Explains the basics of inorganic chemistry with a primary emphasis on facts; then uses the student's growing factual knowledge as a foundation for discussing the important principles of periodicity in structure, bonding and reactivity. New to this updated edition: improved treatment of atomic orbitals and properties such as electronegativity, novel approaches to the depiction of ionic structures, nomenclature for transition metal compounds, quantitative approaches to acid-base chemistry, Wade's rules for boranes and carboranes, the chemistry of major new classes of substances including fullerenes and silenes plus a chapter on the inorganic solid state. Table of Contents Partial table of contents: FIRST PRINCIPLES. Some Preliminaries. Structure and Bonding in Molecules. The Chemistry of Selected Anions. Solvents, Solutions, Acids, and Bases. THE MAIN GROUP ELEMENTS. Hydrogen. The Group IIA(2) Elements: Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, and Barium. The Group IIIB(13) Elements: Aluminum, Gallium, Indium, and Thallium. The Group IVB(14) Elements: Silicon, Germanium, Tin, and Lead. The Group VB(15) Elements: Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony, and Bismuth. The Group VIB(16) Elements: Sulfur, Selenium, Tellurium, and Polonium. The Noble Gases. TRANSITION ELEMENTS. Introduction to the Transition Elements: Ligand Field Theory. The Elements of the Second and Third Transition Series. The Actinide Elements. SOME SPECIAL TOPICS. Organometallic Compounds. Bioinorganic Chemistry. Appendices. Glossary. Index.