Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (7th Edition)

Book Preface

This textbook and its related digital resources provide students in the allied health sciences with a needed background in chemistry and biochemistry while offering a general context for chemical concepts to ensure that students in other disciplines gain an appreciation of the importance of chemistry in everyday life.

To teach chemistry all the way from “What is an atom?” to “How do we get energy from glucose?” is a challenge. Throughout our general chemistry and organic chemistry coverage, the focus is on concepts fundamental to the chemistry of living things and everyday life. In our biochemistry coverage we strive to meet the further challenge of providing a context for the application of those concepts in biological systems. Our goal is to provide enough detail for thorough understanding while avoiding so much detail that students are overwhelmed. Many practical and relevant examples are included to illustrate the concepts and enhance student learning.

The material covered is ample for a two-term introduction to general, organic, and biological chemistry. While the general and early organic chapters contain concepts that are fundamental to understanding the material in biochemistry, the later chapters can be covered individually and in an order that can be adjusted to meet the needs of the students and the duration of the course.

The writing style is clear and concise and punctuated with practical and familiar examples from students’ personal experience. Art work, diagrams, and molecular models are used extensively to provide graphical illustration of concepts to enhance student understanding. Since the true test of knowledge is the ability to apply that knowledge appropriately, we include numerous worked examples that incorporate consistent problem-solving strategies.

Regardless of their career paths, all students will be citizens in an increasingly technological society. When they recognize the principles of chemistry at work not just in their careers but in their daily lives, they are prepared to make informed decisions on scientific issues based on a firm understanding of the underlying concepts.

New to This Edition

The major theme of this revision is making connections, which is accomplished in a variety of ways:

• NEW and updated Chemistry in Action boxes highlight and strengthen the connections between general, organic, and biological chemistry.
• NEW Mastering Reactions boxes discuss, in some depth, the “how” behind a number of organic reactions.
• NEW in-chapter questions specifically related to Chemistry in Action applications and Mastering Reactions reinforce the connection between the chapter content and practical applications.
• NEW Concept Maps added to certain chapters, draw connections between general,
organic, and biological chemistry—in particular those chapters dealing with intermolecular forces, chemical reactions and energy, acid–base chemistry, and relationships between functional groups, proteins, and their properties.
• NEW and updated Concept Links offer visual reminders for students that indicate when new material builds on concepts from previous chapters. Updated questions in the End of Chapter section build on Concept Links and require students to recall information learned in previous chapters.
• NEW and updated end-of-chapter (EOC) problems: approximately 20–25% of the end-of-chapter problems have been revised to enhance clarity.
• All Chapter Goals tied to EOC problem sets: chapter summaries include a list of EOC problems that correspond to the chapter goals for a greater connection between problems and concepts.
• Chapters 1 and 2 have been restructured to place a greater emphasis on building math skills.
• Chapter 6 (Chemical Reactions) has been reorganized into two chapters: Chapter 5 (Classification and Balancing of Chemical Reactions) and Chapter 6 (Chemical Reactions: Mole and Mass Relationships) to allow student to narrow their focus; Chapter 5 focuses on the qualitative aspect of reactions, while Chapter 6 focuses on calculations.