The third edition of General Chemistry: The Essential Concepts continues the tradition of presenting only the material that is essential for a one-year general chemistry course. As before, I have included all the core topics that are necessary for a solid foundation in general chemistry without sacrificing depth, clarity, or rigor.
General Chemistry covers these core topics in the same depth and at the same level as 1100-page texts. Therefore, this book is not a condensed version of a big text. I have written it so that an instructor can cover 95 percent of the content, instead of the two-thirds or three-quarters that in my experience is typical for the big books. My hope is that this concise-but-thorough approach will appeal to efficiency-minded instructors and will please value-conscious students. Encouraging responses from users convince me that I am on the right track.
NEW and Improved Changes for the Third Edition
The main goal of this edition is to further improve areas that will facilitate the instructor and aid students in important areas such as organization, art program, pedagogy, readability, and media. Summarized below are the highlights of this edition.
Organization
NEW title reflecting the content of this text is for a one-year introductory chemistry course.
The chapter on organic chemistry (Chapter 11) has been extensively revised. Its placement enables the instructor to use organic molecules to illustrate the concepts of chemical bonding and mechanisms of reactions. For schools whose curricula involve general chemistry in the first semester and organic chemistry in the second semester, this chapter should prepare the student well for the transition.
The chapter on coordination chemistry has been moved to near the end of the book.
The chapter on Organic Polymers (Chapter 22 in 2e) has been eliminated. While this is it is an important area and much of the exciting work is being done, students first need a good background in organic chemistry to appreciate the subject.
There is no general agreement on the merit of teaching molecular orbital theory in an introductory chemistry course. A recent survey by McGraw-Hill of over two hundred instructors shows about a 50-50 split on this matter. For this reason, I have added a section on molecular orbital theory in Chapter 10 and have shown its application to aromatic compounds in Chapter 11. For instructors who prefer not to cover this topic, it can be omitted without disruption or loss of continuity.
Art ProgramNEW molecular art images were created using Spartan molecular modeling program. These drawings enable students to gain a better understanding of the three-dimensionality of molecules, electron distribution, and details of chemical reactions. Many other figures are new or have been revised. For example, see Figures 5.5, 10.5, 14.21, and marginal arts on pp. aa, bb, and cc.
PedagogyMany "Worked Examples" have been revised to more clearly show steps in problem solving.
A NEW periodic table icon illustrates the properties of elements according to their positions in the periodic table.
A number of NEW end-of-chapter problems and Special Problems have been added.
A NEW Animation Icon (place icon here) points to material that is further illustrated by an animation. The list of animations has been increased to include the new animations.
Readability
Material is presented in a clear-cut and concise manner.
Main points are fully developed.
MediaNEW Essential Study Partner (ESP) interactive student tutorial.
Improved Online Learning Center website for instructors and students.
To obtain an instructor login for this Online Learning Center, ask your local sales representative.
If you're an instructor thinking about adopting this textbook, request a free copy for review.
2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education