fundamentals of chemistry, second edition and essentials of chemistry, second edition (burns, ralph...

A240 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 73 No. 10 October 1996

Chemical Education Today

General Chemistry, Second Edition

Jean B. Umland and Jon M. Bellama. West Publishing: St.Paul, MN, 1996. xxviii + 1098 pp. Figs., tables, and photos.22.3 × 26.1 cm.

This general chemistry textbook is a revision of thefirst, 1993, edition. It is intended for a one-year com-prehensive first course in general chemistry. Althoughstated that no prior chemistry is assumed, the text pro-ceeds rapidly into various chemical topics. Chapter 1 isa broad introduction briefly covering naming, simpleequation balancing, the periodic table, ions and ioniccompounds, and prediction of reaction products. Chap-ters 2, 3, and 4 cover basic material on measurement,stoichiometry, and reactions in solution. Gases and anintroduction to thermodynamics follow. Chapters 7through 10 cover atomic structure, the periodic table,bonding, and molecular geometry. A discussion of oxida-tion–reduction follows, chapter 11. Liquids, solids,changes of state, and a more detailed chapter on chemi-cal solutions come next. Two chapters on chemical equi-librium and a more complete discussion of thermody-namic principles appear along with a chapter on acid–base chemistry, chapters 14 through 17. Chapter 18 dis-cusses chemical kinetics; chapter 19 electrochemistry;and chapter 20, nuclear chemistry. Chapters 21 (nonmet-als) and 24 (transition metals and complexation) containthe descriptive chemistry of the more common elements.Chapter 22 is an introduction to organic molecules andchapter 23 is a rather extensive discussion of polymers,both synthetic and natural. An appendix contains amathematical primer, steps for balancing oxidation–re-duction equations, the usual thermodynamic and solu-bility product data, and a listing (1993) the top 50 chemi-cals employed by industry.

There are extensive introductions for students andinstructors at the beginning of the textbook stating therationale used in preparing the text and providing sug-gestions for alterations in the order of presentationshould a different sequence of topics be desired. The in-structors’ edition contains extra marginal notes through-out the chapters, with helpful suggestions and referencesfor supplemental background material. Numerous ref-erences are made for the instructors to an available CD-ROM supplement. The authors’ comments and presen-tation reflect a thorough understanding of the needs andabilities of students. The text material is clearly writ-ten with detailed explanations and interesting, currentexamples familiar to students. There are numeroussample problems and practice problems interspersedwithin the body of the text. End-of-chapter exercises areextensive and subdivided into sections of additional prac-tice problems, problems which tie together various top-ics within a chapter, applications-type exercises draw-ing upon common everyday life, and a self-test section.In total there is an average of 115 end-of-chapter exer-cises for each chapter plus the self-test questions. Ap-proximately 15% of the exercises are new, not in the firstedition. The text makes extensive use of color both in

Essential Chemistry

Raymond Chang. McGraw-Hill: New York, 1996. xxvii + 719pp. Figs., tables, and photos. 21.1 × 26.2 cm.

Essential Chemistry offers material that would beappropriate as an introduction to chemistry. I would rec-ommend it for students in education and majors in biol-ogy, chemistry, and physics, and other programs requir-ing only one year of chemistry. The text uses ample color,illustrations, and many photographs to highlight theeasy-to-read pages. Italics and boldfacing are used todefine terms, which are also collected in a glossary atthe end of the text. Figure and photograph captions areprominently located in the margins. There are no othermargin notes. Example problems are easily distin-guished by their yellow highlighting. All practice exer-cise problems are answered at the end of a chapter.There is a good distribution of end-of-chapter questionsand problems. These are divided in the same order asthe chapter sections. Answers to the even-numberedproblems are provided. Each chapter opens with thesame schlieric pattern and a “short historical vignetteor contemporary story that is relevant to the subject ofthe chapter.” Chapters are subdivided and a summaryand key words list are provided.

