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best general chemistry test I've used

Customer Rating:
I have used many general chemistry text books as an undergrad, grad student, as a technician and as an educator. This edition of this text is by far the best I've come across. The 7th and 8th editions are terrible (not the exact same title). The newer editions are loaded down with information that's supposed to make chemistry easier. Constant attempts to make things easier actually make them harder. I think that trend also undermines students' independence in learning.

Specifics:
1. VISUAL CLARITY: There are only a few example questions per topic placed within the chapter, and the way they appear in the text is clear. It is easy to flip back through a chapter and find topics. Of course, end-of-chapter examples are referenced in example questions.

2. ACID/BASE CHEMISTRY. For anyone wanting to use this for teaching or tutoring...

--This edition covers the topics in this order: non-buffered, buffered, hydrolysis of salts, titrations. Many books (including, I believe, latter editions of this text) cover acidic and basic salts first, possibly titration next, before buffers. Maybe it's because I learned it differently that I think that's weird. But I include this here in case YOU think that's weird.

-- The one thing I don't like about this book is that "ICE" tables are explained, but different forms of the table should be used for non-buffered solutions, buffered solutions, buffering action (titration), and hydrolysis of salts. There is no emphasis on that, and it confuses students because the hardest thing seems to be identifying which table to set up. No explanation for why molarity is used in most ICE tables, but moles are used in titrations. No explanation is given why balancing reactions the usual way is unnecessary or even ill-advised in most problems. For example, if it's a common ion on the right, why isn't the coefficient a 2? Nevertheless, I find acid/base to be MUCH clearer in this book than in others.

4. QUANTUM CHEMISTRY: This book is correct and adequately technical but not made ridiculously abstract. It seems many authors feel it is disrespectful to the long dead geezers who discovered this stuff (I forget their names) to make this topic any less than impossible to understand. Students are angry, not happy, when they realize quantum numbers are actually very easy to understand. Invariably, I get a dubious silence followed by, "That's it?!"

FOR STUDENTS: I have convinced a few students to get this text because it can be bought for close to nothing. They told me they were glad they bought it. It isn't out of date. The foundations of chemistry don't change very quickly, if you know what I mean. It's been a long time since the universe was different. Finally, it's hard to find a picture of this book on sites that sell it ("no image available"). Some sellers don't provide very clear information, and Whitten has co-authoered a few other books so it would be easy to get the wrong one. This one has a dark cover with an orange shower of sparks. It's the 4th edition.

worst chem book ever

Customer Rating:
This is the most horrible chemistry book, I have ever seen. There are so many mistakes, there are not enough examples with clear explanations, and it looks as if the authors spent about 10 minutes trying to organize this. I have used other chemistry books, and not to say that they are perfect, but this book really is horrible. Try and spend a couple dollars doing research on how to organize. When you introduce a topic in chapter 4, do not say it will be explained in chapter 11. Explain all topics the first time you mention them!

The Best Out There

Customer Rating:
This is truly the best g. chem. book I've seen, out of about 6 or 7. It's not too complex, but not too simple either. For pre-med students a must -- it helped me score a 14 in the physical section of the MCAT

Finally a chemistry book worth having!

Customer Rating:
I have a B.S. in Chemistry and tutor it at our local junior college where this book is the one being used for the course. I have never found a general chem book good enough to keep until now. The text and examples are very clear and easy to follow and understand. The pictures and sections on chemistry in the real world are enlightening. I was so impressed with this book that I actually bought it to keep for my own library, and I didn't need to do that because I was required to have it! The only thing I would like to see them improve on the next edition is the index. This is done as a combination glossary/index and there are many things that I have tried to find in the index that are not listed. So get a better indexer on the next edition!