University Chemistry by Bruce H Mahan is good for entrance exam preparation!

                                                                     

Bruce Mahan Chemistry book is essential for JEE preparation and preparation of other competitive entrance exams as it helps in building the base of a student. It is a good book for building concepts as a first-year student but one should not devote too much time on it, as it is not in accordance with JEE syllabus.

Topics covered in the book are:

• Stoichiometry and the Basis of the Atomic Theory

• The properties of gases

• Liquids and Solutions

• Chemical Equilibrium

• Ionic Equilibria in Aqueous Solutions

• Valence and the Chemical Bond

• Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

• Chemical Thermodynamics

• Chemical Kinetics

• The Electronic Structures of Atoms

• The Chemical Bond

• Systematic Molecular Orbital Theory

• Periodic Properties

• The Representative Elements: Groups I-IV

• The Nonmetallic Elements

• The Transition Metals

• Organic Chemistry

• Biochemistry

• The Nucleus

• The Properties of Solids 

The best-covered topics in the book are Thermodynamics, Reaction and Chemical Bonding but experts at Askiitians recommend it for how it explains Thermodynamics for Chemistry in a straightforward manner. It is one of the best Chemical Thermodynamics books you can find, fit for your level. The book targets students who are already familiar with introductory chemistry of high school level.

The book challenges students intellectually and uses mathematical reasoning wherever appropriate. As you can see above, the book also has introductory chapters on Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Throughout the book SI or international system of units are used. Bruce Mahan Chemistry book also includes 200 solved examples in the book with step-by-step explanations as well as 600 unsolved problems and exercises with a range of difficulty. For some of these unsolved problems, answers are given at the end of the book.

Learning aids such as chapter summaries, suggestions and keywords have been used abundantly throughout the book.

One sore point as JEE exam aspirant that you might have with University Chemistry of Mahan is that it does not cover Nuclear Chemistry well.

While Bruce Mahan Chemistry book is a good book for you to form a strong base in Chemistry, you will need more books to cover the JEE syllabus optimally.

Other Physical Chemistry books you may want to buy:

• P. Bahadur (For Reading Theory)

• P. W. Atkins

• O. P. Tandon