Is there an Understanding Physics style book for chemistry?

[mrteverett]

Hello all,

I am a chemistry/physics teacher and our school also is an IB school. I teach both IB chemistry and physics. I have enjoyed and found useful using Asimov's Understanding Physics as a text of sorts for the physics class. I supplement it with problems from other books and sources. It's great for teaching kids how to read, annotate, and struggle with concepts before getting bogged down in the numbers. My question is: does anybody know of or recommend a similarly styled book by Asimov or someone else on chemistry?

 

[Quantum Defect]

Hello all,

I am a chemistry/physics teacher and our school also is an IB school. I teach both IB chemistry and physics. I have enjoyed and found useful using Asimov's Understanding Physics as a text of sorts for the physics class. I supplement it with problems from other books and sources. It's great for teaching kids how to read, annotate, and struggle with concepts before getting bogged down in the numbers. My question is: does anybody know of or recommend a similarly styled book by Asimov or someone else on chemistry?

Have you looked at the CHEM STUDY materials? These are all online. CHEM STUDY was trying to get away from the memorization that was the norm in the old days, and teach that chemistry was an experimental science, where observation and measurement are king. George Pimentel was the leader of the initiative. His textbook for college chemistry (out of print) has a similar approach. He also wrote some slim volumes called "Understanding Thermodynamics" and "Understanding Quantum Mechanics" that are written with a unique perspective.

You can find the CHEM STUDY materials through the Lawrence Hall of Science.

 

[mrteverett]

Thanks I will definitely look into this.