Introduction to Semimicro Qualitative Analysis

For courses in General Chemistry (Lecture and Laboratory) and Qualitative Inorganic Analysis.

This self-teaching lab manual presents a process for learning descriptive chemistry and the chemistry of the more common elements and their compounds in the format of a scheme of analysis. Students and challenged to call upon their manipulative and observational skills to provide the basis for identifying a substance or a mixture of substances. Part I describes the strategy of qualitative analysis so that students have a review of the principles readily available when they are engaged in the details of laboratory work; Part II presents the concepts involved in qualitative analysis, systematically dealing with the nature of the chemical compounds; Part III features well-tested analytical laboratory procedures.

Semimicro Qualitative Analysis, Eighth Edition, addresses two important current issues in chemistry education: the need for students to acquire a knowledge of descriptive chemistry and a growing interest by teaching chemists to expose students to the concepts of "green chemistry."

Although descriptive chemistry may be difficult to define precisely, most chemists would agree that a major component of this subject―descriptive chemistry―is the chemistry of the more common elements and their compounds, especially as this occurs in aqueous solutions.

"Green chemistry," briefly, is an expression of doing chemistry―laboratory work―that minimizes the use of chemicals, uses benign solvents (like water); and attends to the problems of handling "wastes" in a non-polluting way.

The first part of this classic work discusses the general strategy of qualitative analysis. It then systematically surveys the nature of chemical compounds including ionic, covalent and coordination of compounds, and the chemical reactions they undergo.

The second part provides a series of laboratory experiments to perform that have been tested over time, and reviewed to insure current treatment in terms of chemical safety and disposal. Key chemical concepts are highlighted along with important safety information. The discussion in Part I provides a firm foundation for understanding the practical work carried out in Part II.