physical propertics of mrmbcrs of the reries. Glycols, glycerol. un,aturated nlcohols, saturated cy~4iralcohols, and alcohols of natural occurrence arc treated more hrirfly.
6nal three chapters treat in a more advanced way atoms and molecules and their activation. I n the opinion of the reviewer the book should lend itself t o use in a wide variety of schools. For shorter courses the first ten chapters cover su5cient ground, while for longer courses the instructor can cover the first half of the book a t his own oace and then emphaci~eand claborarr on any or all of the last seven chapters as ltme permits. The idra of trarhing the law of chemical equihhrtum r x l y in thr cuurlc appeals to the revicaer. ~~
I N ~ R O A N I C CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE. A.
J . Hamner, Iowa State College. Woolverton Printing Company, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 1938. iii 4- 36 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $0.50. This pamphlet offers the beginning student an easy introduction to the system by which the simpfer inorganic compounds are named. Its chief defect is that the old-fashioned structural formulas are used, in which no distinction is made between valence, valence number, and covalence. If the modern interpretation were presented many of the formulas would be campletely altered, and a corresponding alteration in names would be suggested. There is no attempt t o weigh critically and judge between the different competing terminologies that 6 e nowha& as a result of more generalized views concerning the nature of acids and bases. Furthermore, the special terminology for coiirdination comoounds.. comolex . ions. and various classes of newlv discovered inorganic compounds receive no consideration The nomcnclalure of the iilicates has rccently hren impro\.ed, as a rcsult of X-ray invrsligations: yet the silicates rccrivc no space at all. Inorganic chemistry needs a critical review of conflicting systems of nomenclature and a clear set of rules and definitions. The author or someone else might attempt this: i t would keep a seminar class busy for a good many weeks. H. G. DEMINC ~~~~
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U~rvansrrvoa NseaAsa* LINCOLN.NeaaAsw*
AN
INTRODUCTORY
COURSEM PHYSICAL CAEMISTRY.W . H. D. Van 468 pp.
Rhodebush and E . K. Rodebush. Second Edition. Nostrand Company, Inc., New York City, 1938. xv 13.5 X 22 cm. $3.75.
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This new "streamlined" second edition of this text an elementary physical chemistry takes the reader a t a rapid rate for ten chapters and then returns over the road t o re-examine some of the rough places and make a few excursions along the side roads. The first ten chapters include a treatment of the gaseous and liquid states from the point of view of kinetic theory, and the usual chapter on the crystalline state. After this the author takes up equilibrium, its relation to free energy, thermachemistry, and the first law of thermodynamics (Chapter V). I n Chapter VI, equilibrium hetween phases is discussed and solutions are met in Chapter VII. Chapter VIII is devoted to a timely discussion on surface chemistry. After a chapter on electrical conductance the second and third laws are taken up, and the trip ends as we leave the main road on an activity coefficient. The chapter on equilibria involving ions (Chapter X I ) is well written and the idea of ionic crystals is introduced a t the beginning. The reviewer would make a distinction between "completely ionized" and "completely dissociated" (page 247), and a mare careful distinction between hydrogen ions and protons in defining an acid (page 260). Chapter XI1 explains the calculation of activity coefficients from electromotive force measurements and discusses the various electrodes for determining hydrogen-ion activity. The rules for the description of a cell and the conventions as t o sign of the electrode potentials are clearly given. I n the chapter on physical properties the following statement is made. "This 'salting' out effect is easily explained in terms of the dielectric constant." A teacher would have to choose his illustration carefully to retain the easy explanation. I n Chapter XIV an excellent elementary discussion is given of reaction rates, as far as gas reactions are concerned, but very little is given on reactions in solutions. The
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INTEoDucronY QUALITATIVE ANALYS~S.Warren C. Vorburgk. Duke University. The Macmillan Company, New York City, 1938. vii 222 pp. 14.5 X 21.5 cm. 14 figs. $2.25.
