Chemical World

Despite people using both natural and synthetic chemicals with (mainly) good intentions, some chemicals have had unintended negative consequences. Chemical residues have contaminated ecosystems the world over and are compromising the health of many ecosystems, animals and humans. The goal of Chemical World: Science in our Daily Lives is to introduce readers to basic chemistry and chemical history, and to show how chemicals are used for particular reasons but sometimes turn out to be harmful to environmental and human health. It invites readers to take a look at the world around them and ask questions about what’s in their environment and how the things they use and eat every day can affect their own health and the planet’s health. Chemical World: Science in Our Daily Lives explores some of the materials—all of which are made of basic chemical elements—that humans use or come into contact with in their day-to-day lives. Some of these chemicals are naturally occurring—clay, mercury, lead. Others have been synthesized by chemists during the past 150 years and used in a bewildering array of products ranging from roof shingles to toothpaste. Many chemical inventions, as well as naturally produced chemicals, have had profound effects on food supply, developing medicines and creating hosts of useful items for modern life.

Understanding Physical Chemistry is a gentle introduction to the principles and applications of physical chemistry. The book aims to introduce the concepts and theories in a structured manner through a wide range of carefully chosen examples and case studies drawn from everyday life. These real-life examples and applications are presented first, with any necessary chemical and mathematical theory discussed afterwards. This makes the book extremely accessible and directly relevant to the reader. Aimed at undergraduate students taking a first course in physical chemistry, this book offers an accessible applications/examples led approach to enhance understanding and encourage and inspire the reader to learn more about the subject. A comprehensive introduction to physical chemistry starting from first principles. Carefully structured into short, self-contained chapters. Introduces examples and applications first, followed by the necessary chemical theory.

This general chemistry text for undergraduates provides thorough treatment of the essential chemistry subjects. Topics and ideas from modern chemistry and related fields are incorporated and practical applications provide a context for the facts and principles.

Environmental issues in the USA are more important now than ever before. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina, growing evidence of global warming, and a struggling national energy supply highlight the unfolding crisis. Environmental fears translate into US automobile giants plying consumers with 'fuel efficient' cars in the 'MPG Lounge' of sales. Politicians talk of energy independence and getting tough on polluters. Fears gravitate around a fast-approaching doomsday scenario, an environmental endgame, of wholesale collapse, unless something is done.Yet fears of doomsday are nothing new. John Wills shows how the current environmental crisis is firmly rooted in the past. As well as explaining how today's problems are manifestations of older systems of economics, culture and politics, he also argues that America has already witnessed a range of 'doomsday scenarios,' both real and imagined. He identifies and explores a cast of 'doomsday landscapes' that includes the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, the 'Fable for Tomorrow' town featured in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962), and Nevada's Doom Towns 1 and 2 blown apart by atomic testing in the 1950s. He reflects on contemporary ruminations over whether nature as a category endures given both the rising contamination of the US landscape and consumer proclivity for celebrating fake mementos of the outdoors (such as plastic lawn flamingos and artificial plants). And most significantly, he poses the question of whether Americans have been inviting doomsday through their long-term environmental actions.

While emphasizing conservation and sustainable strategies, this book provides steps to improve the manufacturing technologies used in creating products. By simplifying the chemistry, process development, manufacturing practices and processes, the book provides a structured approach to producing quality products with little waste, making the process not only efficient but environmentally friendly. Illustrated with case studies, this is an essential resource for chemical engineers, chemists, plant engineers, and operating personnel in any chemical related businesses.

What If One Plus One Is Not Two? Daniel McMullan What If One Plus One Is Not Two? shares an internal dialogue dissecting some of life’s most perplexing questions. Fascinated by chemistry in school, nineteen year-old McMullan pondered over different theories of nature while writing in his notebooks. This led him to epiphanies that completely changed his understanding of the world. For over a decade he organized and elaborated on those writings to form this book. Although we desire a rational understanding of life, McMullan suggests that an honest analysis of any conclusion reveals unreliable assumptions at the foundation. Come along for the ride as he explores the philosophical implications of this paradigm-shifting perspective.