosen problems which are similar in content to previous editions but which are increased in numbers in many eases. The review material found in the second and third chapters of the previous edition has been combined into a single chapter. The following chapter on data analysis has been improved through the addition of a clear and detailed descriotion of the use of analvtical calibration curves and least squares analysis. The solution of equilibria problems has been made more consistent throughout the text by using mass balance and charge balance ex-
pressions. This change is important. While mass balance and charge balance expressions appear too formal for use in solving simple equilibrium problems, this approach becomes necessary when solving more complicated problems in this text or problems encountered later in higher level courses dealing with equilibria. The use of the term "formal concentration" has been abandoned in this edition and replaced by the term "molar analytical concentratiin" following the suggestion of many users of the previous edition. Chaoter 13 is an introduction to electro-
ductively coupled plasmas in atomic spectroscopy is another important addition in this edition. The authors have made sweeping changes in their treatment of separations with excellent results. Chapter 26 introduces the area of analytical separations and the following three chapters separately treat the theory af chromatographic separations, liquid chromatography, and gas~liquidchromatography. These four chauters are well oreanized and verv current.
combined to provide a more concise treatment. The chapter on voltammetric techniques has been shortened in this edition. The material describing classical direct current polarography remains essentially unchaneed includine descri~tiansof manual
ments dealing with recent analytical p r o b ~ lems have been added and a selection af experiments which serve t o develop good laboratory technique is retained. This edition retains the elements which have established the wide acceptance of the previous edition and includes changes in many areas which improve clarity. Users of the previous edition of this text will find this edition to be markedly improved. Those who have chosen alternative texts in the past would do well to examine this text for possible future use. Fred M. Hawkridge Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond. VA 23284
"H" cell. It is unfortunate that this material was included in this edition while the techniques of differential pulse pularography and stripping analysis have been deleted entirely. These latter techniques are widely used in industrial. eovernmental. and academic
ter 19 provides a clear iniroductiokto prihciales of soectroscoav. The chaoter on mo-
fluorescence spectroscopy. The use of in-
Physical Chemistry, Second Edition P. W. Atkins, W. H. Freeman and Cornpany, San Francisco, CA 1982. viii 1095 PP. Figs. and tables. 17 X 24 cm. $29.95.
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The first edition of "Physical Chemistry" by P. W. Atkins was reviewed in THIS (Continued on page A 6 4
Reviewed in this Issue Reviewer Fred M. Hawkridge
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P. W Atkins, Physical Chemistry, Second Edition
Rebecca O'Malley
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Anthony N. Stranges, Electrons and Valence: Development of the Theory, 1900-1925
Marshall S. Wright, Jr.
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Douglas A. Skoog and Donald M West, Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, Fourth Edition
Titles of Interest New Volumes in Continuing Series
Volume 60
Number 2
February 1983
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