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Preface

Preface

This textbook is adapted from Chemistry 2e by Paul Flowers, Klaus Theopold, Richard Langley, and William R. Robinson (OpenStax), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). This adaptation is part of the Universal Open Textbook Initiative.

About Chemistry

Chemistry is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of the two-semester general chemistry course. The textbook provides an important opportunity for students to learn the core concepts of chemistry and understand how those concepts apply to their lives and the world around them. The book also includes a number of innovative features, including interactive exercises and real-world applications, designed to enhance student learning.

Coverage and scope

Our Chemistry textbook adheres to the scope and sequence of most general chemistry courses nationwide. We strive to make chemistry, as a discipline, interesting and accessible to students. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and arranged to provide a logical progression from fundamental to more advanced concepts of chemical science. Topics are introduced within the context of familiar experiences whenever possible, treated with an appropriate rigor to satisfy the intellect of the learner, and reinforced in subsequent discussions of related content. The organization and pedagogical features were developed and vetted with feedback from chemistry educators dedicated to the project.

Pedagogical foundation and features

Throughout Chemistry, you will find features that draw the students into scientific inquiry by taking selected topics a step further. Students and educators alike will appreciate discussions in these feature boxes.

  • Chemistry in Everyday Life ties chemistry concepts to everyday issues and real-world applications of science that students encounter in their lives. Topics include cell phones, solar thermal energy power plants, plastics recycling, and measuring blood pressure.
  • How Sciences Interconnect feature boxes discuss chemistry in context of its interconnectedness with other scientific disciplines. Topics include neurotransmitters, greenhouse gases and climate change, and proteins and enzymes.
  • Portrait of a Chemist presents a short bio and an introduction to the work of prominent figures from history and present day so that students can see the "faces" of contributors in this field as well as science in action.

