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Chemical reasoning, as used both in applications and in basic research, resembles a detective story in which tangible clues lead to a mental picture of events never directly witnessed by the detective.

— David W. Oxtoby Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

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More quotes by David W. Oxtoby

The science of chemistry rests on two well-established principles: the conservation of matter and the conservation of energy.

Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

Knowledge of the components of the atom and of the forces that hold them together stimulated entirely new fields of basic science and technology that continue to the present.

Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

We point out that not every reactant is completely consumed in a chemical reaction, and that the limiting reactant determines the maximum theoretical yield; the percentage yield may be somewhat less.

Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

The shapes of molecules influence their behavior and function, especially the ease with which they can fit into various guest-host configurations important in biology and biochemistry.

Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

Chemists think in the highly visual nanoscopic world of atoms and molecules, but they work in the tangible world of macroscopic laboratory apparatus. These two approaches to the chemical sciences cannot be divorced.

Principles of Modern Chemistry (2012)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: David W. Oxtoby (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.