General Chemistry
Guide to Reference Sources
This bibliography is intended as a guide to important printed resources in this subject area.
These titles are particularly useful.
Web versions of these titles are available.
Restricted to UT users.
These links will take you to more resources on this topic.
ENCYCLOPEDIAS: Background and Explanation
Encyclopedia of chemical technology. (Kirk-Othmer)
TP 9 K54 2004 Reference (5th ed.)
Valuable information source covers preparation, manufacturing processes, uses of materials, properties of chemical substances, and chemistry fundamentals. Very authoritative, but accessible to students and non-specialists alike.
Encyclopedia of physical science and technology. 3rd ed.
Q 123 E497 2002 Reference
Good general science encyclopedia.
Macmillan encyclopedia of chemistry.
QD 4 M33 1997 Reference, 4 vols.
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.
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology. 8th ed.
Q 121 M3 1997 Reference
20 volumes, with cumulative index. Basic background articles, with bibliographies. A good place to start.
Van Nostrand's encyclopedia of chemistry. 5th ed.
QD 4 V36 2005 Reference
Concise one-volume encyclopedia for students at all levels.
DICTIONARIES: Vocabulary and Terminology
Concise etymological dictionary of chemistry.
QD 5 B57 Reference
Unique dictionary showing the linguistic origins of many chemical terms, prefixes and suffixes.
Dictionary of named effects and laws in chemistry, physics and mathematics.
QD 5 B32 1980 Reference
Listing of laws, formulas, and effects that bear the name of the scientist who contributed to their discovery or description.
Facts on File encyclopedia of chemistry.
QD 4 R57 2005 Reference
Definitions of chemical terms, entries on famous chemists in history, plus four essays on the role of chemistry in our daily lives.
Facts on File dictionary of chemistry.
QD 5 F33 2005 Reference
Handy dictionary of terms and concepts.
GABCOM & GABMET : acronyms of compounds and methods in chemistry and
physics.
QD 7 G22 1993 Reference
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. 11th ed.
TP 9 G286 1999 Reference
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.
About trade names...
Hawley's condensed chemical dictionary.
QD 5 C5 Reference (Latest edition)
A dictionary defining terms related to chemistry and the chemical industry. It also provides brief biographies of scientists and some American technical societies. Origins of chemical terms are given in the appendix.
Online chemical encyclopedias and dictionaries...
HANDBOOKS: Facts and Property Data
Aldrich catalog handbook of fine chemicals.
Handbook Table
Multi-use catalog of the Aldrich Chemical Co., listing 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.
Conversion tables of units in science and engineering.
Q 199 C65 Reference
Conversion factors for units used in science.
Online unit converters...
CRC handbook of chemistry and physics.
Handbook Table
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. Consult the index in the back for the type of data needed. Published annually.
Lange's handbook of chemistry.
Handbook Table
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 very useful starting point that complements the better-known CRC Handbook.
Merck index. 14th ed.
Handbook Table
Descriptions of over 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.
Sources of property information...
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
The Elements. 3rd ed.
QD 466 E48 1998 Reference
This excellent compendium of data on 109 elements 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. By John Emsley.
Encyclopedia of the elements.
QD 466 E56 2004 Reference
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.
QD 466 S78 2002 Reference
Historical anecdotes and everyday examples of use of 114 elements. High school level.
The History and use of our earth's chemical elements. 2nd ed.
QD 466 K69 2006 Reference
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 : an A-Z guide to the elements.
QD 466 E485 2001 Reference
Written for a general audience by science writer John Emsley, this guide profiles each element in the context of its history, its uses, economic and environmental aspects, and more.
Online periodic tables...
LAB WORK
Chemical demonstrations.
QD 43 S5 1983 Stacks
This four-volume set contains descriptions of and instructions for classroom chemical demonstrations that illustrate important chemical concepts. Organized by type of chemical subject matter.
Chemical technicians' ready reference handbook. 4th ed.
QD 61 S58 1996 Reference
An "omnibook" for all chemical laboratory personnel, a guide to conventional lab procedures, equipment, and terminology.
The Laboratory companion.
QD 53 C69 1997 Reference
A practical guide to materials, equipment, and technique.
Successful lab reports : a manual for science students.
Q 183 A1 L63 1992 Stacks
A guide to drafting and revising lab reports.
Writing the laboratory notebook.
Q 180.58 K36 1985 Stacks
Guide to keeping accurate records in the laboratory.
MISCELLANY AND COOL STUFF
The Chemical formulary.
TP 151 C53 Reference
This series, which began in 1933 and is best known as "Bennett" after its original editor, contains "recipes" for the preparation of many different home, consumer, and industrial products. It is now largely of historical interest, and readers should be aware that some of the older formulations are archaic and possibly unsafe by today's standards.
Chemically speaking.
QD 5 C457 2002 Reference
Entertaining and informative compilation of published chemical quotations.
Chemistry connections : the chemical basis of everyday phenomena.
QD 37 K34 2003 Reference
Good source of answers to many kinds of basic chemistry questions.
Chemistry for every kid.
QD 38 V36 1989 Reference
Experiments for school projects, science fairs, home chemistry, and fun.
The extraordinary chemistry of ordinary things. 4th ed.
QD 33.2 S58 2003 Stacks
Good basic textbook explaining everyday chemical phenomena.
Kitchen chemistry.
QD 38 G37 1982 Reference
Simple and fun chemical experiments for the home.
World records in chemistry.
QD 37 F3813 1999 Reference
The smallest, the largest, the hardest, the hottest, the heaviest, the fastest, the most expensive, and much more. Fascinating for chemists and trivia buffs alike.
GUIDES TO LITERATURE AND RESEARCH
ACS directory of graduate research.
QD 21 D573 Reference
The American Chemical Society's biennial directory of departments of chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, clinical chemistry, and polymer science at U.S. and Canadian universities that offer advanced degrees in these fields. Schools are listed alphabetically within each section, and include fields of specialization, faculty biographies, and recent publications.
ACS style guide. 3rd ed.
QD 8.5 A25 2006 Reserves, Reference
Guide to writing and preparing papers for publication in the chemical sciences. Includes a chapter on citation formats for various types of publications. The book is not available electronically, but some examples based on the guide can be found here.
How to find chemical information. 3rd ed.
QD 8.5 M34 1998 Reference
Introduction to the literature of chemistry and sources of data, both printed and electronic.
How to write and publish a scientific paper. 6th ed.
T 11 D33 2006 Stacks
Primer for the novice researcher.
TEXTBOOKS
Textbooks provide concise explanations of concepts with the student in mind. A selection of General/Inorganic Chemistry textbooks can be found in the book stacks in the
QD 31 - QD 33 call number area. Texts currently being used for courses are usually available for limited checkout at the Reserves Desk.
DATABASES
Chemical Abstracts - Student Edition
A subset of the full CA file, containing indexing for about 300 widely held journals in the chemical and biomedical sciences. Coverage back to 1967.
SciFinder Scholar
Online access to the Chemical Abstracts family of databases, including Chemical Abstracts (1907- ), Registry, CASREACT, and CHEMCATS, a chemical suppliers database. Access is through client software available on library workstations and for installing on personal computers.
Library Catalog
The UT-Austin library catalog covers the book and journal holdings of all UT libraries and is searchable by keywords, title, author, and call number.
