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Information about An Introduction to Chemistry by Mark Bishop

   

Click on this link to see a video that describes An Introduction to Chemistry and provides a tour of this website.

An Introduction to Chemistry is intended for use in beginning chemistry courses that have no chemistry prerequisite. The text was written for students who want to prepare themselves for general college chemistry, for students seeking to satisfy a science requirement for graduation, and for students in health-related or other programs that require an introduction to general chemistry.

There are two versions of the text. The atoms-first version provides a more complete description of atomic theory, chemical bonding, and chemical calculations early. The chemistry-first version has an early emphasis on descriptions of the structure of matter and the nature of chemical changes, postponing the description of unit conversions and chemical calculations. Both versions are available as regular printed books, but they are also available on the Internet with no usernames and no passwords.

Atoms-First Version

Atoms-First Table of Contents

Atoms-First Preface

Chemistry-First Version

Chemistry-First Table of Contents

Chemistry-First Preface

You can get more information about the two versions of the text at

Versions 

The link below will take you to a description of the textbook’s strengths.

Strengths

There is an electronic text/tools/homework package that includes the WebAssign online homework system. Since 1997, WebAssign has been the leading independent online homework and assessment solution for math and science, supporting over 600 textbooks from every major publisher.  WebAssign lets you deliver fully customizable assignments that are instantly graded in a secure online environment.  WebAssign now supports An Introduction to Chemistry with the same robust learning tools and functionality that has been used by over 5 million students at more than 5000 academic institutions. If you want more information about the WebAssign package, see

https://webassign.com/instructors/disciplines/chemistry/complete-preparatory-chemistry-solution/

There are four ways for students to view the text: (1) the traditional printed text, which is full-color, printed on quality paper, and has a top-of-the-line hard binding, (2) the PDF form on this website, (3) the eBook form that can be viewed on iPads, iPhones, Android devices, and Kindles, and (4) as PowerPoint-like presentations with the author reading the body of the text.

The files for the eBook version of the text can be downloaded at

Atoms-first eBook

Chemistry-first eBook

We all know that textbooks have gotten very expensive. The textbooks that are similar to An Introduction to Chemistry can cost over $200. An Introduction to Chemistry costs from $0 to about $79.95, depending on which of the following options each student chooses.

Option 1: Students who want a regular printed copy of the text can purchase one from this website for $76.95, including shipping. 

Option 2: The text can be purchased from school bookstores for a list price of about $79.95.

Option 3: Students who have easy access to the Internet and who feel comfortable viewing the text on the computer, iPad, iPhone, Android device, or Kindle are asked to pay $20 for that privilege.

Option 4: If $20 creates a significant financial hardship, the electronic version of the text and tools can be used for free. (This is on the honor system. Students can decide on their own about whether they can afford the $20 payment.)

Option 5: The WebAssign electronic text/tools/homework package can be purchased for $41.

Option 6: A bundle that includes a physical book and a WebAssign code card can be purchased from this website for $106.95.

The printed text is of the same quality that you would expect from any modern text, including photographs, illustrations, and a professional layout. Because An Introduction to Chemistry was originally published by Benjamin Cummings (Pearson), it has undergone all of the checks and refinements of other chemistry books. It has been reviewed by over 75 college chemistry instructors, and the writing of the text was aided by two developmental editors who read the chapters over and over again, leading to improvements in the book’s organization and clarity. The text and its tools have been classroom tested by thousands of students and by many chemistry instructors across the United States, Canada, and other countries.

To be sure that the end-of-chapter problems are clear and that the solutions in the instructor's guide and student solutions manual are correct, all 1800 problems were worked by two different chemistry instructors.  

The website, electronic text, and its tools are ADA compliant. For the visually impaired, there is alternate text for all of the images on the website and in the electronic text, and the electronic text has been coded so that electronic readers will know what to read and know the appropriate order in which to read the body of the text and the alternate text for the images. For the hearing impaired, the online lectures all have the option of closed captioning.

The Internet chapters for the text have all of the usual components of a printed text and more. For example, there are hyperlinks found in grey boxes that take the reader to supporting computer tools. You can see an example chapter at

Sample Chapter

There is an audio version of the text at

Audio Book

You can hear an example at

Sample Audio Presentation

Each chapter has an accompanying study guide chapter that presents a variety of tools to help students, including answers to half of the end-of-chapter problems.

Sample Study Guide Chapter

There are animations that support many of the topics in the text. These are meant to help the viewer to develop a better mental image of the particle nature of matter.

Sample Animation

Tutorials allow students to practice some of the skills described in the text.

Sample Tutorial

Because of the large quantity of information presented in the typical chemistry class, it's important that students study efficiently. There is a study checklist for each chapter that will help them get organized.

Sample Checklist

The Internet versions of the PowerPoint presentations that accompany both versions of the text can be useful to instructors in lecture, but they can also provide students with an overview of each chapter.

Sample PowerPoint Presentation

Chapter maps provide a snapshot of the topics covered in each chapter and show how these topics are connected to topics in the same chapter and to topics in earlier chapters.

Sample Chapter Map

All introductory classes present a lot of new language, and it's extremely important that students master new terms. For this reason, there is a tutorial for each of the chapter glossaries,

Sample Glossary Quiz

Jmol structures provide another tool for developing students' ability to visualize the structure of matter.

Sample Jmol Structure

 

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to send me an email.

Mark Bishop     mbishop@chiralpublishingcompany.com