Chapter coverage is traditional. Atomic and molecu-lar structure, nomenclature, periodic table, bonding, andthe states of matter are presented in the first twelvechapters. Chapters 13 and 14 introduce organic and poly-mer chemistry. Equilibria (acid–base, solubility, and com-plex ion) and kinetics are covered in four chapters. Thechapter on thermodynamics precedes a chapter on oxida-

Reviewsits molecular diagrams and in color-coding problems forwhich answers are available. A one to two page summaryat the end of each chapter contains new terms in boldtype and their definitions. When new terms appear inthe body of a chapter their definitions are incorporatedinto the paragraph in italic type for emphasis. A uniquefeature continued from the first edition is at the end ofeach chapter a personal reflection by an individual sci-entist, teacher, student, or person in a related field dis-cussing how chemistry impacted upon him or her andthe importance of chemistry as a part of their vocation.There are some omissions of material found in most cur-rent textbooks. Graham’s law of diffusion is not discussednor is the concept of overall reaction rate order. Referencesare cited for the instructor, justifying these omissions.

This textbook is student-friendly. Although perhapsnot as rigorous as some competing texts, it is worthy ofconsideration for a one-year general chemistry course.The usual supplements are also available to support thetext material.

Gordon A. ParkerUniversity of Michigan–Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128

Vol. 73 No. 10 October 1996 • Journal of Chemical Education A241


tion–reduction reactions and electrochemistry. Coordina-tion compounds and nuclear chemistry finish out the top-ics. There are no separate chapters on descriptive chem-istry or biochemistry; rather the author has integratedthese subjects into several of the chapters and problems.A problem-solving approach is used throughout the text-book. The writing style makes the reading pleasant.

Few concepts are not covered in this volume. Thereis no presentation on molecular orbital theory. Only first-order kinetics are introduced. Graham’s law of diffusion/effusion is not presented. Semiconductors have not beendiscussed either. Hydronium ion concentration is intro-duced in the chapter on acid–base chemistry, but thesimple hydrogen ion is used in problem solving. Stan-dard U. S. notation for group numbering has been used.The metalloids include polonium and astatine.

Appendix 4 shows a table of the elements (throughlawrencium) and the derivation of their names and sym-bols as presented by G. P. Dinga, Chemistry, 1968, 41(2),20-22. Atomic masses (to four significant figures) in thistable and throughout the textbook are based on 1961values. Thus germanium is listed as mass 72.59 insteadof 72.61, and the radioactive elements’ most stable/com-mon isotope masses are not in agreement with the lat-est standard values.

Howard D. DewaldOhio University, Athens, OH 45701

Chemistry: The Study of Matter and Its Changes,Second Edition

James E. Brady and John R. Holum. Wiley: New York, 1966;xxxi + 1056 pp. Figs., tables, and photos. 21.2 × 26.2 cm.

Although this is only the second edition, this bookhas its roots in the textbooks by Brady and by Bradyand Gerald Humiston that first appeared over twentyyears ago. It remains largely in the tradition of the ma-jor textbooks of that era in its order and style of presen-tation. Organic compounds are treated very briefly intwo places before the main organic chapter near the endof the book, which emphasizes IUPAC nomenclaturerules. Descriptive inorganic chemistry is dispersedthrough the book but a three-chapter supplement ondescriptive chemistry of the elements is available. Thereare no separate chapters on materials or the environ-ment. The appearance is clean and easy to read, withfew extraneous figures and boxes. There are some places,however, where an additional figure would help thereader, such as at the first discussion of calorimetry. Inthe initial chapters there is some emphasis in the ex-ample problems on checking answers for reasonableness;but this is almost completely abandoned in the laterchapters—even in examples, such as the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, where it is important. The solutionof stoichiometry problems emphasizes the factor-label

method; oddly, this material precedes the section on bal-ancing chemical equations. This book does rather lessthan many others in relating chemistry to the “realworld”. The standard industrial polymers are mentionedbut the student is not told about the recycling codes onthe bottoms of plastic containers that identify the ma-terial.

This edition retains many of the positive featuresof its predecessors. It is, on the whole, clear, well-bal-anced, and free of excessive historical and technical de-tail. It has changed less than most other general chem-istry textbooks and remains a good choice for those whowant a traditional treatment of general chemistry.

