Introductory textbook on Chemistry

[gillouche]

Hello PF !

I am going to start a bachelor's degree in physics in September. I am looking for an introductory textbook on Chemistry. The university is new in Europe and we don't seem to have specific textbooks to buy. We have more like recommended textbooks.

Here is the objective and the topics of the course :

Semester 1

Provide a foundation of knowledge of inorganic chemistry which is useful for the study of physics.
Understanding how the key concepts of electronegativity, electron affinity, effective nuclear charge, ionization energy etc dominate most of inorganic chemistry

- Atomic structure, orbital shapes, building the periodic table, spectra
- Bonding in diatomic molecules
- Geometry of molecules
- States of matter, gas, liquid, solid, and phase diagrams
- Main group chemistry including s, p, and d block, properties and trends, as well as simple compounds such as hydrides, halides, and oxides.
- Introduction to thermodynamics, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd law, gas phase reactions
- Reaction kinetics
- Solution chemistry including acid, base, buffering, salts, solubilities, and equilibria
- Introduction to electrochemistry

Recommended textbooks for semester 1 :
Shriver and Atkins, Inorganic Chemistry, 4th addition, oxford university press.
Housecroft and Sharpe, Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd addition, Pearson Prentice Hall.
Paul Arnaud : Chimie Physique (Ed. DUNOD) ; Dernière édition

Semester 2
Only practical work in labs.

Semester 3

Provide a foundation of knowledge of organic chemistry which is useful for the study of physics. To enable the student to have an understandable conversation with an organic chemist, to be able to draw and understand representative structures of molecules. To have a grasp of the four major components of organic chemistry namely, synthesis, separation, identification, and functional form. To know where organic chemistry fits into a physics…especially in the field of soft condensed matter

- Naming systems
- Functional groups
- Structural representations and stereoisomers
- Bonding
- Simple reactions e.g. SN1,SN2, E1, E2
- Organo-metallics and catalysts
- Polymer synthesis and characterisation

Recommended textbook for semester 3 :
Organic Chemistry by either / or
• Vollhardt and Schore
• Clayden
• Morrison and Boyd
• Brown, Foote, and Iverson

Would you have any textbook to recommend ?

Thank you very much.

 

[gillouche]

At the moment, I am trying to find if the suggestions in this thread match what I need.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/suggestions-for-chemistry-1-self-study-books.819729/

 

[Dexter K]

For Semester 1 & 2, the curriculum is that of the US AP Chemistry curriculum.

I took AP Chemistry and found the following textbook to be very useful.

Kotz and Treichel (used in high school class) - very good book. Here's a sample syllabus that shows the complete coverage of the course material (copy and paste it in).
www.chemmybear.com/ucr2011/pauls_audit_syllabus.pdf

The Semester 3 curriculum is that of the Organic Chemistry curriculum. I would recommend Vollhardt and Schore (heard good things about it from other chemistry undergrad students, this was used in our undergrad course for both Organic Chemistry I and II).

 

[gillouche]

Thank you for those information !

I missed your reply, sorry about that.