| Perhaps it would be simplest to begin by stating the ways in which this new edition, the fourth under the aegis of the present editor, has not been changed. It remains the one-volume source of factual information for chemists, both professionals and students—the first place in which to “look it up” on the spot. The aim is to provide sufficient data to satisfy all one’s general needs without recourse to other reference sources. Even the worker with the facilities of a comprehensive library will find this volume of value as a time-saverbecause of the many tables of numerical data which have been especially compiled.
The changes, however, are both numerous and significant. First of all, there is a change in the organization of the subject matter. For example, material formerly contained in the section entitled Analytical Chemistry is now grouped by operational categories: spectroscopy; electrolytes, electromotive force, and chemical equilibrium; and practical laboratory information. Polymers, rubbers, fats, oils, and waxes constitute a large independent section. |
