Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture

by Robert Bruce Thompson

Book Overview

For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work: Purify alcohol by distillation Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis Smelt metallic copper from copper...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596514921
• ISBN13: 9780596514921
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Make Community, LLC
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.1" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

More than funny smells, an invaluable must have book.

Many other reviewers have made comments about the demise of home chemistry sets and their youthful experiences. I echo many of the same thoughts. Without going in to the details suffice to say that I loved my chemistry set and still relish those youthful memories. I have long lamented the fact that you can no longer buy a decent home chemistry set. Thompson's book addresses this problem and fills a much needed niche. This by far the best book around if you want to setup your own chemistry lab and conduct experiments at home. This is a real how to book that addresses the practical issues of setting up a chemistry lab and conducting experiments. In addition to the chapters that deal with the actual experiments, there are chapters on safety, equipment, and where to find chemicals. There is also good discussion about the disposal of chemicals and a realistic and practical discussion about the dangers of chemicals. I've had a copy of the book for a couple of months. I've had the opportunity to read much of it and actually try some of the experiments. I don't have a lot of room for a lab but that hasn't stopped me from experimenting. I originally obtained the book for my son but I have to admit I find it more interesting and useful than he does. While he is interested in chemistry and has enjoyed out experiments he is too busy with other things to really get into it at the moment. I hope that will change after the summer ends and we settle in for the winter. I plan to incorporate chemistry into our home schooling program and this book is the perfect tool to help guide my efforts. The bottom line is that this book is educational, practical and fun. I recommend it for anyone interested in learning about basic practical chemistry. If you are a parent and your child is interested in chemistry you need this book. It will be invaluable for home school parents who plan to teach chemistry and as a supplement for high school chemistry students. I would not be surprised to find that chemistry teachers adopted this book in their own curriculum.

How to Make and Use Your Own Chemistry Set

I still remember getting my first chemistry set from a school teacher aunt when I was 10 or 11. About 30 small bottles of chemicals, and instructions for mixing them in various ways. You could make concoctions that would smoke in different colors, compounds that would fizz and bubble, turn liquids to solids, solids to liquids, the list goes on. It was my first introduction to science, and the lessons took, as I became a scientist. Unfortunately, liability concerns and nanny-statism have pulled most chemistry sets off the market, and young would-be scientists don't have the chance to learn about chemistry on their own Robert Bruce Thompson is attempting to remedy the situation with this book. It is based less on a theoretical consideration of chemistry than a practical exploration or things one can do in a home lab. The theory is there, but couched in the discussion of the experiments. He takes appropriate care to emphasize safety, and for those looking for the capabilities to make explosives, there are no home-brew directions for that. Reasonably priced choices for purchasing home equipment and chemicals are discussed, the reasons for the various utensils required are given. The book also includes review questions for those who wish to prove their mastery of a subject. The target age ranges for the book range from early teen years for some unusually serious adolescents to later teens for most others. And of course it's ideal for the interested adult. If you have a teen with science aspirations or interest, this book might provide a great experience for them, and the chance for you to provide mentoring as well. Highly recommended.

An Excellent Chemistry Book

This book provides an excellent guide on how to learn about chemistry since chemistry sets like the one I had as a kid are no longer available. The author provides a great deal of chemical knowledge that I would loved to have had as a teenager. The experiments in this book are far more interesting than the ones that were in my chemistry set as a kid. The one point I would make is that I would make is that many of these experiments are potentially dangerous. You should follow the author's safety advice to the letter. High school age students might do these experiments without adult supervision. Children any younger than that should have adult supervision.

Solid chemistry in a down-to-earth approach to learning...

Are you a frustrated chemist who never outgrew their fascination with the home chemistry kits of the good old days? Back when people took responsibility for their actions and "product liability" wasn't the fear of every company out there? This is the EXACT book you need to get in order to rekindle that love or to pass it on to a new generation... Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture by Robert Bruce Thompson. You won't get a simple "isn't it cool how this changes color?" approach to science. Thompson covers serious stuff, complete with best practices, methodologies for recording your experiments, and plenty of safety tips along the way. After working through this book, you'll be further ahead than most entry-level college students. Contents: Introduction; Laboratory Safety; Equipping a Home Chemistry Lab; Chemicals for the Home Chemistry Lab; Mastering Laboratory Skills; Separating Mixtures; Solubility and Solutions; Colligative Properties of Solutions; Introduction to Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry; Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions; Acid-Base Chemistry; Chemical Kinetics; Chemical Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's Principle; Gas Chemistry; Thermochemistry and Calorimetry; Electrochemistry; Photochemistry; Colloids and Suspensions; Qualitative Analysis; Quantitative Analysis; Synthesis of Useful Compounds; Forensic Chemistry; Index I *did* say it was far more than just changing the colors of liquids in a test tube... You can tell that Thompson has a real love of this field. He starts off with his story of how he got interested in chemistry, as well as how this book would map to a first or second year chemistry course. He explains the value of keeping a laboratory notebook in a way that will meticulously track your results and offer a chain of evidence should you stumble upon the next great compound. Safety and supplies follow that, and he does an excellent job in balancing risk and reward, cost and budget. Instead of just saying that you should avoid anything that can possibly injure you, he advises you on how to protect yourself, how to safely handle chemicals that could react in a dangerous fashion, and generally do what you need to do without fearing every little step. After the supplies, you get a course in the chemicals you'll need to obtain to do many of these experiments. Some are fairly easy to get, while others have become more controlled and restricted over the years. Still, he points you to sources and alternatives that will keep this from becoming an overly expensive habit. After a final chapter on laboratory skills, you start getting into the good stuff... mixing chemicals to observe reactions! The lab exercises are laid out in a straight-forward, easy to follow fashion. Your prep work is covered, along with the supplies and chemicals you need. The procedures follow, along with pictures to show appropriate information. Finally, there are areas to record your observations, a

This book is dangerous

This book is dangerous. It will cause kids to start thinking. There is a definate risk that they will starting wanting to learn about the world around them instead of just studing the answers to a test. I am old enough I remember chemistry sets under the christmas tree and a high school chemistry class were students actually did experiements instead of just watching. DO you, or your childern, want to actually learn chemistry? Then get this book.