By Robert Bruce Thompson
April 2008
Pages: 432
ISBN 10: 0-596-51492-1 |
ISBN 13: 9780596514921
Press Release
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. Learn how to smelt copper, purify alcohol, synthesize rayon, test for drugs and poisons, and much more. The book includes lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab, along with 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions.
Full Description
- 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.
Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter
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Media reviews
"I don't know whom to blame for the demise of chemistry sets: nervous moms or Homeland Security. Mom worried that my brother and I would splash ourselves with acid. And science junkies today claim that chemistry sets are toothless, with the best materials removed, because manufacturers fear lawsuits and terrorists. If you're feeling cheated by your store-bought kit, the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments is for you."
-- Mark Baard, The Boston Globe
"By teaching professional methodologies and trusting his readers to follow them, Thompson has done a huge service to smart kids everywhere. This book brings home chemistry back to the good ol' days. "
-- John Baichtal, GeekDad
"Are you a frustrated chemist who never outgrew their fascination with the home chemistry kits of the good old days? Back when people took responsibility for their actions and "product liability" wasn't the fear of every company out there? This is the EXACT book you need to get in order to rekindle that love or to pass it on to a new generation...All in all, a great book that brings life to a subject that far too many students and adults fear and dread."
-- Thomas Duff, Duffbert's Random Musings
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"By teaching professional methodologies and trusting his readers to follow them, Thompson has done a huge service to smart kids everywhere. [Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments] brings home chemistry back to the good ol' days.
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