JULY, 1952

PROBLE' BOOK FOR GENERAL CHEMISTRY

Royce H. LeRoy. Professor of Chemistry, A. & M. College of Texas. McGraw-Bill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1951. v + 170 pp. 7 tables. 21.5 X 28 om. $1.90.

THERE me 26 sections to this book of prohlems in general chemistry. The commonly accepted categories such as "Per- centage composition from the formula" and "Equivalent weights and normal solutions" are preceded by "Arithmetic review" and "The metric system of measurement." Most of the sections contain from 10 to 26 problems, bui t : ~ : lest is a general review of 57, and a. rough check indicates s. total of 127 prohlems in the book.

Use of letter-size pages, 8'/1 X 11 inches, with only five or six problcms to the page, leaves plenty of room to write solutions in the book itself. The oampleted pages can be easily removed and reassembled by means of holes already punched.

One of the easiest of the questions is: "What is the volume of 500 g. of concentrated sulfuric acid?" One of the hardest ques- tions is: "One drop of 0.1 M hydrochloric acid was added to 20 ml. of a saturated silver chloride solution. Ignoring the slight increase in volume, calculate (a) the total resulting chloride ooncentmtion and ( b ) the concentration of the silver ion remain-

an answer to part (c) that is quit,^ inacouratp. Each sect,ion is preceded by a page or so of explanation. Most

of the explanatory text is scientifically accurate, but the ex- planation of equivs.lent weight, for example, is in need of revision.

There are at least two educational resfions to justify the use of a book of this kind. For the first, it should help the busy instructor to vary assignments 80 that students of different capabilities can be trained in the techniques of solving partiaular kinds of chemistry prohlems. Although this book provides plenty of challenge far same, and additional practice for others, there is little to hold the interest and attention of a. first-rate mind.

Many believe, moreover, that in addition to providing training in the techniques of solving pmticular problems, a book of this kind should provide opportunities to learn to apply the generali- zations of chemistry in solving difficulties presented by situations that are almost entirely new. In the book under review there is no hint of the recognition of this fundamental aim of all science education. Instead, there seems to he only a recognition of the need to develop stereotyped and, therefore, superficial think- ing. Strengthening the impression that the solution of these particular prohlems is to be but an end in itself, we find that all genwaliaations are rle:trly handed to t,hn ~tudent. He is never

permitted to wade through a bog of data in order t,o enjoy the thrill of capturing 101. himelf even the most elementary principlr. The author state8 the more restricted ~ o i n t of view most olearlv in the find sentence of his preface, when he says, "It is thr hope of the author that he has mceeeded in evolving an orderly approach to the problems of chemistry based on the simple principles of arithmetic, and that the student will work his rvsy successfully through the book from beginning to end."

BENTLET EDW4RDS CHICO STATE C O ~ E ~

CHIC". C A ~ ~ ~ F O R N ~ A

0 TOPICS IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

W. Mansfield CIark, DeLamar Professor of Physiological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University Schwl of Medicine. Second edition. The Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1952. miii + 777 pp. Illustrated. 16 X 23.5 cm. $10.

\I . \su, iinot inosr, of h e physiwl vhemi~fry tL~xtlwdii <1t~41A1.1d

ior thr uw of premcrliral anJ rwdical studmt* are simply d11utt.d vr r iow of thc in~trti.11 studirJ 1)s studernta nmioritw in ihmtir- try. Also, these texts often apply theprinciplesof ph&d ch:mi- stry to the solution of biological prohlems as an apparent ~ f t e c thought. As a. result, the students believe that, the science of physical chemidry it too impractical to be applied to the study of the art of medicine. This hook does not suffer from these defi- ciencies. Admittedly, it does not fully cover all of the classical subdivisions of the subject but this is not necessary in order to accomplish the purpose intended. For example, t,reatments of the solid state and of the ~ h a e rule are not to be found in this text.

Briefly, the author selects topics of interest to the student and illuminates themin the strong light of physical chemist,^. From experiences with the fimt edition, the student will come to look upon physical chemistry as a powerful friend instead of an indif- ferent and obscure entit,?. The chapter headings, abridged, are: Limiting laws, review of conventions, the balance, measurements of volume, density, sedimentation, the gas laws, colligative propeF ties, distribution between phases, diffusion, semipermeable membranes, kinetics, equilibria, electrolytes, conductance, pH, protein solutions, equilibria. in the blwd electrolytes, thenno- dynrtmics, redox relations, potentiometry, the polarograpb, atomir and molecular structure, isotopes, refraction and polariaa- tion, stereoisomerism, radiant energy, luminescence, colloids.

Thia book, written as R. supplementary text, is too volumi- nous to be covered in a one-or even two-semester course. Rove,; t,heless, it ran Ire used as a text for premedical physical chemistry