L. Peter GoldPennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

Basic Chemistry, Seventh Edition and Alternate{Shorter} Edition

G. William Daub and William S. Seese. Prentice Hall:Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1996; xvii + 652 pp. Figs. andtables. 21.2 × 26.2 cm.

This textbook has not been reviewed in this Jour-nal since its third edition in 1982. As a result it is notpossible to detail all of the changes that may have oc-curred since then and persisted into this latest edition.Nevertheless, it is clear from inspection that the basicstructure of the seventh edition, including the orderingof chapters, is essentially the same as it was in the thirdedition. The main difference is that the current edition hasjust nineteen chapters in all, one fewer (despite the briefcontents listing only the first seventeen of them) thanthe third edition. Apparently the two chapters on organicchemistry have been incorporated into one.

Despite the reduction in the number of chapters thecurrent cloth edition has 656 pages—a paperback alter-nate edition contains the first seventeen chapters, 496pages—compared to 596 pages in the earlier reviewededition. The increase in the number of pages is no doubtlargely accounted for by the new features announced bythe publisher. These include (i) a countdown section asa bridge at the beginning of each chapter except the first;(ii) study exercises, problems with answers strategicallyinserted into the text; (iii) marginal “you and chemis-try” icons highlighting real-world material in adjacenttext; (iv) end of chapter essays on elements and com-pounds; (v) content changes on calculating oxidationnumbers in chapters 6 and 16, on molecular shapes(VSEPR) in chapter 6, on dilution of molar solutions inchapter 14 (conversion of solution concentration deleted),on colloids and suspensions in chapter 15; (vi) revisedessays on chemistry of the atmosphere; (vii) addition ofover 100 new problems; (viii) marginal study hints andend-of-chapter summaries and quizzes. Students and/orinstructors will find some if not all of the pedagogical



Reviews

Introduction to College Chemistry, First Edition

Jerry A. Driscoll. Kendall/Hunt: Dubuque, IA, 1994; 358 pp.Figs. and tables. 23.7 × 27.5 cm.

This book is directed toward an audience of non-sci-ence majors. Its choice of topics places it squarely in thecamp of those who favor a simplified version of the sci-ence-majors general chemistry course for this audience.Topics treated in the fifteen chapters include measure-ment and the metric system, physical and chemical prop-erties of matter, elements, compounds, and equations.The periodic table is then introduced followed by chap-ters on atomic structure and chemical bonding. Nomen-clature forms the subject of an entire chapter. Chemicalcalculations are treated rather late in chapters 10 and12, while the optional chapter 11 covers inorganic de-scriptive chemistry. Chapters on the gas laws, liquidsand solids, and solutions round out the book. This is amanageable amount of material for a one-semestercourse. No chapters on organic chemistry or biochemis-try are included. Each chapter is preceded by a set oflearning goals and followed by problems which are (ex-cept in the measurement, stoichiometry, and gas lawchapters) largely qualitative. Answers to selected ex-ercises are provided in an appendix.

The author does a good job of reminding studentsof the experimental nature of chemistry by describingand interpreting experiments (which are generallysimple enough to be demonstrated live to the class) thatbear on the concepts being developed. The writing styleis clear and concise, and remarkably few typos werenoted. Many worked-out examples are provided.

This is a first edition, and, as such, suffers fromsome first-edition glitches that could have used the helpof a reliable editor. Among them is the habit of mention-ing concepts before they are discussed in the text. As oneexample of this, the formulas of ionic compounds are dis-cussed in chapter 4, but students learn only in chapter 7what ions are. Lewis symbols for N and O are presentedshowing unpaired electrons, but Hund’s rule is not dis-

devices incorporated in items i-iv and vi-viii above use-ful in learning and teaching chemistry, respectively. Itis difficult to judge the effectiveness of any one of themwithout actually having used the text. However, I willexpress some opinions below. The changes in contentslisted in item v presumably have been made based onexperience and therefore should be improvements. Inany case, none of the changes is so major that the bookloses its basic character.

