Chemical Education Today
Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry: An Introductory Text for Degree Course Studies Jack Barrett and Mounir A. Malati. Horwood: Chichester, England, 1998. x + 285 pp + appendices and index. 17.0 cm × 24.0 cm. ISBN 18581663381. $29.95.
This paperback is an updated collection of topics extracted from Understanding Inorganic Chemistry and An Introduction to Atomic and Molecular Structures by Jack Barrett (Imperial College), with an infusion of new material in Chapters 2, 8, 9, and 11 by Mounir Malati (Mid-Kent College). It represents an attempt to present the core topics traditionally found in a first university course of the subject. In the USA this would correspond to a senior-level undergraduate course or a first course in inorganic chemistry for graduate students. The chapter headings without any surprises are 1. Introduction 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Nuclear and Radiochemistry Electronic Configurations and Electronic States Symmetry and Group Theory Diatomic Molecules and Covalent Bonding Polyatomic Molecules and Metals
7. Ions in Solids and Solutions (topics include the ionic bond; ions in aqueous solution; stability of ions in aqueous solution; Latimer, volt-equivalent, and Pourbaix diagrams; and acids and bases) 8. Chemistry of s-Block Elements 9. Chemistry of p-Block Elements 10. Coordination Compounds (topics include MO treatment of the M–L bond, angular overlap approximation, electronic spectra of complexes, reduction potentials, thermodynamic stability constants and formation constants, kinetics and mechanisms of reactions, and kinetics and mechanisms of redox processes) 11. Chemistry of d- and f-Block Elements.
End-of-chapter practice problems number from two to eight. The text is a skillfully written, very concise, distillation of inorganic fundamentals in which theoretical considerations are usually discussed first and then used to explain experimental data. It is fact filled, an approach that generally does not gently guide the student into a topic in an illuminating, mentoring way. Most who have taught such a course will read the text and react very positively to the fundamentals presented, but for the undergraduate student studying the material for the first time, it will be a challenge. The text information frequently will need to be supplemented or accompanied by an expansion of illustrations and instructor insight to be an effective teaching tool that allows students to understand and appreciate many of the interesting facts and conclusions pertinent to inorganic chemistry. This is the archetypal text for instructors who want topics to be factually complete, but at the same time not be the last word on the subject. Most students will need the information and understanding only an effective instructor can provide via classroom participation. Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry is also an ideal review text for students who have completed a senior-level inorganic course and need to brush up on fundamentals and relationships before graduate school entrance/placement exams. Jay Worrell Department of Chemistry University of South Florida Tampa, FL 33620-5250
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 6 June 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
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