Chemistry: The Central Science

Citation

Brown, T. E., LeMay, H. E., Bursten, B. E., Murphy, C., Woodward, P., & Stoltzfus, M. E. (2023). Chemistry: The Central Science (15th ed.). Pearson.

Chapter Summary

The fifteenth edition has 24 chapters, listed on the publisher's page by title only. They follow a conventional general-chemistry sequence: matter and measurement, atoms and reactions, energy and electrons, bonding, the states of matter, rates and equilibrium, thermodynamics and electrochemistry, and finally descriptive and applied topics. The publisher adds that this edition brings student-friendly learning objectives with follow-up self-assessment exercises, descriptions of problem-solving strategies and a wide variety of end-of-chapter problems.

Chapters 1–4: Introduction: Matter, Energy, and Measurement; Atoms, Molecules, and Ions; Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry; Reactions in Aqueous Solution

The opening block covers matter, energy and measurement, the particle picture of atoms, molecules and ions, the stoichiometry of chemical reactions, and reactions in aqueous solution.

Chapters 5–7: Thermochemistry; Electronic Structure of Atoms; Periodic Properties of The Elements

Thermochemistry is placed before atomic structure, so energy accounting is introduced before electronic structure and periodic trends.

Chapters 8–9: Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding; Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories

Bonding is split into a first chapter of basic concepts and a second on molecular geometry and bonding theories.

Chapters 10–13: Gases; Liquids and Intermolecular Forces; Solids and Modern Materials; Properties of Solutions

The states of matter and the properties of solutions, including a chapter on modern materials.

Chapters 14–17: Chemical Kinetics; Chemical Equilibrium; Acid–base Equilibria; Aqueous Equilibria: Buffers, Titrations, and Solubility

Kinetics comes first, then a general chapter on equilibrium followed by acid–base equilibria and a further chapter on buffers, titrations and solubility.

Chapters 18–21: Chemistry of the Environment; Chemical Thermodynamics; Electrochemistry; Nuclear Chemistry

Environmental chemistry precedes the thermodynamics and electrochemistry chapters, with nuclear chemistry afterwards.

Chapters 22–24: Chemistry of the Nonmetals; Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry; The Chemistry of Life: Organic and Biological Chemistry

The closing chapters are descriptive: the nonmetals, transition metals and coordination chemistry, and an introduction to organic and biological chemistry.

Key Concepts

Chapters 1–9: Matter, Reactions, Structure and Bonding

• Stoichiometry: the quantitative relationships among reactants and products (Chapter 3).
• Thermochemistry: heat and energy changes accompanying reactions (Chapter 5).
• Electronic structure and periodic properties: the arrangement of electrons and the trends it explains (Chapters 6–7).
• Molecular geometry and bonding theories: shapes of molecules and models of bonding (Chapter 9).

Chapters 10–17: States of Matter, Kinetics and Equilibrium

• Intermolecular forces: the attractions that determine properties of liquids and solids.
• Chemical kinetics: rates of reactions.
• Chemical equilibrium and acid–base equilibria.
• Buffers, titrations and solubility: the applications of aqueous equilibria in Chapter 17.

Chapters 18–24: Thermodynamics and Descriptive Chemistry

• Chemical thermodynamics and electrochemistry.
• Nuclear chemistry.
• Coordination chemistry of the transition metals.
• Organic and biological chemistry as the closing application.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• A six-author team. The publisher describes the authors as leading researchers and award-winning teachers; they are listed from the University of Illinois, the University of Nevada, Reno, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and The Ohio State University.
• Practice and problem solving are central. The publisher advertises unrivalled problem sets, descriptions of problem-solving strategies and, in this edition, learning objectives paired with self-assessment exercises, which gives students a clear route from reading to testing themselves.
• Broad coverage in one book. The 24 chapters cover the traditional general chemistry topics from stoichiometry to thermodynamics and electrochemistry, plus nuclear, descriptive inorganic and organic chemistry, so one volume can carry a general chemistry course.
• Applied chapters. The chapter list includes "Solids and Modern Materials", "Chemistry of the Environment" and "The Chemistry of Life: Organic and Biological Chemistry", which tie the core topics to applications.

Limitations

• Descriptive chapters at the end. Chapters 22–24 (nonmetals, coordination chemistry, organic and biological chemistry) come after the quantitative core, so a course with limited time has to decide whether to include them.
• Related topics are spread out. Equilibrium is treated over three chapters (15, 16 and 17), and energy appears first as thermochemistry in Chapter 5 and again as chemical thermodynamics in Chapter 19, so students must connect them.

Where It Fits in the Course

This is a comprehensive general chemistry text from a commercial publisher. Chemistry 2e from OpenStax is a free, openly licensed two-semester text and the most direct alternative; Petrucci and colleagues' General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications is a comprehensive introductory text that emphasises problem solving. Atkins and colleagues' Chemical Principles is calculus-based and builds the subject from physical principles, so it suits students who want derivations. Keeler and Wothers's Chemical Structure and Reactivity deliberately ignores the usual split into organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, and is a way to see the subject afresh after a first course.

How to Use This Book

The publisher's page does not state prerequisites and describes the book as an introduction to modern chemistry. One natural plan, following the order of the contents, is Chapters 1–9 first, then states of matter and solutions, then kinetics and equilibrium (Chapters 14–17) before thermodynamics and electrochemistry (Chapters 19–20). Treat Chapters 18 and 21–24 as selections according to the course.

For study, use the learning objectives to set goals, then test yourself with the follow-up self-assessment exercises and the end-of-chapter problems, working through the problem-solving strategy descriptions before attempting new problem types. When equilibrium topics feel disconnected, read Chapters 15–17 in a single block.