DaveC426913
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I've lost track of this book. It must be 15 years old by now. But I really want to find it. Too bad I don't even remember what it's called - except that I'm sure it had the name molecules in it.
This book was an intro to many of the common molecules we encounter in our lives. It started off with a brief intro of the 10 or so most useful elements: H, He, C, N, O, Mg, Cl, K and then went through the simple molecules such as methane, water, heptane, octane, into the more complex ones such as trinitrotoluene and putricene.
Each molecule had a page devoted to it, with the molecular structure laid out
(each atomic element a specific colour) and a description of how the molecule does what it does.
I remember particularly TNT, and how it described the physical structure of the unstable groupings on the molecule, and how a simple jostling could cause the groups to rearrange themselves. Except that the new arrangment didn't need to stick together and the various pieces, rather than bering a solid, were gases, and liked to expand very rapidly and enthusiastically.
If anyone can so much as remember the name of this book, I would be hugely appreciative
This book was an intro to many of the common molecules we encounter in our lives. It started off with a brief intro of the 10 or so most useful elements: H, He, C, N, O, Mg, Cl, K and then went through the simple molecules such as methane, water, heptane, octane, into the more complex ones such as trinitrotoluene and putricene.
Each molecule had a page devoted to it, with the molecular structure laid out
(each atomic element a specific colour) and a description of how the molecule does what it does.
I remember particularly TNT, and how it described the physical structure of the unstable groupings on the molecule, and how a simple jostling could cause the groups to rearrange themselves. Except that the new arrangment didn't need to stick together and the various pieces, rather than bering a solid, were gases, and liked to expand very rapidly and enthusiastically.
If anyone can so much as remember the name of this book, I would be hugely appreciative