This is an introduction to chemistry for
new starters, taking the basic principles and core topics of chemistry. Starting
with an excellent introduction to atoms, molecules, and ions, then key ideas
such as chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and the mole concept, these are just
a few ideas that come up. The text covers other critical subjects such as
chemical bonding, solutions, acids and bases, and chemical equilibrium among
others. It stands highly recommended for any student commencing their chemistry
course due to the lucid way its concepts, examples, and applications are put
forth to ensure easy understanding of the concepts and their underlying
principles.
This note is
just right for one beginning to embark on his journey in chemistry. The coverage
includes such wide-ranging topics as structure of matter, chemical elements, and
chemical compounds. Major areas include introduction to chemical reactions,
acids and bases, oxidation-reduction reactions, and energy changes in the
reactions. Further explained, the note is to define unit conversions, chemical
calculations, and modern atomic theory through molecular structure and solution
dynamics, besides introducing organic chemistry, biochemistry, and nuclear
chemistry for a broad basis. The note is helpful because it provides a
foundational outline for students taking up the general chemistry courses.
Dmitri Mendeleev's The
Principles of Chemistry is a classic that laid the foundation for the periodic
table. The book is a detailed discussion of water and its compounds, hydrogen
and oxygen, and their saline combinations. It includes Dalton's law, properties
of gases, and atomic theory in the discussion of the chemistry of elements and
their compounds. It is also interesting for its discussion of atomic weights of
elements and how to arrange the periodic table-the work of Mendeleev. The book
would serve well for the reader trying to understand the very earliest stages of
modern chemistry with contributions that have shaped this particular field of
science today.