Chemical Principles [Hardcover]

Steven Zumdahl (Author), Zumdahl (Author), Steven S. Zumdahl (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0618447946 | ISBN-13: 978-0618447947 | Publication Date: February 2004 | Edition: 5

Designed for students with solid mathematical preparation and prior exposure to chemistry, this market-leading text emphasizes a qualitative understanding of chemical concepts. The unique organization of the text supports this approach: early chapters cover equilibria and acid-base chemistry, while later chapters address atomic theory and bonding. The comprehensive technology program reinforces the approach of text and provides superior support for instructors and students.

Students benefit from resources such as interactive online homework in Eduspace, called "ChemWork." Throughout the text, examples with worked-out solutions follow a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to problem solving that emphasizes answer verification. Models and applications help students see the real-world implications of chemical processes.The Media Integration Guide for Instructors includes several user-friendly supplements designed to help instructors make class preparation, presentation, and course management more efficient and effective: HM ClassPrep/HM Testing CD-ROM; HM ClassPresent CD-ROM with animations; instructor web site access; and information about Eduspace (powered by Blackboard). Media Guide for Students includes information and access to multimedia tools that help students build their conceptual understanding of chemical principles: SMARTHINKING live online tutoring, student web site with animations, and Student CD-ROM. The guide also includes information about Eduspace (powered by Blackboard). Eduspace is Houghton Mifflin's online learning tool. Powered by Blackboard, Eduspace is a customizable, powerful and interactive platform that provides instructors with text-specific online coursesand content. This Zumdahl "Chemical Principles" course features test bank material for exams, algorithmic homework with hints and access to ACE quiz content for independent practice. For the instructor, we also provide presentation slides, photos, illustrations, interactive tables and video clips.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1070 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH); 5 edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618447946
• ISBN-13: 978-0618447947
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Maybe good for AP Highschool, November 29, 2005

By 

Jacob Simmering "Book-crazed Student" (Grinnell, Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chemical Principles (Hardcover)

This is the book my prof had us use for GenChem (129) my freshmen year of college. The book isn't the best I have seen and if I hadn't had a really rigorous prep in AP Chem I would have been lost in the reading. I didn't think the book was very clear with the formulae. It spent a lot of time explaining how a formula was derived, a student should have an understanding of the reasoning for the formula (or George Berkeley will yell), but this text does not give the formula and what all the variables are at once point. This makes review and looking up formulae rather labourous. The text misses a few important ideas (intensive vs. extensive properties) but spends a rather excessive amount of time on "present sources of energy" in an attempt, I presume, to relate the text to daily life. The data in the back of the book doesn't match up with a good deal of the data I have encountered elsewhere (while the difference isn't huge, it is present). Also, this may be because I came from a background where strict usage of sig figs was required, no points could be awarded if there were mistakes in the sig figs, I have noticed that the text plays rather "loose" with the sig figs. Also, it has comments like "We are keeping track of the sign value for this number in our heads." Furthermore, some of the vocab usage is off from what it should be (i.e. "All values are assumed precise to at least plus/minus 1." is noted on the list of thermodynamic data, it means the data is accurate, how close to the "true" value, and not precise, how close the tests are to one another). These are all minor problems, but proper use of vocab and sig figs are vital to the ability of a student to communcate properly and therefore I feel that the text should provide a model for the student.

Of the GenChem textbooks I have used, I vastly prefer Chemistry : The Central Science by Brown, LeMay and Bursten.