Chapter II: Preface

This little book has been prepared as a popular introduction to the study of chemistry.

It is probably needless to recommend the _subject_: chemistry is recognized as a science of such general interest, such wide usefulness, and such universal application, that no intelligent person can endure long to remain ignorant of its principal facts and laws.

This book treats principally of the _non-metals_; it is believed to be the verdict of authors and teachers of experience, that these furnish the most suitable material for a beginner in the study of chemistry; these best present the fundamental facts and principles of the science, and they do it in connection with objects and phenomena easily accessible to almost every civilized human being.

The author contemplates the preparation hereafter of a book of similar general character, only having its principal facts drawn from the chemistry of the _metals_.

In writing this book it has been the effort to treat the subject in a style that shall be attractive to the general reader; but it is believed that in no case has scientific fact been sacrificed in the interest of popular form.

The arrangement of matter in the book is in accordance with the following plan: After the introductory chapters, which present the general principles of chemical action, the chief non-metals are treated in a scientific order as follows: the _monads_, hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and fluorine; then the _dyads_, oxygen and sulphur; next the _triads_, boron, nitrogen; finally the _tetrads_, carbon and silicon; thus including the four great groups into which the non-metals are naturally arranged.

The _historical and biographical sketches_, that are distributed through the book, have been introduced with the view of legitimately helping to retain the reader’s attention. Most of the _experiments_ described are such as may be performed by any one possessed of reasonable skill; it is believed that they will afford profitable instruction as well as entertainment. Allusions to the _applications of chemistry_ to the affairs of every-day life have been carefully introduced and have been developed as fully as the circumstances seem to warrant.

Perhaps some comment upon the _reading references_ (pp. 10, 17, 24, 27, 31, 38, 45, 56, 73, 84, 98, 111, 116, 133, 156, 161, 186, 196, 214) is proper. They are largely from periodical publications, and it is thought that they will be of service, especially to mature students. Helps to reading are now viewed as among the most important offerings of teachers to learners. The reading lists in this book point out some papers which are selected as being chiefly popular in style; if these lead the reader to consult the others he will find himself introduced to some of the most important contributions to the knowledge of our science.

BROWN UNIVERSITY, August, 1884.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.—The scope of chemistry, 7
CHAPTER II.—The elementary substances, 12
CHAPTER III.—Names and symbols of elements, 19
CHAPTER IV.—Classification of the elementary
substances; metals and non-metals, 28
CHAPTER V.—Compound substances; examples of
binary and ternary compounds, 32
CHAPTER VI.—The construction of substances;
the mass, the molecule, the atom, 39
CHAPTER VII.—How chemical affinity works; the
modern atomic theory, 46
CHAPTER VIII.—Hydrogen; its discovery; method
of preparation; its properties, 58
CHAPTER IX.—Balloons; their invention and uses, 74
CHAPTER X.—Chlorine; its preparation and properties;
chlorohydric acid; bleaching-powder, 85
CHAPTER XI.—Bromine, 100
CHAPTER XII.—Iodine, 105
CHAPTER XIII.—Fluorine, 112
CHAPTER XIV.—Oxygen; its discovery; its preparation;
its properties; its relation to hydrogen; the compound
blowpipe; its relation to combustion in general, and
to animal respiration, 117
CHAPTER XV.—Water, its importance to living beings;
its terrestrial circulation; its influence on climate, 134
CHAPTER XVI.—Sulphur; sulphuretted hydrogen;
sulphur dioxide, 142
CHAPTER XVII.—Sulphur trioxide; manufacture of
sulphuric acid, 151
CHAPTER XVIII.—Boron, 157
CHAPTER XIX.—Nitrogen; its discovery; its properties;
compound with hydrogen; compounds with oxygen;
nitric acid, 162
CHAPTER XX.—The Atmosphere, 170
CHAPTER XXI.—Explosives; gunpowder; fireworks;
fulminates gun-cotton; nitroglycerine, 177
CHAPTER XXII.—Phosphorus; friction matches, 187
CHAPTER XXIII.—Carbon; charcoal; lamp-black; coal;
graphite; the diamond; other natural forms of carbon, 197
CHAPTER XXIV.—Compounds of carbon and oxygen, 215
CHAPTER XXV.—Illuminating gas, 221
CHAPTER XXVI.—Silicon, 228

CHEMISTRY.