Comprehensive art program

Our art program is designed to enhance students' understanding of concepts through clear, effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Figure A shows a puffy white cotton boll growing on a brown twig. Figure B shows a magnified cotton strand. The strand appears transparent but contains dark areas within its interior. Figure C shows the surface of several crisscrossing and overlapping cotton fibers. Its surface is rough along the edges but smooth near the center of each strand. Figure D shows three strands of molecules connected into three vertical chains. Each strand contains about five molecules. Figure E shows that the cotton molecule contains about a dozen atoms. The black carbon atoms form rings that are connected by red oxygen atoms. Many of the carbon atoms are also bonded to hydrogen atoms, shown as white balls, or other oxygen atoms. This figure shows a box on the left that contains a radium source of alpha particles which generates a beam of alpha particles. The beam travels through an opening within a ring-shaped luminescent screen which is used to detect scattered alpha particles. A piece of thin gold foil is at the center of the ring formed by the screen. When the beam encounters the gold foil, most of the alpha particles pass straight through it and hit the luminescent screen directly behind the foil. Some of the alpha particles are slightly deflected by the foil and hit the luminescent screen off to the side of the foil. Some alpha particles are significantly deflected and bounce back to hit the front of the screen. This figure shows two flasks, labeled a and b. The flasks are both sealed with stoppers and are nearly three-quarters full of a liquid. Flask a is labeled H C l followed by g in parentheses. In the liquid there are approximately twenty space-filling molecular models composed of one red sphere and two smaller attached white spheres. The label H subscript 2 O followed by a q in parentheses is connected with a line to one of these models. In the space above the liquid in the flask, four space filling molecular models composed of one larger green sphere to which a smaller white sphere is bonded are shown. To one of these models, the label H C l followed by g in parentheses is attached with a line segment. An arrow is drawn from the space above the liquid pointing down into the liquid below. Flask b is labeled H subscript 3 O superscript positive sign followed by a q in parentheses. This is followed by a plus sign and C l superscript negative sign which is also followed by a q in parentheses. In this flask, no molecules are shown in the open space above the liquid. A label, C l superscript negative sign followed by a q in parentheses, is connected with a line segment to a green sphere. This sphere is surrounded by four molecules composed each of one red sphere and two white smaller spheres. A few of these same molecules appear separate from the green spheres in the liquid. A line segment connects one of them to the label H subscript 2 O which is followed by l in parentheses. There are a few molecules formed from one central larger red sphere to which three smaller white spheres are bonded. A line segment is drawn from one of these to the label H subscript 3 O superscript positive sign, followed by a q in parentheses. This figure includes diagrams of five d orbitals. Each diagram includes three axes. The z-axis is vertical and is denoted with an upward pointing arrow. It is labeled The figure illustrates four ways to represent molecules for molecules of methane, ethane, and pentane. In the first row of the figure, Lewis structural formulas show element symbols and bonds between atoms. Methane has a central C atom with four H atoms bonded to it. Ethane has a C atom with three H atoms bonded to it. The C atom is also bonded to another C atom with three H atoms bonded to it. Pentane has a C atom with three H atoms bonded to it. The C atom is bonded to another C atom with two H atoms bonded to it. The C atom is bonded to another C atom with two H atoms bonded to it. The C atom is bonded to another C atom with two H atoms bonded to it. The C atom is bonded to another C atom with three H atoms bonded to it. In the second row, ball-and-stick models are shown. In these representations, bonds are represented with sticks, and elements are represented with balls. Carbon atoms are black and hydrogen atoms are white in this image. In the third row, space-filling models are shown. In these models, atoms are enlarged and pushed together, without sticks to represent bonds. The molecule names and structural formulas are provided in the fourth row. Methane is named and represented with a condensed structural formula as C H subscript 4. Ethane is named and represented with two structural formulas C H subscript 3 C H subscript 3 and C subscript 2 H subscript 6. Pentane is named and represented as both C H subscript 3 C H subscript 2 C H subscript 2 C H subscript 2 C H subscript 3 and C subscript 5 H subscript 12. Three images are shown. The first image shows a cube with black dots at each corner and red dots in the center of each face of the cube while the second image is composed of eight spheres that are stacked together to form a cube with six more spheres, one located on each face of the structure. Dots at the center of each corner sphere are connected to form a cube shape. The name under this image reads A diagram shows two spheres composed of many smaller white and green spheres connected by a right-facing arrow with another, down-facing arrow coming off of it. The left sphere, labeled

Interactives that engage

Chemistry incorporates links to relevant interactive exercises and animations that help bring topics to life through our Link to Learning feature. Examples include:

  • PhET simulations
  • IUPAC data and interactives
  • TED Talks

Assessments that reinforce key concepts

In-chapter Examples walk students through problems by posing a question, stepping out a solution, and then asking students to practice the skill with a "Check Your Learning" component. The book also includes assessments at the end of each chapter so students can apply what they've learned through practice problems.

Answers to Questions in the Book

Answers to Examples are provided just below the question in the book. Odd-numbered Exercises are provided to students in the Answer Key as well as the Student Solution Guide on the Student Resources page. Even-numbered answers are provided only to instructors in the Instructor Answer Guide via the Instructor Resources page.

Additional Resources

Instructor resources are available on the OpenStax website. Community-contributed resources are available on OER Commons.

About the authors

Senior contributing authors

Paul Flowers, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
 Dr. Paul Flowers earned a BS in Chemistry from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in 1983 and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Tennessee in 1988. After a one-year postdoctoral appointment at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he joined the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in the fall of 1989. Dr. Flowers teaches courses in general and analytical chemistry, and conducts experimental research involving the development of new devices and methods for microscale chemical analysis.

Klaus Theopold, University of Delaware
 Dr. Klaus Theopold (born in Berlin, Germany) received his Vordiplom from the Universität Hamburg in 1977. He then decided to pursue his graduate studies in the United States, where he received his PhD in inorganic chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1982. After a year of postdoctoral research at MIT, he joined the faculty at Cornell University. In 1990, he moved to the University of Delaware, where he is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and serves as an Associate Director of the University's Center for Catalytic Science and Technology. Dr. Theopold regularly teaches graduate courses in inorganic and organometallic chemistry as well as general chemistry.

