singulare
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Getting Started
Hello,
I want to get started in chemistry, i have no background in chemistry. i want a good basic knowledge, which books are a must read for a novice. my
interest lies in energetic materials mainly.
The Library on the main page doesn't work for me.
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blogfast25
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Hi,
That's a very broad question you're asking and it would be better placed in the 'beginners section'. Library books in SM's library are for the most
part quite advanced and not much use to the novice.
What do you understand by 'get(ting) started in chemistry'? What are your immediate goals?
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singulare
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My goal is a good knowlegde of energetic chemistry. By getting started i mean which books i need to read. Books in energetic chemistry particularly,
but also books how to work safe.
[Edited on 22-3-2013 by singulare]
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woelen
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Especially if you are into energetic materials, it is really important that you understand basic chemistry. Try to find a basic chemistry book for
Havo or VWO schools at "De Slegte". Concepts like what is an element, what are atoms, the periodic table of elements and basic properties of
acids/bases, oxidizers/reductors are covered by those books. You also learn how to balance equations and the concept of molecular weight and the mole
is introduced.
If you have such basic understanding, then you might want to specialize into organics or inorganics. Energetic materials can be organic compounds and
understanding these compounds may require specific knowledge about organic reactions (e.g. nitrations, formation of peroxides, more general
esterification reactions).
Buf first try to get some basic understanding and in order to make things somewhat easier and more entertaining it may be very interesting to buy some
chemicals as well and do some funny reactions yourself. And here I do not mean energetics, but general chemistry, which demonstrates some basic
concepts (e.g. making precipitates of metal salts, some nice colorful redox reactions, production of certain gases and doing experiments with these
gases, etc.).
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singulare
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Thanks woelen, thats what i meant with basic knowledge. Should i read books on energetic materials also, after the havo/vwo chemistey book?
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woelen
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Reading books, specialized in energetics always is useful, but once you have basic understanding of chemistry, I'm quite sure that the sciencemadness
library has enough interesting reads for you which you'll understand by then.
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