Books : Laboratory Experiments for Chemistry: The Central Science (11th Edition)

Rating: - 43 experiments that are clearly laid out for student learning
Lab work has been a standard part of the study of chemistry since people have been studying chemistry. In fact, it was the practical experimentation that led to the learning that is written in the texts and taught in lectures. The experiments that chemistry students execute are not designed to discover presently unknown aspects of chemistry. It is essential that students be given clearly defined procedures that elucidate specific points that are related to the text they are studying in lecture. The purpose of lab work is to give the student a visceral connection to the material, to see in reality what they are reading about, and to develop their technique in working with precision, in detail, and in making correct and relevant observations.

This book provides 43 experiments that relate well to the 25 chapters of the main textbook. Each experiment lists clearly everything that will be needed for the experiment, discusses the point of the experiment and what is going to transpire during its execution, the exact procedure to be followed, the questions that need to be answered for the report (these are observations, calculations, deductions, equations, and so forth), pre-lab questions, and relevant diagrams. There are also appendices of useful information that will be needed during the experiments.

These experiments have been tested and tried and are geared to minimize the work of the instructor in refitting the lab when adopting the text and lab experiments. Since it is the 10th edition, I would expect that most things will work as expected. But in reality, one should always be prepared for the unexpected and work carefully around chemicals, flame, and other people.

A sound and interesting text and program of experiments.