Synopses & Reviews
Teaches chemistry in context on a need-to-know basis. Using ordinary consumer products as examples, it explores the chemical principles behind them and how these principles affect our lives on a larger scale. A wealth of photographs and illustrations, boxed examples, end-of-chapter questions and exercises create an enjoyable learning experience.
Table of Contents
Partial table of contents:
Atoms and Elements: The Building Blocks of Chemistry.
Discovering the Secrets of the Nucleus: From a Photographic Mystery to the Atomic Bomb.
Oxidation and Reduction: The Electricity of Chemistry.
Petroleum: The Driving Force.
Acids and Bases: If It Tastes Sour It Must Be an Acid.
Food: Fuel for the Human Engine.
Carbohydrates: Food for Thought.
Minerals and Vitamins: The Vital Accessories.
Poisons, Toxins, Hazards, and Risks: What's Safe and What Isn't.
Polymers and Plastics: The Plastic Age.
Chemicals and the Mind: Chemicals of Perception and the Perception of Chemicals.
Appendices.
Glossary.
Answers to Selected Exercises.
Index.