djd710 - 9-10-2008 at 20:26
Hey guys,I was just wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a good chemistry book for just the basics,all the 101 concepts,elements
ect. Thanks a lot!
-Dave
jarynth - 9-10-2008 at 20:37
For practical reasons chemistry is subdivided into 'organic' and 'inorganic'. This is not a rigorous, widely agreed-upon distinction. Organic
chemistry deals with carbon-based substances such as those encountered in living beings. There are unlimited possibilities for building organic
molecules, so this branch tends to get rather broad and complex, but is also very exciting and ever-evolving. Thus it's better to start with inorganic
chemisty, which deals with the elements and their simplest compounds such as salts and minerals. The combinations are several, but by the nature of
inorganic compounds, limited by usually small molecular size or chemical complexity. However, some inorganic grounding is needed to pursue organic
chemistry and it provides endless awe to the beginner nonetheless.
You could start with a book dedicated to the elements (where each is described separately and in relation to its position in the periodic table)
accompanied by a chemistry dictionary, get a feeling for what inorganic compounds there exist, then move up to an introductory general chemistry
manual (this starts talking about how different atoms bond and react).
IMO try to avoid books about 'everyday' or 'naturally occurring' chemicals as these are usually disorganized and incomplete. If you need information
about a specific substance you can look it up online.
[Edited on 9-10-2008 by jarynth]
Nicodem - 9-10-2008 at 23:40
Djd710, there are at least a dozen threads discussing your problem. Please use the search engine before you make members here talk about their book
preferences all over again.
HydroCarbon - 10-10-2008 at 20:22
This is the best general chemistry book I've found.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/053499766X
Do a search next time, though, as I posted this exact link in another thread.
kclo4 - 10-10-2008 at 22:51
Check out this thread: http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=6664
benzal - 11-10-2008 at 15:40
I always thought Vogels was extreemly informative and while not focusing only on the basice does cover many techniques and is extreemly informative.
Try your libraray, they probably have a copy 