Looking for material explaining observed property differences within a periodic period

Quote: Originally posted by Rainwater

I'm still trying to learn everything about gibbs free energy. I found this some time ago https://www.chemguideforcie.co.uk/2022section27/learning27p1... It basicly states something about the ion bond size having a direct effect on solubility

Any college inorganic chemistry text (there are even free ones on line) will give a good explanation of the trends in the periodic table. Basically, it all comes down to the difference in electronic configurations. For example, the elements in a column generally have similar physical and chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in their valence orbitals. The differences among the elements in the same group (column) can be attributed to the fact that their valence orbitals are in different shells.

Try to Google something like "free open access chemistry texts" and see where it leads you. If you are like me you will get sidetracked at least 2 or 3 times during your Goodling session.

Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA

Any college inorganic chemistry text (there are even free ones on line) will give a good explanation of the trends in the periodic table.

Yeah, it's been about 40 years since I read through a college chemistry book. I will find a used one and see what I have forgotten, and what is being taught these days .

Quote: Originally posted by hodges

Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA   Any college inorganic chemistry text (there are even free ones on line) will give a good explanation of the trends in the periodic table. Yeah, it's been about 40 years since I read through a college chemistry book. I will find a used one and see what I have forgotten, and what is being taught these days .

After retirement and not practicing chemistry for about 50 years, on Amazon I bought "Chemistry: The Central Science" by Brown, et. al., 11th edition (2009) and Organic Chemistry, by Janice Gorzynski Smith, 2nd editiion (2008). Also I was lucky enough to locate the solution manual for both texts. These solution books not only have the answers to the exercises but also how the solution was obtained. As I work through each chapter, I don't start the next chapter until I have finished all of the problems for that chapter, which often will be 75-100+ problems. When I was an undergraduate I was told the answer to "surviving chemistry" was to work a lot of problems. I can't say I did this because work and a 20+semester hour caseload distracted me. However it was excellent advice to work a lot of problems. It is important not just to arrive at the correct answer, but to see how it was obtained.

On another note, I think pretty much all of introductory chemistry, inorganic and organic, can be summarized on a single sheet of paper. (both sides of a legal sheet at most). I think that the bottom line to figuring out chemistry is to "follow the electrons," (another piece of advice that I picked up somewhere). Once you know how electrons are the major factor in determining the properties of atoms, and how they determine the interactions between atoms and/or molecules, you pretty much should be able to explain a good deal of chemistry. After all, there are not that many different types of chemical reactions!

Well, enough preaching for one night; besides it is time for dinner (my homemade minestrone).

Good luck in your endeavor to learn chemistry!

Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA

After retirement and not practicing chemistry for about 50 years, on Amazon I bought "Chemistry: The Central Science" by Brown, et. al., 11th edition (2009)