Study Aids
Read books online » Study Aids » An Elementary Study of Chemistry by William McPherson (best beach reads .txt) 📖

Book online «An Elementary Study of Chemistry by William McPherson (best beach reads .txt) 📖». Author William McPherson



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 64
Go to page:

The Project Gutenberg EBook of An Elementary Study of Chemistry, by
William McPherson and William Edwards Henderson

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: An Elementary Study of Chemistry

Author: William McPherson
        William Edwards Henderson

Release Date: March 18, 2007 [EBook #20848]

Language: English


*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ELEMENTARY STUDY OF CHEMISTRY ***




Produced by Elaine Walker, Josephine Paolucci and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net






ANTOINE LAURENT LAVOISIER Famous for his care in quantitative experiments, for demonstrating the true nature of combustion, for introducing system into the naming and grouping of chemical substances. Executed (1794) during the French Revolution because of his connection with the government. This picture is taken from a French engraving of 1799. The panel represents Lavoisier as he is being arrested in his laboratory by the Revolutionary Committee. ANTOINE LAURENT LAVOISIER

Famous for his care in quantitative experiments, for demonstrating the true nature of combustion, for introducing system into the naming and grouping of chemical substances. Executed (1794) during the French Revolution because of his connection with the government

This picture is taken from a French engraving of 1799. The panel represents Lavoisier as he is being arrested in his laboratory by the Revolutionary Committee
AN ELEMENTARY STUDY OF CHEMISTRY BY WILLIAM McPHERSON, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND WILLIAM EDWARDS HENDERSON, PH.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY REVISED EDITION

GINN & COMPANY
BOSTON * NEW YORK * CHICAGO * LONDON

COPYRIGHT, 1905, 1906, BY
WILLIAM MCPHERSON AND WILLIAM E. HENDERSON

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


The Athenæum Press
GINN & COMPANY * PROPRIETORS * BOSTON * U.S.A.

Transcriber's note: Minor typos have been corrected.

PREFACE

In offering this book to teachers of elementary chemistry the authors lay no claim to any great originality. It has been their aim to prepare a text-book constructed along lines which have become recognized as best suited to an elementary treatment of the subject. At the same time they have made a consistent effort to make the text clear in outline, simple in style and language, conservatively modern in point of view, and thoroughly teachable.

The question as to what shall be included in an elementary text on chemistry is perhaps the most perplexing one which an author must answer. While an enthusiastic chemist with a broad understanding of the science is very apt to go beyond the capacity of the elementary student, the authors of this text, after an experience of many years, cannot help believing that the tendency has been rather in the other direction. In many texts no mention at all is made of fundamental laws of chemical action because their complete presentation is quite beyond the comprehension of the student, whereas in many cases it is possible to present the essential features of these laws in a way that will be of real assistance in the understanding of the science. For example, it is a difficult matter to deduce the law of mass action in any very simple way; yet the elementary student can readily comprehend that reactions are reversible, and that the point of equilibrium depends upon, rather simple conditions. The authors believe that it is worth while to present such principles in even an elementary and partial manner because they are of great assistance to the general student, and because they make a foundation upon which the student who continues his studies to more advanced courses can securely build.

The authors have no apologies to make for the extent to which they have made use of the theory of electrolytic dissociation. It is inevitable that in any rapidly developing science there will be differences of opinion in regard to the value of certain theories. There can be no question, however, that the outline of the theory of dissociation here presented is in accord with the views of the very great majority of the chemists of the present time. Moreover, its introduction to the extent to which the authors have presented it simplifies rather than increases the difficulties with which the development of the principles of the science is attended.

The oxygen standard for atomic weights has been adopted throughout the text. The International Committee, to which is assigned the duty of yearly reporting a revised list of the atomic weights of the elements, has adopted this standard for their report, and there is no longer any authority for the older hydrogen standard. The authors do not believe that the adoption of the oxygen standard introduces any real difficulties in making perfectly clear the methods by which atomic weights are calculated.

The problems appended to the various chapters have been chosen with a view not only of fixing the principles developed in the text in the mind of the student, but also of enabling him to answer such questions as arise in his laboratory work. They are, therefore, more or less practical in character. It is not necessary that all of them should be solved, though with few exceptions the lists are not long. The answers to the questions are not directly given in the text as a rule, but can be inferred from the statements made. They therefore require independent thought on the part of the student.

With very few exceptions only such experiments are included in the text as cannot be easily carried out by the student. It is expected that these will be performed by the teacher at the lecture table. Directions for laboratory work by the student are published in a separate volume.

While the authors believe that the most important function of the elementary text is to develop the principles of the science, they recognize the importance of some discussion of the practical application of these principles to our everyday life. Considerable space is therefore devoted to this phase of chemistry. The teacher should supplement this discussion whenever possible by having the class visit different factories where chemical processes are employed.

