Asimov
on chemistry
The Book Asimov on Chemistry by Isaac Asimov is a collection of
seventeen essays that he wrote for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science
Fiction. This book is one of ten that were published by Doubleday & Company,
Inc. Not all of the books centered on chemistry and like science. Most just
covered anything Isaac Asimov wondered about. These Essays date back quite
aways with a range from January 1959 to April 1966.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
The Weighting Game
This i found to be the most boring in the whole book. It covers
chemical atomic weight and physical atomic weight. It also gives chemical
methods that determine the atomic weight.
Slow burn
This is a description of how Isaac newton contributed to the field of
chemistry along with what civilizations thought of chemistry. Then he talks
about a pathologically shy, absentminded, stuffy, women-hating chemist. This
man did make some discoveries about inflammable gas and proved water to be an
oxide.
The Element of Perfection
Asimov talks about astronomers in the mid 1800's, and how they made
the spectroscope. Only then does he start to mention a element a french
chemist belived to be new or maybe just a heavier from of nitrogen. Inert
gases and there liquefaction points are then listed along when they when fisrt
liquefied by a chemist.
Welcome, Stranger!
This talks about the rarest of stable enert gases, xenon. It also tells
why that in 1962 so many expirements were done involving this gas. Fisrt it
defines the word gas, and talks about different types in about four pages.
Thens he talks about how it is combined with flourine to form a poison.
Death in the Labratory
Here Asimov talks about how scientists have died due to poor lab
conditions and other matters. He also...