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The preface states, "This book is a revision and enlargement of a hook of the same title written by Dr. Jacob Cornog and the author. The present book is adapted t o a one-semester course. Chief emphasis is on instruction in chemical principles and the scientific method rather than an the teaching of an immediately practical art." The directions for carrying out analyses have been made applicable to either macro- or semimicro quantities by reading milliliters for the former and drops (20 drops = l ml.) for the latter. In the author's laboratory qualitative analysis has been on a semimicro scale for the past five years. The directions provide for detection of the cations usually included in elementary courses and of eighteen anions including silicate. Acetate, borate, cyanide, oxalate, and thiosulfate are not considered. About equal portions of the book are devoted to laboratory instructions and to discussion of underlying principles. After sixteen introductory exercises, pp. 10-32, follow directions for systematic analysis of cations, pp. 33-71, of anions, pp. 72-89, and of solid material, pp. 90-101. Discussion of the reactions involved is collected in Part 11. Theory, pp. 139-53. The methods of analysis are for the most part the conventional ones. For the separation and detectionof the four alkaline earths the scheme of A. A. Noyes is used. Phosphate is removed before analysis of Group 111 by the tin method. Only four organic reagents are mentioned. It is admitted that small amounts of tin, zinc, magnesium, and some other cations may be missed. Teachers using the hook are advised of certain limitations as t o material given out for analysis. I n Part I1 the Arrhenius-van't Hoff theory is presented rather fully and is followed by a brief statement of the Br$nsted theory of acids and bases. Precipitation and the solubility product principle are given extended discussion. Hydrolysis receives only moderate attention. Complex ions are barely mentioned, and electrode potentials not a t all, although the ion-electron method of balancing redox equations is discussed and illustrated. In general, the exposition of chemical theory is clear and should he readily grasped by students. This text should prove useful in courses where not much importance is attached to analytical accuracy and excessive demands on the student are t o be avoided.
GERMAN GUMWAR FOR CI~RMISTS AND OTHER SCIENCE STUDENTS. John T . Folos, Professor of Modern Languages, Purdue Universitv. and Jokn L. Bray. Head of the Schwl of Chemical and ~etallurgical ~ n g i h e r i n g , Purdue University. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City, and Chapman and Hall, Ltd., London, 1938. xxii f 323 pp. 14 X 20 cm. $2.25. This innovation in beginning German texts is sure lo interest
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anyone wishing to learn or teach chemical German with the greatest economy of effort and time. No previous knowledge of German required, no prerequisite courses. Start right in: Der Wasserstaff k t ein Gas, ein Salz ist eine Verbindung, die Lasung ist klar. Practice in grammar and in chemical vocabulary go hand in hand, and no time is spent in learning words which will occur rarely or not a t all in chemical literature. There is a good chapter on pronunciation. The grammar is built up well as chapter succeeds chapter, always with chemical terms predominating, but with general words not neglected. The vocabulary is carefully selected, being the result of considerable original research on word frequency in chemical articles; the thousand most frequently occurring words are starred. Other soecial features are: a lesson on the use of the dictian-
in the preface " an effort has been made to depart somewhat from the cold formality of a textbook; that is, along with the presentation of facts and theories an effort has been made to give the book a conversational touch, as though one person were speaking to another. . .. Those students who will not take another course in the subject will find that the carefully explained principles and colorful descriptions give them an understanding of many of the hitherto mysterious phenomena. They will also find the specialized topics dealing with the application of chemistry to agriculture, cooking, health, metallurgy, warfare, and so forth, both interesting and valuable. For the college preparatory student there are such topics as the gas laws, chemistry and electricity, the periodic system, the internal structure of the atom, and chemistry and energy." The baok is exceptionally well illustrated with excellent photographs and drawings. A number of humorous drawings and cartoons are used to make vivid certain points and drive home periodicals for sight translation, and lessons on such topics as the truths of principles. These illustrations are in accord with the periodic table, valence and atomic theory. There are also a recent trends in the survey type of book. The book is carefully summary of German verbs, German-English and English-Ger- indexed. I t contains a brief appendix on "the simplified units man vocabularies, and a full index. The grammar is the first of science"-units of measurementand a fifteen-page glossary of a series of graduated texts of which the third member. INTER- of scientific terms. The hook is liberally sprinkled with photoMEDIATE READINGS IN CAEMIOAL GERMAN," by Fotos and Shreve, graphs and one-page biographical sketches of