Chemistry Essentials for Dummies

- All of the critical calculations - What you need to know to conquer chemistry - Concise coverage of key topics Your handy guide to critical chemistry concepts This friendly and useful reference focuses on concepts taught in a typical first semester college or high school chemistry class. From bonds and reactions to acids, bases, and the mole, get to the heart of matter and energy. Discover the ins and outs of chemical reactions, including how they occur and how they can be balanced, and learn how to read and use the periodic table of elements. Chemistry Essentials For Dummies is perfect for cramming, homework help, or as a reference for parents and tutors helping students study for exams. Inside... - How to measure matter - Atomic structure explained - The periodic table of elements - Tips for balancing chemical reactions - Ionic and covalent bonds - Properties of acids and bases - Ways to use electron-dot formulas

John T. Moore, EdD, is Regents Professor of Chemistry Emeritus and Coordinator of STEM Activities at Stephen F. Austin State University. He is the author of Chemistry For Dummies and coauthor of Biochemistry For Dummies.

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Chapter 1: Matter and Energy: Exploring the Stuff of Chemistry 5 Knowing the States of Matter and Their Changes 6 Solids, liquids, and gases 6 Condensing and freezing 7 Melting and boiling 8 Skipping liquids: Sublimation 9 Pure Substances and Mixtures 9 Pure substances 10 Throwing mixtures into the mix 11 Measuring Matter 12 Nice Properties You've Got There 13 Energy Types 14 Kinetic energy 14 Potential energy 15 Temperature and Heat 15 Chapter 2: What's in an Atom? 17 Subatomic Particles 17 Centering on the Nucleus 19 Locating Those Electrons 21 The quantum mechanical model 21 Energy level diagrams 26 Isotopes and Ions 30 Isotopes: Varying neutrons 31 Ions: Varying electrons 32 Chapter 3: The Periodic Table 35 Repeating Patterns: The Modern Periodic Table 35 Arranging Elements in the Periodic Table 38 Grouping metals, nonmetals, and metalloids 38 Arranging elements by families and periods 41 Chapter 4: Nuclear Chemistry 43 Seeing How the Atom's Put Together 43 Dealing with a Nuclear Breakup: Balancing Reactions 44 Understanding Types of Natural Radioactive Decay 46 Alpha emission 47 Beta emission 48 Gamma emission 48 Positron emission 48 Electron capture 49 Half-Lives and Radioactive Dating 49 Calculating remaining radioactivity 50 Radioactive dating 51 Breaking Elements Apart with Nuclear Fission 51 Mass defect: Where does all that energy come from? 52 Chain reactions and critical mass 52 Coming Together with Nuclear Fusion 53 Chapter 5: Ionic Bonding 55 Forming Ions: Making Satisfying Electron Trades 55 Gaining and losing electrons 56 Looking at charges on single-atom ions 58 Grouping atoms to form polyatomic ions 61 Creating Ionic Compounds 63 Making the bond: Sodium metal + chlorine gas = sodium chloride 63 Figuring out the formulas of ionic compounds 64 Naming ionic compounds 66 Bonding Clues: Electrolytes and Nonelectrolytes 68 Chapter 6: Covalent Bonding 69 Covalent Bond Basics 69 Sharing electrons: A hydrogen example 69 Comparing covalent bonds with other bonds 71 Dealing with multiple bonds 72 Naming Covalent Compounds Made of Two Elements 73 Writing Covalent Compound Formulas 74 Empirical formulas 74 Molecular or true formulas 75 Structural formulas: Dots and dashes 75 Electronegativities: Which Atoms Have More Pull? 81 Predicting the type of bond 81 Polar covalent bonding: Creating partial charges 83 Attracting other molecules: Intermolecular forces 84 Chapter 7: Chemical Reactions 87 Reactants and Products: Reading Chemical Equations 87 Collision Theory: How Reactions Occur 88 Hitting the right spot 89 Adding, releasing, and absorbing energy 90 Types of Reactions 92 Combination reactions: Coming together 92 Decomposition reactions: Breaking down 93 Single displacement reactions: Kicking out another element 93 Double displacement reactions: Trading places 95 Combustion reactions: Burning 97 Redox reactions: Exchanging electrons 97 Balancing Chemical Equations 97 Balancing the Haber process 98 Balancing the burning of butane 99 Knowing Chemical Equilibrium Backward and Forward 100 Matching rates of change in the Haber process 101 Constants: Comparing amounts of products and reactants 102 Le Chatelier's Principle: Getting More (or Less) Product 103 Changing the concentration 103 Changing the temperature 104 Changing the pressure 104 Chemical Kinetics: Changing Reaction Speeds 105 Seeing How Catalysts Speed Up Reactions 107 Heterogeneous catalysis: Giving reactants a better target 108 Homogeneous catalysis: Offering an easier path 108 Chapter 8: Electrochemistry: Using Electrons 111 Transferring Electrons with Redox Reactions 111 Oxidation 112 Reduction 113 One's loss is the other's gain 114 Oxidation numbers 115 Balancing Redox Equations 116 Exploring Electrochemical Cells 120 Galvanic cells: Getting electricity from chemical reactions 121 Electrolytic cells: Getting chemical reactions from electricity 122 Having it both ways with rechargeable batteries 123 Chapter 9: Measuring Substances with the Mole 125 Counting by Weighing 125 Moles: Putting Avogadro's Number to Good Use 127 Defining the mole 127 Calculating weight, particles, and moles 128 Finding formulas of compounds 129 Chemical Reactions and Moles 130 Reaction stoichiometry 131 Percent yield 132 Limiting reactants 133 Chapter 10: A Salute to Solutions 135 Mixing Things Up with Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions 135 How dissolving happens 136 Concentration limits 136 Saturated facts 137 Understanding Solution Concentration Units 138 Percent composition 138 Molarity: Comparing solute to solution 140 Molality: Comparing solute to solvent 143 Parts per million 143 Chapter 11: Acids and Bases 145 Observing Properties of Acids and Bases 145 The Brønsted-Lowry Acid-Base Theory 146 Understanding Strong and Weak Acids and Bases 147 Strong: Ionizing all the way 147 Weak: Ionizing partially 149 Acid-Base Reactions: Using the Brønsted-Lowry System 151 Acting as either an acid or base: Amphoteric water 152 Showing True Colors with Acid-Base Indicators 153 Doing a quick color test with litmus paper 153 Phenolphthalein: Finding concentration with titration 154 Phun with the pH Scale 155 Chapter 12: Clearing the Air on Gases 159 The Kinetic Molecular Theory: Assuming Things about Gases 159 Relating Physical Properties with Gas Laws 162 Boyle's Law: Pressure and volume 163 Charles's Law: Volume and temperature 164 Gay-Lussac's Law: Pressure and temperature 165 The combined gas law: Pressure, volume, and temp 166 Avogadro's Law: The amount of gas 167 The ideal gas equation: Putting it all together 168 Chapter 13: Ten Serendipitous Discoveries in Chemistry 171 Archimedes: Streaking Around 171 Vulcanization of Rubber 172 Molecular Geometry 172 Mauve Dye 172 Kekulé: The Beautiful Dreamer 173 Discovering Radioactivity 173 Finding Really Slick Stuff: Teflon 173 Stick 'Em Up! Sticky Notes 174 Growing Hair 174 Sweeter than Sugar 174 Index 175