Richard Langley, Stephen F. Austin State University
 Dr. Richard Langley earned BS degrees in Chemistry and Mineralogy from Miami University of Ohio in the early 1970s and went on to receive his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska in 1977. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Arizona State University Center for Solid State Studies, Dr. Langley taught in the University of Wisconsin system and participated in research at Argonne National Laboratory. Moving to Stephen F. Austin State University in 1982, Dr. Langley today serves as Professor of Chemistry. His areas of specialization are solid state chemistry, synthetic inorganic chemistry, fluorine chemistry, and chemical education.

William R. Robinson, PhD

Contributing authors

Mark Blaser, Shasta College
 Simon Bott, University of Houston
 Donald Carpenetti, Craven Community College
 Andrew Eklund, Alfred University
 Emad El-Giar, University of Louisiana at Monroe
 Don Frantz, Wilfrid Laurier University
 Paul Hooker, Westminster College
 Jennifer Look, Mercer University
 George Kaminski, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
 Carol Martinez, Central New Mexico Community College
 Troy Milliken, Jackson State University
 Vicki Moravec, Trine University
 Jason Powell, Ferrum College
 Thomas Sorensen, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
 Allison Soult, University of Kentucky

Reviewers

Casey Akin, College Station Independent School District
 Lara AL-Hariri, University of Massachusetts–Amherst
 Sahar Atwa, University of Louisiana at Monroe
 Todd Austell, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
 Bobby Bailey, University of Maryland–University College
 Robert Baker, Trinity College
 Jeffrey Bartz, Kalamazoo College
 Greg Baxley, Cuesta College
 Ashley Beasley Green, National Institute of Standards and Technology
 Patricia Bianconi, University of Massachusetts
 Lisa Blank, Lyme Central School District
 Daniel Branan, Colorado Community College System
 Dorian Canelas, Duke University
 Emmanuel Chang, York College
 Carolyn Collins, College of Southern Nevada
 Colleen Craig, University of Washington
 Yasmine Daniels, Montgomery College–Germantown
 Patricia Dockham, Grand Rapids Community College
 Erick Fuoco, Richard J. Daley College
 Andrea Geyer, University of Saint Francis
 Daniel Goebbert, University of Alabama
 John Goodwin, Coastal Carolina University
 Stephanie Gould, Austin College
 Patrick Holt, Bellarmine University
 George A. Kaminski, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
 Kevin Kolack, Queensborough Community College
 Amy Kovach, Roberts Wesleyan College
 Judit Kovacs Beagle, University of Dayton
 Krzysztof Kuczera, University of Kansas
 Marcus Lay, University of Georgia
 Pamela Lord, University of Saint Francis
 Oleg Maksimov, Excelsior College
 John Matson, Virginia Tech
 Katrina Miranda, University of Arizona
 Douglas Mulford, Emory University
 Mark Ott, Jackson College
 Adrienne Oxley, Columbia College
 Richard Pennington, Georgia Gwinnett College
 Rodney Powell, Coastal Carolina Community College
 Jeanita Pritchett, Montgomery College–Rockville
Aheda Saber, University of Illinois at Chicago
 Raymond Sadeghi, University of Texas at San Antonio
 Nirmala Shankar, Rutgers University
 Jonathan Smith, Temple University
 Bryan Spiegelberg, Rider University
 Ron Sternfels, Roane State Community College
 Cynthia Strong, Cornell College
 Kris Varazo, Francis Marion University
 Victor Vilchiz, Virginia State University
 Alex Waterson, Vanderbilt University
 JuchaoYan, Eastern New Mexico University
 Mustafa Yatin, Salem State University
 Kazushige Yokoyama, State University of New York at Geneseo
 Curtis Zaleski, Shippensburg University
 Wei Zhang, University of Colorado–Boulder