My favorites among the pedagogical devices notedabove are the end-of-chapter essays on elements andcompounds and the revised essays on chemistry of theatmosphere. In these the author becomes more expansiveand his writing style more attractive. Not that there areno difficulties or flaws in these essays. There are. Butin a sense that is part of their attraction and evenstrength. For example, I was a bit disappointed that littleeffort was made in the essays on gold, silver, and copper tocompare these elements—these chemical siblings—withone another, prospectively in the case of gold and silver,and retrospectively in the case of silver and copper. Butreally, it is at least in part the job of the instructor touse these essays to help students make connections thatwill enrich their understanding and appreciation of chem-istry. In this light, the fact that the essays are there is muchmore important than perceived flaws.

Nevertheless, I cannot contain my unhappiness atthe way carbon dioxide is mistreated in a number of theessays. The essay on carbon dioxide at the end of chap-ter 9 is seriously deficient in that it never mentions ex-plicitly the fact that carbon dioxide is essential to most,if not all, life on earth and that it is the only source ofoxygen in our atmosphere through its metabolism byplants, algae, and certain bacteria. Instead, we arewarned that “Humans cannot breathe air containingmore that 5 to 10% CO2 without losing consciousness,and prolonged exposure can result in death.” I think theauthor has things terribly muddled here. The effect onhumans more likely is due to oxygen deficiency ratherthan on CO2 accumulation per se. In addition we are re-ferred to another essay on pollutants in the atmospherein which CO2 is identified as one. Finally, in an essay atthe end of chapter 11 on the greenhouse effect and glo-bal warming, CO2 is identified as an atmospheric green-house gas along with three others (the most importantgreenhouse gas, water vapor, is never mentioned) com-pleting an undeserved negative picture of CO2 as a tracepollutant, greenhouse gas, dangerous to humans in highconcentration. Considering the fact that CO2 plays es-sential roles in sustaining life, including its role in stimu-lating autonomic breathing in humans and no doubt inother mammals, this negative image is really unde-served. Despite these deficiencies even these essays per-taining to CO2 can be used by the instructor positivelyto point out, as I would, what a good guy CO2 really isdespite its bad press. The presence of the essays is againat least as important as their content.

The new feature that I found least attractive wasitem iii, the marginal icons, which seemed to me of du-bious pedagogical value. Their placements depend onjudgment—based on what criteria I am not sure—of the

relevance of adjacent text to a prospective unknownreader. Their presence has the effect of someone otherthan the reader highlighting certain text passages. How-ever, with fewer than one hundred icons in over six hun-dred pages they are not at all overused.

The seventh edition of this textbook contains a num-ber of new features that enhance its pedagogic utilitywhile the basic character and structure exhibited in ear-lier editions are maintained. Potential users who likedan earlier edition will probably like the seventh editioneven better. For prospective new users it is worth look-ing at seriously.

Thomas R. TuttleBrandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254



cussed until the following page. Sometimes, rather chal-lenging concepts are simply “sneaked” in without anydiscussion, for example sign conventions for heat (p 48),mechanical energy units (p 52) and the relation betweencolor of light and energy (p 99). Too much reliance isplaced on the stability of the noble gas configurationwithout a careful explanation of why it is so stable. Forexample, it is stated that “the explanation [for the higherionization of He than H] is that helium has a pair of elec-trons in the 1s subshell, which gives it greater stability,and it is therefore more difficult to remove the outer-most electron”.

The book is produced by photo offset so that the pro-duction quality is not comparable to more expensiveworks. The computer-drawn figures are not of particu-larly high quality, although they are clear and generallyaccurate. Instructors searching for a reasonably priced,clearly written text would do well to examine this one.

John J. AlexanderUniversity of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221

Models of Matter: Principles and Perspectives ofChemistry

Gayl H. Wiegand. West: St. Paul, MN, 1995; xvii + 584 pp.Figs. and tables. 21.2 × 25.4 cm.

