For many years, chemistry has been conveniently divided into the subdivisions of organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistries. Such divisions are convenient for systematically separating the chemistry curriculum, for crudely identifying the interests and training of an individual and giving practicing chemists a tribal identity. These classical subdivisions do, however, present problems as the subject of chemistry evolves, e.g., we can now identify the subdivisions of biochemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, catalytic chemistry, etc.

Organic and inorganic chemistries are old-established subdivisions, and at one time it could be claimed that the former was the study of the compounds of carbon, whereas the latter was the study of the compounds of the remaining elements. Because inorganic curriculum deals with essentially the whole periodic table, the inorganic curriculum has become one of the main focus points at which the student is introduced to qualitative atomic, molecular, bonding, etc. theories.

This course aims to provide you with a firm foundation in these principles and to lead you to new insight into the chemistry of the elements other than carbon. It has been attempted to establish a course that is, above all, correct and clear, but one that is also insightful and illustrative of the discoveries that may come your way. An important goal is to help you share the enthusiasm of the international community of scholars in this field. We hope that you come away from your course in inorganic chemistry with this feeling, confident that the principles discussed will be of value to you throughout your career in chemistry