Chemistry for Changing Times

Chemistry for Changing Timesis now in its tenth edition. Times have indeed changed since the first edition appeared in 1972, and they are now changing more rapidly than ever. The book is changing accordingly. Our knowledge base has expanded enormously since that first edition, never more so than in the last few years. We have faced tough choices in deciding what to include and what to leave out. We live in what has been called the "information age." Unfortunately, information is not knowledge. It may or may not be valid. Our focus, more than ever, is on helping students evaluate information. We hope that some day we all will gain the gift of wisdom. A major premise is that a chemistry course for students who are not majoring in science should be quite different from the course we offer our science majors. It must present basic chemical concepts with intellectual honesty, but it should not focus on esoteric theories or rigorous mathematics. It should include lots of modern everyday applications. The textbook should be appealing to look at, easy to understand, and interesting to read. Three-fourths of the legislation considered by the U.S. Congress involves questions having to do with science or technology, yet only rarely does a scientist or engineer enter politics. Most of the people who make important decisions regarding our health and our environment are not trained in science, but it is critical that these decision makers be scientifically literate. A chemistry course for students who are not science majors should emphasize practical applications of chemistry to problems involving such things as environmental pollution, radioactivity, energy sources, and human health. The students who take our liberal arts chemistry courses include future teachers, lawyers, accountants, journalists, and judges. There are probably some future legislators, too. Objectives Our main objectives in a chemistry course for students who are not majoring in science are as follows: To attract a lot of students. If students are not enrolled in the course, we can't teach them. To use topics of current interest to illustrate chemical principles. We want students to appreciate the importance of chemistry in the real world. To relate chemical problems to the everyday lives of our students. Chemical problems seem more significant to students if they can see a personal connection. To instill in students an appreciation for chemistry as an open-ended learning experience. We hope that our students will develop a curiosity about science, and will want to continue learning throughout their lives. To acquaint students with scientific methods. We want students to be able to read about science and technology with some degree of critical judgment. This is especially important because many of the scientific problems discussed are complex and controversial. To help students become literate in science. We want our students to develop a comfortable knowledge of science so that they find news articles relating to science interesting rather than intimidating. New Features in the Tenth Edition In preparing this new edition, we have responded to suggestions from users and reviewers of the ninth edition as well as using our own writing and teaching experience. The text is fully revised and updated to reflect the latest scientific developments in a fast-changing world. Planning the Course The organization of the text makes it easier for the instructor to skip sections or (in some cases) whole chapters. At most institutions, the course for nonscience majors brings together a tremendously heterogeneous group of students, with regard to both their science backgrounds and their academic interests. A major challenge to the instructor is to find the balance between these needs and interests. As authors we have tried to create a text that is flexible and thaHill, John William is the author of 'Chemistry for Changing Times', published 2003 under ISBN 9780131402461 and ISBN 0131402463.