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Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach, 3rd Edition

Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste

  • Copyright 2021
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2020-02-14T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $77.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach 3rd Edition by Steven S. Zumdahl/Susan A. Zumdahl/Donald J. DeCoste
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Overview

Renowned author team, Steve and Susan Zumdahl have for decades focused on helping students build critical-thinking skills while learning to "think like chemists." This focus on conceptual understanding and strong problem-solving orientation provides students the building blocks towards gaining mastery. In this third edition of CHEMISTRY: AN ATOMS FIRST APPROACH, Steve and Susan Zumdahl, with new co-author Don DeCoste, place special emphasis on the fluidity of topics, guiding students through the concept of molecules, structure and bonding to more complex materials and their properties. This text is enhanced with interactive resources available in OWLv2, a powerful online learning system with richly dynamic problems and newly enhanced content that features a wider range of quality feedback and point-of-use remediation.

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Meet the Authors

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Steven S. Zumdahl

Steve Zumdahl is the author of market-leading textbooks in introductory chemistry, general chemistry, honors-level chemistry, and high school chemistry. Recently retired from his long-time position as Director of Undergraduate Programs at the University of Illinois, he has received numerous awards for his contributions to chemical education. These include the National Catalyst Award in recognition of his contribution to chemical education, the University of Illinois Teaching Award, the UIUC Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising Award, and the School of Chemical Sciences Teaching Award (five times). He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Wheaton College (IL), and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Susan A. Zumdahl

Susan A. Zumdahl earned a B.S. and M.A. in Chemistry at California State University--Fullerton. She has taught science and mathematics at all levels, including middle school, high school, community college, and university. She is past director of the Merit Program for Emerging Scholars in Chemistry at the University of Illinois. In addition, she spearheaded the development of a sophisticated web-based electronic homework system for chemistry and is co-author on several chemistry textbooks.

Donald J. DeCoste

Donald J. DeCoste is Associate Director of General Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign and has been teaching chemistry at the high school and college levels for 26 years. He earned his BS in Chemistry and PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign. At UIUC he has developed chemistry courses for nonscience majors, preservice secondary teachers, and preservice elementary teachers. He teaches courses in introductory chemistry and the teaching of chemistry and has received the School of Chemical Sciences Teaching Award four times. Don has led workshops for secondary teachers and graduate student teaching assistants, discussing the methods and benefits of getting students more actively involved in class. When not involved in teaching and advising, Don enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

What's New

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  • IMPROVED FLUIDITY OF TOPICS ensures clarity, enhanced understanding and cohesive flow in every chapter. In areas such as measurements, calculations, and bonding, for example, the authors focus on increasing student comprehension of terms relative to placement of concepts as they proceed through the atoms first approach.
  • INCREASED CLARITY: Since nomenclature appears in later chapters, both formulas and names of molecules are referenced to not assume students have a prior knowledge of nomenclature.
  • EXPANDED TOPICS: The discussion of energy, for example, was expanded to support content referencing energy that appears before chapter 7.
  • REACTION ENTHALPY ESTIMATIONS from bond enthalpy was moved from chapter 3 to chapter 7 so that it appears after students have studied reactions in more detail.
  • IMPROVED CONTEXT: Reminder call-outs were added to help students identify information from previous chapters to trigger a refresh of topics or remediation.
  • REORGANIZED END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS support the special attention paid to the fluidity of topics relative to learning through the atoms first approach.
  • ENHANCED CONTENT IN OWLv2: The enhanced content in OWL provides intentional, targeted guidance with a wider range of answer specific feedback, point-of-use remediation, and streamlined course templates.
  • LADDERED ASSESSMENT SETS: Laddered Assessments are new assignment sets in OWLv2 that combine conceptual modules with more traditional homework questions. This provides students a structured learning path to bolster their skills. Students start with conceptual exercises like tutorials and simulations, then practice single concepts and skills in Mastery, then finally practice application in end-of-chapter exercises.

Features

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  • AN ATOMS FIRST APPROACH: By taking an atoms first approach, the authors provide students with a fluid, unified story built around an organizing principle--start the course with the smallest element, the atom, and build from there. Building their explanations around this structure, the authors consistently show the importance and relevance of studying chemistry.
  • A FOCUS ON CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Rather than focusing on memorizing, the book gives students the tools they need to become critical thinkers: to ask questions, to apply rules and develop models, and to evaluate the outcome.
  • A STRONG PROBLEM-SOLVING ORIENTATION: Throughout the text, the authors encourage students learn how to solve problems by thinking them through rather than relying on memorizing. Section 5.3, "Learning to Solve Problems," emphasizes the importance of thoughtful, creative problem solving, which produces more long-term, meaningful learning that can be applied to real life.
  • CHEMWORK PROBLEMS are multi-concept problems found at the end of each chapter and in the OWLv2 platform. These problems replicate the type of assistance a student would get from an instructor while testing their understanding of core chapter concepts.

Table of Contents

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Review: Measurement and Calculations in Chemistry.
1. Chemical Foundations.
2. Atomic Structure and Periodicity.
3. Bonding: General Concepts.
4. Molecular Structure and Orbitals.
5. Stoichiometry.
6. Types of Chemical Reactions and Solution Stoichiometry.
7. Chemical Energy.
8. Gases.
9. Liquids and Solids.
10. Properties of Solutions.
11. Chemical Kinetics.
12. Chemical Equilibrium.
13. Acids and Bases.
14. Acid-Base Equilibria.
15. Solubility and Complex Ion Equilibria.
16. Spontaneity, Entropy, and Free Energy.
17. Electrochemistry.
18. The Nucleus: A Chemist's View.
19. The Representative Elements.
20. Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry.
21. Organic and Biological Molecules.

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OWLv2 Options

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OWLv2
OWLv2 offers a full, mobile-ready textbook combined with mastery learning activities that allow students to understand each concept and skill at their own pace.

This Cengage solution can be seamlessly integrated into most Learning Management Systems (Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and more) but does require a different ISBN for access codes. Please work with your Cengage Learning Consultant to ensure the proper course set up and ordering information. For additional information, please visit the LMS Integration site.

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  • ISBN-10: 0357363515
  • ISBN-13: 9780357363515
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  • ISBN-10: 0357700473
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Supplements

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Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

FOR STUDENTS

OWLv2 with eBook Student Solutions Manual for Zumdahl/Zumdahl/DeCoste's Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach, 1 term Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357363515
Created by teaching chemists, OWLv2 is a powerful digital platform for Chemistry with a unique Mastery Learning approach, which allows students to practice at their own pace, receive meaningful feedback, and access a variety of learning resources to help them master Chemistry and achieve better grades.

OWLv2 with eBook Student Solutions Manual for Zumdahl/Zumdahl/DeCoste's Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach, 4 terms Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357363447
Created by teaching chemists, OWLv2 is a powerful digital platform for Chemistry with a unique Mastery Learning approach, which allows students to practice at their own pace, receive meaningful feedback, and access a variety of learning resources to help them master Chemistry and achieve better grades.

OWLv2 for Zumdahl/Zumdahl/DeCoste's Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach, 4 terms Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357639719

OWLv2 for Zumdahl/Zumdahl/DeCoste's Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach, 1 term Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357639726