From man's first exploration of natural materials and their transformations to today's materials science, chemistry has always been the central discipline that underpins both the physical and biological sciences, as well as technology. In this Very Short Introduction, William H Brock traces the unique appeal of this fundamental science throughout history. Covering alchemy, early-modern chemistry, pneumatic chemistry and Lavoisier's re-interpretation...

In this practical pop science book, a scientist dubbed "the Cooler Bill Nye" looks at how we experience chemistry every day. From the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep (and even while we sleep), chemistry is at work. Biberdorf is lighting the world on fire and changing the face of chemistry as we know it, and here she demystifies the fundamental principles that may have eluded you in high school. She shows how chemistry come alive in everything...

"The Heat Will Kill You First is about the extreme ways in which our planet is already changing. It is about why spring is coming a few weeks earlier and fall is coming a few weeks later and the impact that will have on everything from our food supply to disease outbreaks. It is about what will happen to our lives and our communities when typical summer days in Chicago or Boston go from 90� F to 110�F. A heatwave, Goodell explains, is a predatory...

Say "algae" and most people think of pond scum. What they don't know is that without algae, none of us would exist. There are as many algae on Earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for eons. Algae created the Earth we know today, with its oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans, and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are the ancestors of all plants. Today, seaweed production is a multi-billion...

Rigorous review and practice outside the classroom is essential to excelling in your beginning chemistry class--and on your exams. You'll find the powerful, all-in-one study tool you need in this edition of Schaum's Outline of Beginning Chemistry. Thoroughly updated to meet the emphasis in current courses, it works as a supplement to your textbooks, a go-to chemistry reference, and practice guide to give you the confidence, skills, and knowledge you...

REVIEWS IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY THE LATEST VOLUME IN THE REVIEWS IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY SERIES, THE INVALUABLE REFERENCE TO METHODS AND TECHNIQUES IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY Reviews in Computational Chemistry reference texts assist researchers in selecting and applying new computational chemistry methods to their own research. Bringing together writings from leading experts in various fields of computational chemistry, V olume 32 covers topics...

An isotope is a variant form of a chemical element, containing a different number of neutrons in its nucleus. Most elements exist as several isotopes. Many are stable while others are radioactive, and some may only exist fleetingly before decaying into other elements. In this Very Short Introduction, Rob Ellam explains how isotopes have proved enormously important across all the sciences and in archaeology. Radioactive isotopes may be familiar from...