Chemistry: The Central Science, Ninth Edition

The Web Site is excellent even though I only use the standard version and not the electronic chapters. The solution manual is so-so. Sometimes shortcuts are used without explanation which is dangerous for AP students.

I would not recommend this book for use in the high school classroom from the point of view of both the teacher using the books and materials and the student attempting to learn from the book.


Finally, a readable Chemistry text...   November 1, 2005
Benjamin Britton (Colorado, USA)
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

I used this book for Chemistry II (second semester General College Chemistry). Compared to my first semester text, this is the best text ever.

College chemistry is designed to be difficult, the books shouldn't be. My 1st textbook talked and discussed as if we were Master's student's majoring in chemistry... not freshman.

This text speaks generally in ENGLISH and not in Chemistry jargon like so many textbooks do.

You won't get all the unneccessary information that many other texts have, and the author's seem like they actually want you to learn chemistry... not a common idea in chemistry texts or by professors.

Of course, as with any college level text, a basic high school chemistry course is recommended before taking or reading this text...

Enjoy!!!


classic text   February 28, 2004
15 out of 19 found this review helpful

This text is widely used and has helped many students to understand chemistry. The sequence of topics presented is traditional. It has a good chapter on modern materials. The dual-column format of examples clearly shows problem solving strategies.

This, and all other similar textbooks, are written for studnents who have appropriate background in high school sciences and reasonable reading comprehension. It is not fair to compare this book with a teacher whom you can talk face to face. Considering the poor reading skills of today's college students, most of whom have hard time with any materals written at 8th grade readability level and do have no idea on how to read and use a textbook, it is impossible for any textbook to do the magic of enlightening them.

The companion website of this text has thousands of problems available for practice, much more than most other similar textbook websites. Learning chemistry is like learning how to play tennis. You can't expect to learn how to play tennis by watching tennis matches on TV. Similarly, you can't expect to learn chemistry by simply reading the textbook or watching your professors solve problems in class. You have to practice. If this is the text you are using, take advantage of this good resource. Students using other texts are not as lucky as you are.

For a slightly more engaging text, see the one by Moore, Stanitski and Jurs.


Not at all for beginners   February 1, 2006
Justin Davis (Connecticut, USA)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

I am currently taking an AP chemistry class, and we use this book. The class is meant to be extremely difficult, accelarated, and in-depth. We cover 22 out of the 25 chapters; we do not do modern materials, chemistry of the environment, or coordination compounds.
I feel like this book tries to cover too much for a first year college course. For example, I think they go overboard with the organic and biochemistry, the metallurgy, and the molecular orbitals at the end of chapter 9.
However, I think chapters like the one on electronic structure should take more time on the electrol configuration on transition metals and exceptions to Hund's rule and less time on the line spectra, the Bohr model, and the wave behavior of matter. The quantum mechanics, which I consider to be a very important part of electronic structure, is summarized in a table and barely explained.
The best part of the book is that there are a ton of problems for practice.
It is NOT a good book to use if you are trying to teach yourself college chemistry. You absolutely must have a teacher in conjunction with this book.