DISCOVER THE CENTRAL SCIENCE

An accessible introduction to chemistry

Continuing the long tradition of making chemistry accessible to all, the Fifth Edition of Van Nostrand’s Encyclopedia of Chemistry reflects the progress and change of the past two decades. Chemistry is of vital importance to today’s world with applications in areas such as communications and electronics, energy sources and conversation, waste handling and pollution control, biotechnology, molecular biology, food growth and production, and the development of pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and chemotherapeutic methodologies. Containing over 75% new text, this single-volume source has been significantly restructured to capture the expansion of chemistry into new fields and the impact related sciences have had on the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of chemistry. In addition to “classic” topics in chemistry, the Fifth Edition covers such new topics as nanotechnology, fuel cell technology, combinational chemistry, and materials science.

Van Nostrand’s Encyclopedia of Chemistry is a concise, comprehensive, and accessible reference. Its intelligential scope ranges from the introductory to the highly technical. As with early editions, the Encyclopedia has been designed to be approachable by students and readers of many ages. An important feature is the progressive development of the discussion of each topic, beginning with a simple definition expressed in plain terms, developing into a more detailed treatment of each topic, and augmented by often-extensive Additional Reading suggestions and Internet references to aid future study.

The Van Nostrand’s Encyclopedia of Chemistry is an ideal, single-source resource for high school and college students; scientists in all disciplines; and public, academic, and government libraries.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Features brief biographies on scores of scientists
• Approachable by readers of many ages and varies academic backgrounds
• Contains contributions from over 450 scientists and educators, each an authority in their various subdivision

• The number of articles has increased from 1250 to 2750
• Including over 500 illustrations, this edition provides greater use of tabular and graphic presentations to promote ease of learning
• The internal references to other articles have been overhauled to allow a greater ease in navigating the book
• Additional reading suggestions now include Internet references
• Practical emphasis has been placed on articles in the following key areas:
  • Advanced Process
  • Strategic Raw materials
  • Chemistry of Metals
  • Energy Sources and Conversion
  • Wastes and Pollution
  • Analytical Instrumentation
  • Growth Use of Food Chemicals
  • Structure of Matter
  • New and Improved Materials
  • Plant Chemistry
  • Biochemistry and Biotechnology