Chemistry Thoughts on Introduction to Chemistry fourth Edition by Bauer?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the reliability and accuracy of "Introduction to Chemistry" (fourth edition) by Bauer, Birk, and Marks. Concerns are raised about inaccuracies in the book, particularly regarding the reactions of alkaline earth metals with water, where it incorrectly states they produce metal hydroxide and oxygen gas, rather than hydrogen gas. Additionally, discrepancies in the metal activity series are noted, with the book's order differing from other reliable sources. While these inaccuracies raise questions about the book's overall quality, it is suggested that it may still contain valuable information for chemistry students. Ultimately, the decision on its suitability for study rests with the individual reader.
EnricoHendro
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Hi there,

I am currently reading introduction to Chemistry fourth edition by Bauer, Birk, Marks.
what do you guys think about this book? is it a good book? I am doubting the quality of the book because I found one wrong statement about the reaction of Alkaline Earth Metals. It said "Alkaline Earth metals react in a similar way, producing a metal hydroxide and oxygen gas..." the book was talking about the reaction of Alkali metals with H2O which forms a metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas, so the context is alkaline Earth metals react in a similar way (with H2O like Alkali Metals). I checked with some sources and my phone's chemistry app, and I confirmed that the statement of the book is wrong. Another content in the book that I doubt is the metal activity series. The book gives this list : from the most active : Potassium, Barium, Strontium, Calcium, Sodium... while other sources give : from the most active : Potassium, Sodium, Barium, Strontium, Calcium.
My question is, how reliable or accurate is the information provided by this book? Is it a good book for studying chemistry?
 
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The quality of any book depends on its content and accuracy. In the case of Introduction to Chemistry fourth edition by Bauer, Birk, Marks, it appears that there are some inaccuracies in the book. The statement regarding Alkaline Earth Metals is incorrect, and the metal activity series is also not quite accurate. However, this does not necessarily mean that the book is not good for studying chemistry. It is possible that the book contains other useful information and resources that could be helpful to students. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if the book is suitable for your needs.
 
The book is fascinating. If your education includes a typical math degree curriculum, with Lebesgue integration, functional analysis, etc, it teaches QFT with only a passing acquaintance of ordinary QM you would get at HS. However, I would read Lenny Susskind's book on QM first. Purchased a copy straight away, but it will not arrive until the end of December; however, Scribd has a PDF I am now studying. The first part introduces distribution theory (and other related concepts), which...

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