So You Have to Pass Chemistry?: The Beachgoers Guide to Passing Chem 101 & 102 (and maybe 103 & 104)

Peter Hibbert graduated from the BSc Special Honours Chemistry class at Kings College London in 1960 and continued at Kings to do a PhD in free radical chemistry. In 1963 he left to do a years Post Doctoral study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland where he discovered that the decomposition of N-nitrosoacetanilide a commonly used free radical source actually proceeded through a benzyne, not free radical path. Chemistry text books were amended and 40 new PhD theses resulted.

He then did a years Post Doctoral study at the University of Arizona for the famous Professor Carl Marvel and spent later years at the Du Pont Company and ICI Americas.

This book is designed to help College Chemistry students pass required introductory Chemistry courses. It differs from normal chemistry books in that it assumes most Chemistry 101 and 102 students just want to pass and get out of there. As such I have received some nice criticisms from college chemistry teachers who think Chemistry books should inspire and interest students. Nice, but based on the students I have tutored I don't think so. If you don't have the inherent Chemistry fever or are not inspired by a teacher, a book isn't going to do it. Help in passing tests just might light the fire though.

The chapters are based on the topics which almost always seem to come up in Chemistry 101 and 102 tests and hopefully tell the reader how to solve the problems based on these topics. Such mind bending areas as spectroscopic notations, balancing equations, oxidation/reduction, acids, normality, pH, gases and on and on are covered.

Hopefully, the book will help the reader get on almost equal terms with examiners and get out of chemistry with the minimum of psychological damage. Good luck.