Chemistry Essentials For Dummies

Book Preface

About This Book
My goal with this book is to give you the really essential information and concepts that you would face in a first semester  chemistry class in high school or college. I’ve omitted a lot n of topics found in a typical chemistry textbook. This book is  designed to give you the bare essentials.
Remember, this is a light treatment. If you want more, many  other books are available. My favorite, naturally, is Chemistry  For Dummies. I understand the author is really a great guy.

Conventions Used in This Book
Here are a couple of conventions you find in For Dummies  books:
✓ I use italics to emphasize new words and technical terms,  which I follow with easy-to-understand definitions.
✓ Bold text marks keywords in bulleted lists and highlights  the general steps to follow in a numbered list.
In addition, I’ve tried to organize this book in approximately  the same order of topics found in a one-semester general  chemistry course. I’ve included some figures for you to look at;  refer to them as you read along. Also, pay particular attention  to the reactions that I use. I’ve attempted to use reactions that  you may be familiar with or ones that are extremely important  industrially.
Foolish Assumptions
I don’t know your exact reasons for picking up this guide, but
I assume you want to know something about chemistry. Here  are some reasons for reading:
✓ You may be taking (or retaking) a chemistry class. This  book offers a nice, quick review for your final exam. It can  also give you a refresher before you plunge into a new course, such as biochemistry or organic chemistry.
✓ You may be preparing for some type of professional  exam in which a little chemistry appears. This book gives  you the essentials, not the fluff.
✓ You may be a parent trying to help a student with his or  her homework or assignment. Pay attention to what your  child is currently studying and try to stay a little ahead.
✓ Finally, you may be what people call a “nontraditional  student.” You knew most of this material once upon a  time, but now you need a quick review.
Whatever the reason, I hope that I’m able to give you what  you need in order to succeed. Good luck

Icons Used in This Book
If you’ve read any other For Dummies books (such as the great
Chemistry For Dummies), you’ll recognize the two icons used  in this book. Here are their meanings:
This icon alerts you to those really important things you  shouldn’t forget. These are ideas that you most probably need  to memorize for an exam.
This icon points out the easiest or quickest way to understand a particular concept. These are the tricks of the trade  that I’ve picked up in my 40+ years learning chemistry.
Where to Go from Here
Where you go next really depends on you and your reason  for using this book. If you’re having difficulty with a particular topic, go right to that chapter and section. If you’re a real  novice, start at Chapter 1 and go from there. If you’re using  the book for review, skim quickly starting at the beginning  and read in more depth those topics that seem a little fuzzy  to you. You can even use this book as a fat bookmark in your  regular chemistry textbook.
Whatever way you use this book, I hope that it helps and you  grow to appreciate the wonderful world of chemistr

Contents at a Glance
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Chapter 1: Matter and Energy: Exploring the Stuff of Chemistry ……. 5
Chapter 2: What’s In an Atom? …………………………………………………….. 17
Chapter 3: The Periodic Table ……………………………………………………… 35
Chapter 4: Nuclear Chemistry ……………………………………………………… 43
Chapter 5: Ionic Bonding ……………………………………………………………… 55
Chapter 6: Covalent Bonding ……………………………………………………….. 69
Chapter 7: Chemical Reactions …………………………………………………….. 87
Chapter 8: Electrochemistry: Using Electrons ……………………………. 111
Chapter 9: Measuring Substances with the Mole ………………………… 125
Chapter 10: A Salute to Solutions ……………………………………………….. 135
Chapter 11: Acids and Bases ………………………………………………………. 145
Chapter 12: Clearing the Air on Gases ………………………………………… 159
Chapter 13: Ten Serendipitous Discoveries in Chemistry …………… 171
Index………………………………………………………………………………………….. 175