chemists of the. has already appeared. present day as well as those of the past. There are brief sumThe plan works, to the reviewer's personal knowledge. Stu- maries a t the ends of chapters and many questions a t the close dents without knowledge of German have used this book for a of discussions within a chapter as well as a t the end of the chapyear or less and have then been able to read ordinary chemical ter. A number of these questions are similar in form to many German fairly well. found on psychological tests. The book also contains a liberal Of course, same sacrifice must be made; you can't eat your bibliography of excellent supplementary readings, together with cake and have it. We in this country are poorly exposed to other quite a few questions with direct page references on these parallel languages, which is all the more reason why we should give readings. attention t o them. For most North Americans German and The questions a t the close of the chapters and interspersed beFrench are the most important foreign tongues, and will con- tween discussions within the chapterdeserve some special comtinue to be for some time. They are not only useful tools, but ment. They are divided as follows and are so labeled in holddoors opening into other cultures, and one can't understand faced type: "Questions of Fact, Questions of Understanding, a people well unless he is more or less a t home in their language and Additional Exercises for Superior Students." If one can and literature. accept these headings, especially the latter one, as good psycholThe authors recognize that "where the science student has ogy and good pedagogy he will be interested in noting some the necessary time far this method of approach [i. e., the tra- of these auestions. The first one of the ouestions for the suoerior . ditional literary one] to scientific German there is no question of atudtnr which i i found on pauc 17 is a very simple nrithmruc the cultural and broadening value of such a sequence." They proldem whieh could hardly be classed a.; a chemistq' problem. point out, however, that countless students today must acquire There are no prol,lrms in ihr precrding questions for the stud en^ a reading knowledge of scientific German in less time. who cannot be classed as superior. The reviewer would gravely After all, there may he another side t o the matter. It i s m - question the wisdom of this introduction t o the arithmetic of ognized that interest is a prime requisile for learning. The chemistry. I n many instances these questions designated for science student who finds little interest in German poems and superior students seem simpler and less well done than many of stories, and therefore does indifferent work on them, will often the other questions. Three distressingly simple questions come t o life when presented with scientific material. This may labeled for superior students might be mentioned. Question be the best approach for such persons, even for cultural pur(I), page 84, is as follows: "Calculate the weight of hydrogen in poses. I n other words, if the chemistry student hasn't time t o water that will be stored behind Boulder Dam if the water will go around t o the front door of the German house, or is afraid of weigh 5,000,000,000 tons. (Water is one-ninth hydrogen.)" the formalities there, perhaps we'd better let him in a t a back Question (1). page 394, reads, "What is the regular valence of the door; the main thing is to get him inside. elements in family number 1." (Periodic Table.) Question (5) on page 563 reads, "Give the number of each kind of atom in AUSTINM. PATTHRS~N A ~ r r o c eC o ~ ~ e o e anphenamine, whose formula in shown an page 560.'' Of course. YBLLOW SPRINCB. OHIO not all of the questions for superior students are so elementary as these, but many of them are less well done than other features of the book. C H E M I S ~AND Y ITSWONDERS.Oscar L. Brauer, Professor of The material of this book, CHEMISTRY AND ITSWONDERS, Chemistrv and Phvsics. - . San Tose State Colleee. - . San -Tose.. is very well arranged and the book is quite readable. I t contains California. American Book Company, New Yark City, 1938. a vast store of information in regard to the facts of applied chemvi 760 pp. 14.5 X 22 cm. $2.00. istry and is relatively free from errors and loose usage of words. The more than seven hundred pages give such a wide range of inC~EMISTRY AND ITSW o m ~ n sis a high-school text of the newer type. The stress of the baok is upon descriptive facts formation that the book could be used to teach less and less about and the practical application of chemical principles to the pro- more and more. The student studying this book will certainly duction of the million-and-one products of applied chemistry. be left with the definite im~ressionthat chemistrv touches his The seven hundred and thirty pages of this book are replete with hfc rather direc~lyat almost every nmnent of his existence. Those who arc looking for a bank of thc surwy type and who beinterestingly written discussions of the many contributions of applied chemistry. Elementary discussions of the great prin- licvc . . in . t hc pedagogical mt.thods indicatrrl above will be intrrcstcd ln ciples of chemistry occupy a less conspicuous portion of the tent. The book is in keeping with the idea that there should be two HoLL,lrs CoLLeom kinds of first courses in chemistry. Mr. Brauer says of his hook HOLLIXS, VZBOINIII
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