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Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science)
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| List Price: | £22.99 |
| Price: | £14.09 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery on orders over £5. Details |
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Product Description
For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work:
- Purify alcohol by distillation
- Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis
- Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself
- Analyze the makeup of seawater, bone, and other common substances
- Synthesize oil of wintergreen from aspirin and rayon fiber from paper
- Perform forensics tests for fingerprints, blood, drugs, and poisons
- and much more
From the 1930s through the 1970s, chemistry sets were among the most popular Christmas gifts, selling in the millions. But two decades ago, real chemistry sets began to disappear as manufacturers and retailers became concerned about liability. ,em>The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments steps up to the plate with lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab. The bulk of this book consists of 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions on the following topics:
- Separating Mixtures
- Solubility and Solutions
- Colligative Properties of Solutions
- Introduction to Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry
- Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions
- Acid-Base Chemistry
- Chemical Kinetics
- Chemical Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's Principle
- Gas Chemistry
- Thermochemistry and Calorimetry
- Electrochemistry
- Photochemistry
- Colloids and Suspensions
- Qualitative Analysis
- Quantitative Analysis
- Synthesis of Useful Compounds
- Forensic Chemistry
This hands-on introduction to real chemistry -- using real equipment, real chemicals, and real quantitative experiments -- is ideal for the many thousands of young people and adults who want to experience the magic of chemistry.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #40718 in Books
- Published on: 2008-04-29
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 415 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Robert Bruce Thompson is a coauthor of Building the Perfect PC, Astronomy Hacks, and the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders. Thompson built his first computer in 1976 from discrete chips. It had 256 bytes of memory, used toggle switches and LEDs for I/O, ran at less than 1MHz, and had no operating system. Since then, he has bought, built, upgraded, and repaired hundreds of PCs for himself, employers, customers, friends, and clients. Thompson reads mysteries and nonfiction for relaxation, but only on cloudy nights. He spends most clear, moonless nights outdoors with his 10-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope, hunting down faint fuzzies, and is currently designing a larger truss-tube Dobsonian (computerized, of course) that he plans to build.
Customer Reviews
Thank you for a REAL FUN chemistry book
The author, Mr. Thompson, obviously loves the subject, and yes, darn it, chemistry should be "fun", a little dangerous and educational.
I share the author's lament over the passing of a "proper" chemistry set. The one I had as a kid contained all the "no-no's" (or should I say KNO, KNO3!)
In that day you could go to the chemist and buy all manner of chemicals "off the shelf".
At school we made rockets (after school hours, I had a terrific Chemistry Master.....
Now my Son wants to learn, we home ed.... this book gives me the chance to "teach" or better "inspire" him:- That I did already, demonstrating the oxidizing qualities of KMnO4, innitially he smuggly goes yeah and.... then quite soon it's wow, how the heck did that happen?
With the chemistry sets of today you take two or more chemicals, mix them together and go "um er what's supposed to happen", as the chemicals just sit there, or if you are lucky change color!
An experiment has to DO something tangible. Thank you for a great book!
On an offside as it seems that we are being treated more and more like halfwits, perhaps we could have a "for dummies" line of chemistry sets, and then have a range that are designed for the responsible, and wanna b edjucaited majority!!
A really useful practical chemistry book
As a teacher of traditional Chemistry in a traditional sixth form, I am always on the lookout for resources that are approachable but rigorous and which are 'real life' chemistry. That's exactly what this book is. Of course, it's got lots of traditional chemistry in it, but it challenges the reader on how to approach chemistry through practical work using very basic equipment. As well as suggested practical procedures, there is just enough theoretical support to make solid learning happen. The range of experiments is impressive and easily adapted, if adaptation is necessary, to a traditional laboratory setting. It's also fun. Thoroughly recommended.
Excellent and serious treatment of the subject
How I mourn the demise of the old style chemistry sets - today's offerings are a sad and pathetic shadow of what they used to be. This book takes a fun, but very serious scientific approach to the science of chemistry as a hobby, and doesn't just teach you how to make pretty (but useless) coloured solutions. Of course, in these days where you require top level security clearance just to buy some meths for your spirit burner, it's not easy to find the chemicals required to carry out the experiements in this book - but companies DO exist in the UK who will legally supply individuals so don't be disheartened. I have no hesitation in recommending this book - and perhaps we should all lobby our MPs to BRING BACK THE CHEMISTRY SET!!!
