omario4 - 9-3-2009 at 09:38
Hi, i was interested in how they experimentally figured out what happens when a solute like NaCl or HCl is added into water. Are there any books or
online articles that cover early solution chemistry? I'm especially interested in how they found out in early acid base theory that acids form H+ ions
and bases formed OH-.
My general chem classes don't tell me much in terms of how things were discovered. I've been looking for books to read leisurely on early chemistry.
I've started reading "A World on Fire: A Heretic, an Aristocrat, and the Race to Discover Oxygen" by Joe Jackson.
Thank you for your help.
matei - 9-3-2009 at 10:05
You can find a description of the beginnings of modern physical chemistry in a book called "Cathedrals of Science: The Personalities and Rivalries
That Made Modern Chemistry
" by Patrick Coffey (found on Gigapedia). It's a very enjoyable lecture.
Magpie - 9-3-2009 at 10:11
Take a look at "Crucibles," by Bernard Jaffe. It gives a nice overview starting with the earliest researchers. It's 240 pp in paperback. Chapter X
is "ARREHENIUS, Three Musketeers Fight for Ions."
omario4 - 9-3-2009 at 21:59
Thank you guys for your suggestions.