Although this text is now for the first time offered to teachers of elementary chemistry, it has nevertheless been used by a number of teachers during the past three years. The present edition has been largely rewritten in the light of the criticisms offered, and we desire to express our thanks to the many teachers who have helped us in this respect, especially to Dr. William Lloyd Evans of this laboratory, a teacher of wide experience, for his continued interest and helpfulness. We also very cordially solicit correspondence with teachers who may find difficulties or inaccuracies in the text.

The authors wish to make acknowledgments for the photographs and engravings of eminent chemists from which the cuts included in the text were taken; to Messrs. Elliott and Fry, London, England, for that of Ramsay; to The Macmillan Company for those of Davy and Dalton, taken from the Century Science Series; to the L. E. Knott Apparatus Company, Boston, for that of Bunsen.

THE AUTHORS

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLUMBUS, OHIO

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. OXYGEN 13 III. HYDROGEN 28 IV. WATER AND HYDROGEN DIOXIDE 40 V. THE ATOMIC THEORY 59 VI. CHEMICAL EQUATIONS AND CALCULATIONS 68 VII. NITROGEN AND THE RARE ELEMENTS IN THE ATMOSPHERE 78 VIII. THE ATMOSPHERE 83 IX. SOLUTIONS 94 X. ACIDS, BASES, AND SALTS; NEUTRALIZATION 106 XI. VALENCE 116 XII. COMPOUNDS OF NITROGEN 122 XIII. REVERSIBLE REACTIONS AND CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM 137 XIV. SULPHUR AND ITS COMPOUNDS 143 XV. PERIODIC LAW 165 XVI. THE CHLORINE FAMILY 174 XVII. CARBON AND SOME OF ITS SIMPLER COMPOUNDS 196 XVIII. FLAMES,—ILLUMINANTS 213 XIX. MOLECULAR WEIGHTS, ATOMIC WEIGHTS, FORMULAS 223 XX. THE PHOSPHORUS FAMILY 238 XXI. SILICON, TITANIUM, BORON 257 XXII. THE METALS 267 XXIII. THE ALKALI METALS 274 XXIV. THE ALKALINE-EARTH FAMILY 300 XXV. THE MAGNESIUM FAMILY 316 XXVI. THE ALUMINIUM FAMILY 327 XXVII. THE IRON FAMILY 338 XXVIII. COPPER, MERCURY, AND SILVER 356 XXIX. TIN AND LEAD 370 XXX. MANGANESE AND CHROMIUM 379 XXXI. GOLD AND THE PLATINUM FAMILY 390 XXXII. SOME SIMPLE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 397 INDEX 421 APPENDIX A Facing back cover APPENDIX B Inside back cover

LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE ANTOINE LAURENT LAVOISIER Frontispiece JOSEPH PRIESTLEY 14 JOHN DALTON 60 WILLIAM RAMSAY 82 DMITRI IVANOVITCH MENDELÉEFF 166 HENRI MOISSAN 176 SIR HUMPHRY DAVY 276 ROBERT WILHELM BUNSEN 298

AN ELEMENTARY STUDY OF CHEMISTRY CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

The natural sciences. Before we advance very far in the study of nature, it becomes evident that the one large study must be divided into a number of more limited ones for the convenience of the investigator as well as of the student. These more limited studies are called the natural sciences.

Since the study of nature is divided in this way for mere convenience, and not because there is any division in nature itself, it often happens that the different sciences are very intimately related, and a thorough knowledge of any one of them involves a considerable acquaintance with several others. Thus the botanist must know something about animals as well as about plants; the student of human physiology must know something about physics as well as about the parts of the body.

Intimate relation of chemistry and physics. Physics and chemistry are two sciences related in this close way, and it is not easy to make a precise distinction between them. In a general way it may be said that they are both concerned with inanimate matter rather than with living, and more particularly with the changes which such matter may be made to undergo. These changes must be considered more closely before a definition of the two sciences can be given.

Physical changes. One class of changes is not accompanied by an alteration in the composition of matter. When a lump of coal is broken the pieces do not differ from the original lump save in size. A rod of iron may be broken into pieces; it may be magnetized; it may be heated until it glows; it may be melted. In none of these changes has the composition of the iron been affected. The pieces of iron, the magnetized iron, the glowing iron, the melted iron, are just as truly iron as was the original rod. Sugar may be dissolved in water, but neither the sugar nor the water is changed in composition. The resulting liquid has the sweet taste of sugar; moreover the water may be evaporated by heating and the sugar recovered unchanged. Such changes are called physical changes.

DEFINITION: Physical changes are those which do not involve a change in the composition of the matter.

Chemical changes. Matter may undergo other changes in which its composition is altered. When a lump of coal is burned ashes and invisible gases are formed which are entirely different in composition and properties from the original coal. A rod of iron when exposed to moist air is gradually changed into rust, which is entirely different from the

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 64
Go to page:

Free ebook «An Elementary Study of Chemistry by William McPherson (best beach reads .txt) 📖» - read online now

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment