This second edition was first published in 1959. The first four chapters present a compact elementary account of classical and modern conceptions of valency, suitable for the more general reader and for students preparing for university examinations. The concluding chapters are more advanced: chapter five shows how the electronic theory is applied to the heavier elements and their principal compounds; and the last chapter is devoted to current developments, and theories still in their early stages.

Comparative Inorganic Chemistry, Third Edition focuses on the developments in comparative inorganic chemistry, including properties of elements and the structure of their atoms, electronic configuration of atoms of elements, and the electronic theory of valency. The manuscript first offers information on the development of fundamental ideas in 19th century chemistry, as well as purification and identification of substances in the laboratory; classical arguments for the existence of atoms and molecules; and electrolytes, ions, and electrons. The book also takes a look at the properties of elements and the structure of their atoms. The classification of elements in the 19th century, atomic nucleus, divisible atoms, nuclear reactions and fusions, and artificial radioactivity and nuclear transmutations are discussed. The book examines the electronic theory of valency and periodic classification, including basic assumptions of the electronic theory, hydration of ions, ionic bond and the formation of ions, and the development of the concept of valency. The manuscript also ponders on bonding and the structures displayed by elements and their compounds; oxidation, reduction, and electrochemical processes; and the principles on the extraction of elements. The publication is a dependable source of information for chemists and readers interested in inorganic chemistry.

When mathematician Hermann Weyl decided to write a book on philosophy, he faced what he referred to as "conflicts of conscience"--the objective nature of science, he felt, did not mesh easily with the incredulous, uncertain nature of philosophy. Yet the two disciplines were already intertwined. In Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science, Weyl examines how advances in philosophy were led by scientific discoveries--the more humankind understood about the physical world, the more curious we became. The book is divided into two parts, one on mathematics and the other on the physical sciences. Drawing on work by Descartes, Galileo, Hume, Kant, Leibniz, and Newton, Weyl provides readers with a guide to understanding science through the lens of philosophy. This is a book that no one but Weyl could have written--and, indeed, no one has written anything quite like it since.