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Around the World in 18 Elements David Scott (The King's School, UK)

Around the World in 18 Elements By David Scott (The King's School, UK)

Around the World in 18 Elements by David Scott (The King's School, UK)


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Summary

This book presents a tour of the elements found in the British A level (17-18) syllabus, presenting a wider background in chemistry to educators, students and the interested layperson.

Around the World in 18 Elements Summary

Around the World in 18 Elements by David Scott (The King's School, UK)

Written with both students and educators in mind, this book presents a tour of the elements found in the British A level syllabus. Each chapter presents a key concept of chemistry in the context of the element, instilling a wider background in chemistry to the reader, which can then be tested by questions in the text. Students of chemistry will enjoy this informative approach to revision, while educators will gain inspiration for planning lessons and discussing concepts. International baccalaureate and foundation-year students will also benefit from the topics presented in this accessible textbook. Find out more, including resources, at http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/res00001996/around-the-world-in-18-elements-book.

Around the World in 18 Elements Reviews

What distinguishes this book from the others is that it is targeted at A-level students and their teachers, though International Baccalaureate and foundation year university students would also benefit. These accounts are complemented by an excellent variety of questions. I thoroughly recommend this book to all A-level teachers who wish to challenge their pupils. -- Simon Cotton * http://www.rsc.org/eic/2014/03/around-world-elements-periodic-table *
If you are doing A-level chemistry or perhaps are in the first year of a chemistry degree, the book will be a genuine delight...this is a book that could well make chemistry significantly more approachable and meaningful, making the title very much recommended. -- Brian Clegg * Popular Science *
Numerous books on the periodic table have appeared in the last few years, including some singling out particular selections of elements for study (for example Seven elements that have changed the world and A tale of seven elements). What distinguishes this book from the others is that it is targeted at A-level students and their teachers, though International Baccalaureate and foundation year university students would also benefit. The author has chosen 18 elements and examined an extremely extensive range of aspects of their chemistry. He has clearly read widely; for example he is up to date with the growing evidence that links crime with levels of lead (not those from bullets). These accounts are complemented by an excellent variety of questions - often unusual in context - that will test your students' quantitative skills. They cover all sorts of aspects of A-level chemistry, from moles, oxidation numbers and electron configurations, through kinetics and energetics to pH, solubility and electrochemistry. The book features some excellent discussions of some 'awkward questions', such as giving a clear account of the reasons behind the unexpectedly large redox potential of lithium. A problem with writing a wide-ranging book like this is that once you get started there is no limit to what you can include. All the same, I would have hoped that the section on lead would include the link between lead levels and IQ: recommending a book like Toxic truth would provide a hat-tip to the pioneering research of Clair Patterson and Herbert Needleman. Similarly, a link between Haber's process for making ammonia and his oversight of Germany's use of poison gases during the first world war would have been good. However, these are very minor criticisms. I thoroughly recommend this book to all A-level teachers who wish to challenge their pupils. -- Simon Cotton * Education in Chemistry - http://www.rsc.org/eic/2014/03/around-world-elements-periodic-table *
I don't think I've ever reviewed a book with such a tightly focussed audience before. If you are doing A-level chemistry or perhaps are in the first year of a chemistry degree (and I say that as someone who did chemistry A-level and the first two years of a chemistry degree), the book will be a genuine delight. But for anyone else it may prove a challenging read. At first sight, what the reader gets is a more detailed equivalent of the Royal Society of Chemistry podcast series Chemistry in its Element, featuring the history, nature, uses and oddities of, in this case, 18 of the elements. There is a lot more here than there is in the podcasts on the actual chemistry of the selected mix of nine metals and nine non-metals - so, for instance, on sulfur we stray into alchemy and the earth's crust, sulfuric acid, sulfates, thiosulfates, organic sulfur and the mysterious hydrothermal vents. Though the text is noticeably heavier on facts than a typical popular science book, this material is put across in a reasonably approachable way. But then, suddenly, the reader comes up against a question that isn't about the material in the book, but rather is testing the reader's readiness for chemistry A-level, for example: Q1. Assign an oxidation number to sulfur in each of the following compounds: SO2, SO3, H2S, (CH3)2S, (CH3)2SO, FeS, FeS2 and CaSO4.2H2O. It might seem that it would be easy enough to skip over the questions, but it really isn't, and as they occur on pretty well every page they take up a significant portion of the book. So, should you fit in that very tight audience (or if you are someone who teaches at this level), this is a book that could well make chemistry significantly more approachable and meaningful, making the title very much recommended. But for the rest of us, it's probably not likely to be a worthwhile addition to your collection. -- Brian Clegg * Popular Science Blog *
This book grabbed me from the beginning. As the book contains many worked problems and examples, it could also be used to advantage by first-year university students, whether majoring in chemistry or in other subjects. The book provides a refreshing look at chemistry from an unusual angle, i.e., by telling-with necessary brevity-stories as to how elements contribute to our complex world. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201407478 -- Andreas Grohmann, Technische Universitat Berlin * Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2014, 53, 10857 *

About David Scott (The King's School, UK)

David Scott has over 25 years experience of teaching general science and chemistry at a range of secondary institutions in the UK and internationally. He currently teaches Chemistry at the King's School, Canterbury. David has been a principle examiner for the OCR science award AS paper since its inception in 2006 and is an editorial associate of the School Science Review.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Who is this book for?; Phosphorus; Iron; Nitrogen; Sulfur; Lead; Iodine; Lithium; Calcium; Copper; Fluorine; Aluminium; Hydrogen; Chlorine; Zinc; Mercury; Manganese; Oxygen; Carbon

Additional information

GOR006931323
9781849738040
1849738041
Around the World in 18 Elements by David Scott (The King's School, UK)
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Royal Society of Chemistry
20140320
235
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Around the World in 18 Elements