The seventh Edition of Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation offers unparalleled teaching and learning resources, with a robust technology package, in addition to the superior problem-solving pedagogy, engaging writing style, and strong emphasis on everyday applications that comprise the hallmarks of this best-selling text. Chemical reactions are covered early, to capture student interest, leaving more abstract material for later chapters.The authors explain chemical concepts by starting with the basics, using symbols or diagrams, and concluding by encouraging students to test their own comprehension of the solution. This step-by-step approach helps students develop critical problem-solving skills. Also, the accessible explanations and visualizations throughout the text motivate students and engage them in the material by helping them to connect abstract chemical principles to real-life experiences. The pedagogy includes chapter-opening discussions that introduce students to relevant applications and Chemistry in Focus boxes that describe everyday applications of chemistry such as artificial sweeteners, foaming chewing gum, and fake fats. Current applications appear throughout the text with easy-to-understand explanations and analogies.
Some other chemistry textbooks (I also have Silberberg's Chemistry and Brown et al's Chemistry: The Central Science) read like reference materials or encyclopedias. Zumdahl and DeCoste's book instead feels like a lively teacher explaining it in a really simple way that's easy to understand with graphics that really clarify the concepts.
For example, in their explanation of orbital theory, instead of just launching into the details of quantum mechanics, Zumdahl and DeCoste start with an anology of a firefly flying (an electron) around a glass of pheromones in the center of a room (the nucleus) -- the firefly spends most of its time near the center, but veers outwards occassionally. While perhaps the analogy is not perfect, I found it really helped in learning about what orbiting electrons might look like.
The only possible shortcoming is that the text may not be as comprehensive as others. First, it's not as long (Chemistry: The Central Science is over 1100 pages, this book is only 800 odd pages). As a result, there were some topics I wanted to read about but weren't included (e.g. Lewis Acids-Bases and coordination chemistry).
Nonetheless, I do feel the quality makes up for quantity here. I have actually taken chemistry and due to my post-graduate ambitutions, have had to come back and relearn (and in many cases just learn for the first time) a lot of the basic chemistry concepts. This book really helped me and is a valuable asset.
That said, I also like Chemistry: The Central Science, and recommend getting both for the best reference collection on introductory chemistry.
Product Details :
Hardcover: 816 pages
Publisher: Brooks Cole; 7 edition (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439049408
ISBN-13: 978-1439049402
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.3 x 11.2 inches
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