(1) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry (2) Chemistry: an Elementary Text-book (3) The Chemistry of the Radio-elements (4) A Text-book of Practical Chemistry for Technical Institutes (5) Practical Chemistry for Medical Students (6) Elementary Experimental Chemistry (7) Chemistry Note-book (8) An Experimental Course of Physical Chemistry (9) Laboratory Exercises in Physical Chemistry

Abstract

(1) UNTIL recently the problems which are now discussed under the heading of “Physical Chemistry” were usually relegated to the preliminary chapters of a text-book of general chemistry, and only very occasionally touched upon in the later chapters of the book. Such a text-book had undoubted advantages from the point of view of the teacher; the text-book supplied the dry bones of chemistry, and in a course cf lectures the flesh and blood could be added without any undue risk of duplicating the teaching derived from the book. But for the solitary student it was an obvious disadvantage that such questions as mass-action and reversible changes should be dealt with in an isolated chapter, and their application to the “daily round” of chemical changes forgotten or neglected. It was to remedy this defect that the book now under review was written. The author has not merely professed the policy of stating facts before theories, but, in welcome contrast with some recent writers, has held to this policy, so that atomic weights are not introduced until chapter x., page 115. Criticism of the book is largely limited to points of detail. Thus the adoption of the old convention that one molecular proportion of a gas occupies “two volumes” appears to the writer to introduce unnecessary confusion, and seems to carry with it some lurking suspicion that the oxygen molecule O₂ occupies two volumes because it contains two atoms, although the volume occupied is precisely the same in the case of the monatomic molecule of mercury. More emphasis might have been placed upon the fact that molecular weights are now referred to O₂ = 32 instead of H₂ = 2, the statement on p. 109 that “the molecular weight of a gas is double its vapour density referred to hydrogen as unit” being therefore only an approximation and not an exact definition; we have also not noticed on a first reading any statement of the fact that Avogadro's hypothesis is itself only an approximation which becomes accurate only at zero pressure.

(1) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry.

By Dr. G. Senter. Pp. xi + 583. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1911.) Price 6s. 6d. (Text-books of Science.)

(2) Chemistry: an Elementary Text-book.

By Profs. W. C. Morgan J. A. Lyman. Pp. xvi + 429. (New York: the Macmillan Co.; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1911.) Price 5s. 6d. net.

(3) The Chemistry of the Radio-elements.

By F. Soddy Pp. v + 92 + chart. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1911.) Price 2s. 6d. net. (Monographs on Inorganic and Physical Chemistry.)

(4) A Text-book of Practical Chemistry for Technical Institutes.

By Dr. A. E. Dunstan F. B. Thole. Pp. x + 335. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1911.) Price 3s. 6d. (Text-books of Science.)

(5) Practical Chemistry for Medical Students.

By Dr. A. C. Gumming. With a preface by Prof. James Walker. Pp. 171. (Edinburgh: James Thin, 1911.)

(6) Elementary Experimental Chemistry.

By F. E. Weston. Pp. vii + 140. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1911.) Price 2s.

(7) Chemistry Note-book.

By E. J. Sumner. Pp. 92. (Burnley: the Cooper Printing Co., Ltd., n.d.) Price 2s.

(8) An Experimental Course of Physical Chemistry.

By Dr. J. F. Spencer. Part i., Statical Experiments. Pp. xiv + 228. (London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1911.) Price 3s. 6d.

(9) Laboratory Exercises in Physical Chemistry.

By Dr. J. N. Pring. Pp. xiv + 163. (Manchester: the University Press, 1911.) Price 4s. net.