Inorganic Chemistry

PREFACE

Thirteen years ago the author of this book began to teach qualitative analysis from the standpoint of the law of mass action and the theory of electrolytic dissociation. The results were encouraging in spite of the difficulty that as yet no suitable text in general inorganic chemistry had been written to prepare the student for a course of this character. When a few years later Ostwald's masterly Grundlinien was translated into English, the need seemed to be met and the book was used as a text for a number of years at Kansas University.

Experience showed that Ostwald's fundamental idea was right; that inorganic chemistry can be most profitably taught from the standpoint of elementary physical chemistry; but because of its length, and of the presumption of maturity on the part of the reader, the book proved not well adapted to the average college student. In the meantime a number of other books appeared written along the same general lines, each with many excellent points, but none of which seemed to satisfy exactly the requirements. So with reluctance, which would have been greater if he had realized the magnitude of the task, the author undertook the preparation of this volume.

It has been through a number of mimeographed editions and has been used by six classes; consequently it represents several years of effort and experience. While aware that it is not perfect, the author is convinced that it is thoroughly teachable and adapted to students in the early part of their college course.

The general plan adopted was to avoid a long more or less theoretical introduction, but to develop the subject as logically as possible from the descriptive and experimental side, presenting each law or theory at the point best fitted both to the student and to the subject. This plan has met general approval during the past generation.



The order in which the non-metallic elements are discussed is that sanctioned by time and custom. When the metals are taken up, the subject has sufficiently advanced for the student to appreciate the Periodic System and thereafter the order is based upon this system except that for reasons which are obvious to every experienced teacher, copper, silver and gold are not treated until the student has become familiar with metals which are less exceptional in their properties.

The author believes that the more logically a subject is presented the easier it is to master. He has taken particular pains on this point, and also to see that the definitions and laws are as clearly and accurately worded as possible. After the introduction of a law, it is applied frequently so that the student may acquire a familiarity and working facility with the fundamental principles of chemistry.

Statements of fact have been carefully and repeatedly checked with the standard books of reference, and the original literature, and it is hoped that satisfactory accuracy has been attained. Where, as was often the case, the data were discordant, the author has used his judgment aided by the principle that, other things being equal, the lower boiling-points and higher freezing-points are those of the purer substances and hence the more accurate.

Throughout the preparation and revision of the book the author has been given loyal aid by his assistants Dr. H. C. Allen, Dr. Frank Rupert, Mrs. Florence Hedger Duke, Mr. Edward R. Weidlein and Mr. Paul V. Farragher. Especial acknowledgment should be given Dr. David F. McFarland, formerly of the University of Kansas but now Assistant Professor of Applied Chemistry in the University of Illinois, who wrote the sections on the metallurgy of lead, copper, silver and gold. In the final revision of these portions, considerable help was received from Mr. W. A. Whittaker, Associate Professor of Metallurgy. The author wishes to express his feeling of great indebtedness to Dr. H. P. Talbot and to Dr. F. B. Dains for their valuable suggestions— made by the one after reading the copy and ...