Introductory Chemistry Essentials - Hardcover

Tro, Nivaldo J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0136019919 ISBN 13: 9780136019916

Publisher: Pearson, 2008

Synopsis

Introductory Chemistry Essentials, Third Edition is designed for a one-semester, introductory or preparatory chemistry course. Students taking this course need to develop problem-solving skills–but they also must see why these skills are important to them and to their world. Introductory Chemistry Essentials extends chemistry from the laboratory to the student’s world. It motivates students to learn chemistry by demonstrating how it plays out in their daily lives.

 

The third edition continues to employ Tro’s proven pedagogical features: the Solution Map provides a visual approach showing students how to think through a problem and formulate a solution strategy; the unique Three-Column Problem-Solving Procedures describe a problem-solving procedure while demonstrating how it is applied to two different examples. In addition, the Conceptual Checkpoint features now include questions that prompt students to visualize the molecular world around them.

 

Introductory Chemistry Essentials, Third Edition can be packaged with MasteringChemistry™, the most advanced chemistry homework and tutorial system available. This online homework and tutoring system utilizes the Socratic Method to coach students through problem-solving techniques, offering hints and simpler questions on request. It tutors students individually with feedback specific to their errors. MasteringChemistry™ helps students learn, not just practice.  

About this title

Review:

"Having now looked at all the chapters, I see a text that will likely capture the attention of a great many instructors such as myself. I like Tro's style of writing, and am also quite happy with his effort to develop problem solving skills. I think the text is crisp in that it gets to the key points in a clear and direct way without a lot of beating around the bush, yet it does so in a way that I think will capture students' interest." - Kim D. Summerhays, University of San Francisco "I think the strengths of this book are its lucidity, the aggressive use of visual images to continually reinforce the atomic/ molecular nature of matter, the wonderful array of problems, end-of-chapter problems, and thought-provoking 'Everyday Chemistry' type essays. I would describe this book as both highly visual and personal. More so than other books in this same realm, Tro does an excellent job of using visual evidence for the students, from the solution map to the many illustrations." - Donald C. Davis, College of Lake County "I like the solution map strategy. It emphasizes the logic of solving problems with units serving as a road map. Students must learn to think about setting up the problem before calculating an answer. Other texts give examples using a step-by-step process and emphasize unit conversions, but they do not emphasize the thought process behind the set-up as much as the Tro text." - Donna G. Friedman, St.Louis Community College at Florissant Valley "I think the art looks great. The illustrations are uniformly excellent, showing a distinctive style without appearing unusual or cartoony. The colors are vibrant and little details such as a texture on the molecules and ions are nice. Best artwork out there at this level, I believe. Stunning visuals such as Figure 70.2 are powerful ways for students to learn tricky concepts." - C. Michael McCallum, University of the Pacific

About the Author:

Nivaldo Tro is currently chair of the department of chemistry at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where he has been a faculty member since 1990.   He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University, for work on developing and using optical techniques to study the adsorption and desorption of molecules to and from surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum. He then went on to the University of California at Berkeley, where he did post-doctoral research on ultra-fast reaction dynamics in solution.  Since coming to Westmont, Professor Tro has been awarded grants from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, from Research Corporation, and from the National Science Foundation to study the dynamics of various processes occurring in thin adlayer films adsorbed on dielectric surfaces.   He has twice been honored as Westmont's outstanding teacher of the year and has also received the college's outstanding researcher of the year award.   

 

Nivaldo Tro lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Ann, and their four children, Michael, Ali, Kyle, and Kaden. In his leisure time, Professor Tro enjoys reading good literature to his children and being outdoors with his family.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pearson
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0136019919
• ISBN 13: 9780136019916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 744