This is a text for a one-semester chemistry coursefor non-science majors and assumes little or no prior fa-miliarity with chemistry. The author begins with a philo-sophical discussion of the practice of science. Scientific“facts”, laws, theories, and hypotheses are defined, alongwith several examples. This chapter will provide mate-rial for lively class discussion, as some of the liberal artsstudents taking this course may well be interested inthe philosophical underpinnings of science.

The second chapter begins with a discussion of thenature of reality: absolute reality vs. the Copenhageninterpretation, in which the act of observation affects theoutcome of the measurement. This nicely lays thegroundwork for an intelligent discussion of the uncer-tainty principle in a later chapter. From here on, throughchapter 6, the text covers material which would be ap-propriate for a “prep. chem.” course, and at nearly the



same level. Measurements and units, the factor-labelmethod, and exponential notation are covered in chap-ter 2. Chapter 3 gives a definition of chemistry, intro-duces the concepts of matter and energy, states of mat-ter, pure substances and mixtures, and elements andcompounds. Chapter 4 covers Dalton’s atomic theory, thelaws of definite and multiple proportions; surveys theperiodic table; and introduces chemical formulas andequations and balancing them. Chapter 5 treats atomicstructure; it describes the experiments that led to thediscovery of subatomic particles and introduces the Bohrmodel and wave mechanics. The analogy of the shapesof orbitals and their nodes to the modes of vibration of astretched string is pointed out. There is an intriguingdiscussion of the limits to scientific knowledge, in termsof the uncertainty principle and wave–particle duality.

Chapter 6 discusses bonding: the octet rule, thecharges of ions of representative elements, and draw-ing Lewis dot structures are covered. There is even somediscussion of VSEPR and molecular polarity. The chap-ter on solutions treats intermolecular forces and ratio-nalizes the “like dissolves like” rule. The author intro-duces the mole and molarity in this chapter as well, eventhough there is no discussion of stoichiometry (otherthan definite proportions) elsewhere in the text.

Remaining chapters cover acids, bases, and chemi-cal equilibrium, redox, energy and nonrenewable natu-ral resources, organic chemistry, polymers, and environ-mental issues. These chapters emphasize basic conceptsand definitions, such as LeChatelier’s principle, andpresent representative reactions. Very few calculationsare done, which is appropriate for this audience. Theauthor introduces entropy and the second law in thechapter on energy. He even briefly mentions free energy,but there is not enough detail to make this concept verymeaningful. I suppose I would rather have seen someillustrations of the amounts of energy available fromvarious fuels and foods, even if some simple calculationsand bond energies needed to be introduced. The discus-sions of nonrenewable energy resources and our profli-gate consumption of them, as well as the treatment ofenvironmental issues in connection with CFC’s, green-house gases, chemical waste disposal, and nuclear powerplants are all quite well done and rather sobering.

In summary, this is a well-written, literate and up-to-date text, which not only treats a large number of“skills” which might be needed by a student who decidesto continue in chemistry, but also presents a reasonabledescription of the nature of scientific knowledge and howscience is actually done. The discussions of the societalissues of energy resources and the protection of the en-vironment are intelligent and compelling.

Henry C. BrennerNew York University, New York, NY 10003

Visit JCE Online:where you will find an ever-growing resource thatencompasses all of the Journal’s facets—print, soft-ware, online, and books.

Print• Abstracts of all articles from July 1995• full text of Editorials, In This Issue (issue over-

view), NSF Highlights, the Forum of the TaskForce on General Chemistry from July 1995

• Subscription Form to the Journal• A Guide to Submissions, revised 8/96, if you are

preparing a paper for submission• Especially for High School Teachers, the new

feature that gives an overview of articles of inter-est to H.S. teachers

• full text of one Major Article from each issue• the entire text of the new Chemical Education

