Textbooks • CHEM 1305

A free textbook is available. A second textbook, from which this course was originally designed, optional but highly recommended, must be purchased or leased (an old, used copy usually suffices). Each is discussed below.

Page Index

OER (free) textbook (by Ball)
Optional-but-recommended paper textbook (by Zumdahl)

OER (free) Textbook

The textbook for this couse is entitled Introductory Chemistry, by David Ball. It is the leading free introductory chemistry textbook, and is readily available in both Online and PDF Download versions.

PDF Download

There are several PDF textbook versions which differ slightly. The text can be downloaded from:

• opentextbc.ca: CLICK HERE
• saylordotorg:   CLICK HERE

Online Availability

Available online at:
• chem.libretexts.org   CLICK HERE
•  saylordotorg:   CLICK HERE

Organization.  The textbook is organized into chapters and subsections, each with descriptive titles, so it is easy to find desired content. The libretexts.org offering has a Contents link in the top horizontal menu bar, as well as an alphabetized index at the end of the textbook.

Example and Practice Problems.  Example and Exercise (practice) problems are provided within each chapter. Example problems have detailed solutions provided; Exercise problems are similar, except only answers are provided. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter is a section dedicated to yet more Exercise problems (with answers provided).

🚨   Note regarding course alignment.  The chronology of this textbook does not exactly follow the chronology of the course. The course "skips around" a little. Among other reasons, not everything in the Ball textbook is covered in this course. However, the excellent organization and indexing of the Ball textbook make it easy to align the textbook chronology with the course layout.

Paper Textbook (by Zumdahl) — optional

It is highly recommeded, but NOT mandatory, that you acquire a copy of the textbook,  Introductory Chemistry a Foundation , by Zumdahl &  DeCoste (Cengage Publishing).

New or used?  A used copy will suffice your needs. Most student who get the textbook just buy the cheapest one available online.
 • The latest digital eBook may be leased directly from Cengage.   To lease the eBook, Click Here , then click the "Textbook/ebook" tab.
 • The AC Bookstore does not carry this textbook. It's purchase is totally optional; it is not a required component of this course.
 • Buy a used textbook over the web.

Which Edition?  Any edition back to the 6th should do fine. Because Zumdahl wrote several chemistry books, it is important that you get the correct one. To assist, below is a picture of the covers of the 6th–9th editions. If you get a copy, the cover of what you buy should match one of the images; otherwise, you are probably ordering the wrong thing:

Example and Practice Problems.  As with the Ball textbook discussed in the previous section, the Zumdahl textbook is a great resource for Example (solutions provided) and Practice (answers-only provided) problems. Both are found within the chapters. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter is also a large set of practice problems, of which the answers to the even-numbered problems is provided at the end of the textbook.

Alignment.  Given this is the textbook used to originally design this course, it overlays perfectly with the modules and chapter identifiers. It is kept this way so other resources, such as the accompanying Zumdahl powerpoint slides, will match with the corresponding text.