LibGuides: Chemistry: General Chemistry

Background and Explanation

Chemistry : foundations and applications.
An undergraduate-level e-book encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia of physical science and technology.
Publication Date: 3rd ed., 2002
Facts on File encyclopedia of chemistry.
Publication Date: 2005

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology This link opens in a new window
Excellent information source presents a wealth of information on preparation, manufacturing processes, uses of materials, properties of chemical substances, and chemistry fundamentals.
Contains authoritative articles on chemical substances—including their properties, manufacturing, and uses; industrial processes and unit operations in chemical engineering; fundamentals and scientific subjects related to the field; environmental and health issues concerning chemical technology. (Due to rising costs of scholarly information and a diminished collection budget, this resource was recently evaluated. We will continue to have access to this resource but articles that are updated after January 2018 will not be available to us.)

Macmillan encyclopedia of chemistry
Publication Date: 1997
Informative articles covering the nature of matter, general principles and laws of chemistry, chemical phenomena, processes, research techniques, reactions, elements and substances, biochemistry, industrial applications, and biography. 4 vols.
Ullmann's encyclopedia of industrial chemistry.
Publication Date: 7th ed., 2011
Major reference set covering chemical processes and products.
Van Nostrand's encyclopedia of chemistry.
Publication Date: 5th ed., 2005

Online Dictionaries

Hawley's condensed chemical dictionary (E-Book)
Publication Date: 16th ed., 2016
One of the best-known dictionaries of chemistry and the chemical industry. It also includes brief biographies of scientists and some American technical societies. Origins of chemical terms are given in the appendix. Also available in print.

Chemicool Dictionary
IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the Gold Book)
IUPAC publishes authoritative guides to terminology and nomenclature in various fields of chemistry. These are popularly known by the color of their covers. The latest editions are shelved in the Reference collection. The "Gold Book" is for general terminology.

Print Dictionaries

In addition to titles listed here, an extensive selection of chemistry dictionaries in print can be found in the QD5 section of the Chemistry Reference collection.

GABCOM & GABMET : acronyms of compounds and methods in chemistry and physics.
Publication Date: 1993
MTBE? TOF-MS? PABA? HMDA? Unique dictionary of those puzzling and hard-to-find acronyms commonly used as shorthand in the chemical literature.
Gardner's chemical synonyms and trade names.
Publication Date: 11th ed., 1999
A dictionary and commercial handbook containing brief description of terms, with cross-references and British spellings. Part 2 contains a list of suppliers with their names, addresses, and a list of their products.
Oxford dictionary of chemistry.
Publication Date: 7th ed., 2016

Other Special Dictionaries

Concise etymological dictionary of chemistry.
Publication Date: 1976
Gives the linguistic origins of many chemical terms, prefixes and suffixes.
Dictionary of named effects and laws in chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Publication Date: 4th ed., 1980
Listing of laws, formulas, and effects that bear the name of the scientist who contributed to their discovery or description.

Facts and Property Data

Aldrich Catalog
The Sigma-Aldrich catalog lists thousands of chemical products as well as equipment, books and software. Chemical entries include formula weight, melting point, and cross-references to data in other handbooks.

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics This link opens in a new window
A first-stop reference source containing a wealth of basic chemical and physical data for compounds, as well as many other useful tables, constants and formulas, and definitions. Also published annually in an abridged print format.
A first-stop reference source containing a wealth of basic chemical and physical data for compounds, as well as many other useful tables, constants and formulas, and definitions in the physical sciences.

Lange's handbook of chemistry.
Publication Date: 17th ed., 2016
Contains large sections on inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry, with extensive tables of physical property data, plus general information and conversion tables, and spectroscopy. A useful starting point that complements the better-known CRC Handbook.
Merck index.
Publication Date: Latest edition
Concise entries on more than 10,000 chemicals, drugs, and biological substances. Entries include name, synonyms and trademarks, mf, mw, structure, physical data, and annotated literature references. Indexed by name, registry number, therapeutic category and biological activity, and formula.

This is a selection of narrative reference books about the chemical elements. For Periodic Tables, see the "Chemical Info Sources" page.

The Elements
This compendium by John Emsley contains concise synopses of chemical data (radii, oxidation states, covalent bonds, etc), physical, biological, nuclear (isotopes), electron shell, crystal, and geological (source, abundance, production) data on 109 elements.
Encyclopedia of the elements : technical data, history, processing, applications.
History, discovers' portraits, occurences, industrial processes, biological roles and applications in chemistry, engineering and industry, along with tables of physical and chemical data.
A Guide to the Elements
Historical anecdotes and everyday examples of use of 114 elements.
The History and Use of Our Earth's Chemical Elements
Profiles of the elements arranged by the periodic table placement, with electron configuration diagrams and hazards information. For high school and college readers.
Nature's Building Blocks : everything you need to know about the elements.
Written for a general audience, this guide profiles each element in the context of its history, its uses, economic and environmental aspects.

Chemical Technicians' Ready Reference Handbook.
An "omnibook" for all chemical laboratory personnel, a guide to conventional lab procedures, equipment, and terminology.
The Laboratory Companion : a practical guide to materials, equipment, and technique.
A practical guide to materials, equipment, and technique.
Successful Lab Reports : a manual for science students.
A guide to drafting and revising lab reports.
Writing the Laboratory Notebook.
Guide to keeping accurate records in the laboratory.

From the American Chemical Society

Periodic Graphics
Infographics on many chemical topics of interest. (C&EN)
Reactions: ACS Chemistry Videos
This educational site for all ages offers fun videos, infographics and other content on chemistry.
What's That Stuff?
An occasional feature of Chemical & Engineering News that provides interesting explanations of the chemistry behind everyday products such as gasoline, margarine, sunscreens, and more.

Books

Chemical Composition of Everyday Products
Publication Date: 2005
Profiles of over 100 groups of products, including soaps, cosmetics, cleaning products, and common household and industrial products.
The Chemical Formulary.
Publication Date: 1933-97
Known to old-timers as "Bennett" after its editor, this series was a "cookbook" for the preparation of common home and industrial products, ranging from soaps to varnish removers and the like. It's now largely of historical (and occasionally humorous) interest. Readers should note that the older volumes sometimes refer to materials and procedures that are obsolete or hazardous by modern standards. There is a cumulative index for vols. 1-25.
Chemically Speaking : a dictionary of quotations.
Entertaining and informative compilation of published chemical quotations.
Chemistry connections : the chemical basis of everyday phenomena.
Good source of answers to many kinds of basic chemistry questions.
Chemistry for Every Kid : 101 easy experiments that really work.
Experiments for school projects, science fairs, home chemistry, and fun.
The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things
Basic textbook explaining everyday chemical phenomena.
The 100 Most Important Chemical Compounds : a reference guide.
Profiles of the history, uses, and importance of compounds such as ammonia, aspirin, DDT, morphine, saccharin, and 95 others.
World Records in Chemistry
The smallest, the largest, the hardest, the hottest, the heaviest, the fastest, the most expensive, and more.

Chemistry Librarian

David Flaxbart

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University of Texas Libraries

512-495-4602

Subjects: Astronomy, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Materials Science, Mathematics, Physics