Today section, beginning September 1996• Online search of author index

JCE Softwarepublishes more than 80 computer programs forMacintosh, Windows, and PC compatibles; 6 video-discs; 4 CD ROMs; a videotape on HIV-1 Protease, …We have regular monthly releases. Get up-to-dateinformation online, the fastest way to get the com-plete information that is also in our (paper) Avail-able Issues document and abstracts.• Available Issues, with descriptions of every piece

of software and lots of graphics to give you a fla-vor of the program

• Output Queue—what is scheduled to be published• Demos and Updates: this is the first place to look

for a fix if you are having problems with one ofour programs

• A Guide to Submissions that tells you how togo about publishing your own educational softwareso that others can use it

JCE Internetis where the Internet is the primary form of publication:• Publications, especially those that are dynamic

and cannot be represented on paper• Resources: Chemical Education Resource Shelf

(see p. A237) with lists of textbooks, publishers,etc.; Hal’s Picks; lists of journals of interest tochemical education; software suppliers.

• Reviews, of internet sites of interest to those inchemical education

The Journal is Online

http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/

Reviews

http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/



text may do well on standardized tests because of thecomprehensive coverage of elementary topics, but theywill carry nothing of value away from the course becausethey have studied nothing in depth.

College students with no prior knowledge of chem-istry may find this text a useful preparation for a stan-dard college level general chemistry course, but theywould not be prepared for second-year chemistry coursesat my university after completing only this text. Stu-dents using this text as their only exposure to chemis-try would also be poorly served because it focuses on themechanics of elementary chemistry—moles, limiting re-agents, balancing equations, etc.—while neglecting thebig picture issues (like what forces drive chemical reac-tions) that such students might carry over to their even-tual major field of study.

Robert D. AllendoerferSUNY at BuffaloBuffalo, NY 14260-3000

Fundamentals of Chemistry, Second Edition

Ralph A. Burns, with contributions by John W. Hill. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995; xx + 743 pp. Figs., tables,and photos. 21.1 × 26.2 cm.

Essentials of Chemistry, Second Edition

Ralph A. Burns, with contributions by John W. Hill. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995; xviii + 608 pp. Figs.,tables, and photos. 20.1 × 25.3 cm. PB.

The two texts reviewed are identical except that theEssentials text has a soft cover while the Fundamentalstext has a hard cover and three additional chapters atthe end, covering nuclear, organic, and biochemistry. Thetexts are nicely laid out and beautifully illustrated withfull-color illustrations and photographs like most mod-ern general chemistry texts and are written in a clear,nonintimidating style. Science-phobic students will prob-ably appreciate comments like: “Just for kicks, lets tryanother conversion factor . . . the answer is Absurd! Howcan a bed be 860 in2/ft long”?

Thus, on the surface, these texts appear to be attrac-tive candidates for the less intimidating reduced-lengthtexts sought by many instructors today. However, I am notsure if there is an appropriate audience for these texts.

The reduction in length compared to today’s main-stream college texts has been achieved in two ways.First, it completely leaves out the three traditional chap-ters on descriptive main group and transition metalchemistry and chapters on free energy and electrochem-istry; and kinetics and equilibrium are combined into asingle chapter. The result is that there is virtually nodiscussion of the fascinating variety of chemical reac-tions and chemical properties that originally turned mostprofessional chemists on to chemistry, and there is nodiscussion of the principles of thermodynamics, whichattempt to explain why chemical reactions proceed. Theword “entropy” does not appear in either text. I oftenjudge the level of mathematics required for a generalchemistry text from the equilibrium chapter. Are equi-librium problems solved using the quadratic equation,by successive approximation, or by computer, or are sec-ond order equations avoided altogether? In this text, dis-cussion of the “equilibrium constant expression” takesup only two pages, including one trivial example, andso my test fails for lack of data. With the exception ofone page, the acid–base chapter treats only integer pHvalues; thus, facility with high school algebra is not re-quired for this text.

The second way that the reduction in length hasbeen achieved is by shortening the discussion of everyremaining topic to the bare essentials. For example, cov-erage of the colligative properties of solutions (freezingpoint depression, boiling point elevation, colloids, andosmotic pressure) is present, but takes up only fourpages. I am afraid the result will be that students of this

fundamentals of chemistry, second edition and essentials of chemistry, second edition (burns, ralph...

Documents