(eBook PDF) Chemistry: The Molecules

of Life
Go to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-chemistry-the-molecules-of-life/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry Volume 29 1st

Edition - eBook PDF

https://ebooksecure.com/download/progress-in-heterocyclic-
chemistry-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry:

Structures of Life 6th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-general-organic-and-
biological-chemistry-structures-of-life-6th-edition/

(eBook PDF) General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry:

Structures of Life 4th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-general-organic-and-
biological-chemistry-structures-of-life-4th-edition/

Design of Hybrid Molecules for Drug Development 1st

edition - eBook PDF

https://ebooksecure.com/download/design-of-hybrid-molecules-for-
drug-development-ebook-pdf/
NMR Case Studies: Data Analysis of Complicated
Molecules 1st edition - eBook PDF

https://ebooksecure.com/download/nmr-case-studies-data-analysis-
of-complicated-molecules-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry:

Structures of Life, Global Edition 6th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-general-organic-and-
biological-chemistry-structures-of-life-global-edition-6th-
edition/

Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Single Molecules: Methods

and Applications 1st edition - eBook PDF

https://ebooksecure.com/download/spectroscopy-and-dynamics-of-
single-molecules-methods-and-applications-ebook-pdf/

Life: The Science of Biology 10th Edition (eBook PDF)

http://ebooksecure.com/product/life-the-science-of-biology-10th-
edition-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) Life: The Science of Biology Twelfth

Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-life-the-science-of-
biology-twelfth-edition/
 Table of Contents vii

Classifying Matter 30
The Periodic Table 32

2.3 Atomic Structure 36

Learning Objective: Describe the structure of atoms in terms of their
subatomic particles.

Scientific Notation and Scientific Units 36

The Composition of Atoms 38
Characterizing Atoms 39
Relative Atomic Mass 42

2.4 Electrons in Atoms 45

Learning Objective: Relate the electron configuration of an atom to its
chemical properties.

The Electron Shell Model 45

Forming Ions 47
The Quantum Mechanical Model 49

2.5 Elements of Life and Death 50

Learning Objective: Illustrate the beneficial and harmful roles of chemical
elements in the human body.

The Chemical Elements of Life 50

Why Do We Need Calcium? 51
Why Is Arsenic a Poison? 52
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Measuring the Mass of Atoms 44
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Why Is There Mercury in the Fish
that We Eat? 53

Chapter 3 Chemical Bonding 61

3.1 Why Do We Need Air to Survive? 62
Learning Objective: Explain why breathing air is necessary for human
survival.

3.2 Covalent Bonding 63

Learning Objective: Explain the formation of a covalent chemical bond.

Forming a Covalent Bond by Sharing Electrons 63

Quantum Mechanical Description of Covalent Bonding 65

3.3 Making Molecules 65

Learning Objective: Apply the principles of chemical bonding and molecular
structure.

Electrons and Bonding 65

Molecular Structure in Three Dimensions 70
viii Table of Contents

Molecular Models 73
Representing Molecules 74

3.4 Molecules with Double and Triple Bonds 76

Learning Objective: Describe double and triple covalent bonds in molecules.

Molecular Structures of Oxygen and Nitrogen Gases 76

Molecular Structure of Carbon Dioxide 77

3.5 Beyond the Octet Rule 80

Learning Objective: Illustrate violations of the octet rule.

Radicals 80
Expanded Valence 80

3.6 Ionic Bonding 82

Learning Objective: Explain the formation of ionic compounds.

The Ionic Composition of Table Salt 82

A Variety of Ions 84
Ionic Compounds 85
Features
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR LIFE Three-Dimensional Perspective in
Chemistry and Art 72
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Measuring Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere 79
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Nitric Oxide Is a Chemical Messenger 81

Chapter 4 Carbon: The Element of Life 93

4.1 What is the Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Fats? 94
Learning Objective: Distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fats.

4.2 Why is Life Based on Carbon? 95

Learning Objective: Describe the unique chemical properties of carbon.

4.3 Alkanes: Hydrocarbons with Single Bonds 97

Learning Objective: Characterize the bonding and structure of alkane
hydrocarbons.

What Are Hydrocarbons? 97

Methane 97
Ethane 98
Naming Hydrocarbons 99
Propane 100
Butane and Structural Isomers 101
Drawing Hydrocarbons 105
 Table of Contents ix

4.4 Alkenes: Hydrocarbons with Double Bonds 108

Learning Objective: Characterize the bonding and structure of alkene
hydrocarbons.

The Planar Structure of Ethene 108

Isomerization in Alkenes 108

4.5 The Chemistry of Fats 110

Learning Objective: Compare and contrast saturated, unsaturated, and
trans fats.

What Are Fats? 110

Saturated and Unsaturated Fats 111
Trans Fats 111

4.6 Cyclic Hydrocarbons 114

Learning Objective: Characterize the bonding and structure of cyclic
hydrocarbons.
Cyclohexane 115
Benzene 116
Cholesterol 119

Features
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Omega-3 Fatty Acids 112
SCIENCE IN ACTION: How Do We Know the Structures of Molecules? 118

Chapter 5 Molecular Diversity 127

5.1 What Do Drug Molecules Look Like? 128
Learning Objective: Explain the role of functional groups in molecular
structure.

5.2 Functional Groups Containing Oxygen Atoms 129

Learning Objective: Illustrate functional groups containing oxygen atoms.

Alcohol 130
Ether 130
Aldehyde 132
Ketone 133
Carboxylic Acid 133
Ester 135
A Summary of Functional Groups Containing Oxygen Atoms 136

5.3 Functional Groups Containing Nitrogen Atoms 137

Learning Objective: Illustrate functional groups ­containing nitrogen atoms.
x Table of Contents

5.4 Functional Groups in Complex Molecules 141

Learning Objective: Identify a variety of functional groups in complex
molecules.

5.5 Functional Groups Containing Sulfur or Phosphorus Atoms 143

Learning Objective: Illustrate functional groups ­containing sulfur or
phosphorus atoms.

5.6 Heterocycles 145

Learning Objective: Illustrate molecules containing heterocycles.

Features
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH How Does Your Body Metabolize
Alcohol? 134
CHEMISTRY IN YOUR LIFE Chemical Signaling in the Brain 139
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Chemical Synthesis of Antibiotics 148

Chapter 6 Chemical Reactions 155

6.1 What Happens When You “Burn Carbs” at the Gym? 156
Learning Objective: Relate a combustion reaction to “burning” carbs during
exercise.

6.2 Chemical Reactions Produce Changes in Matter 157

Learning Objective: Describe chemical reactions using balanced chemical
equations.

Chemical Reactions Change Reactants into Products 157

Chemical Equations Represent Chemical Reactions 158
Stoichiometry: Measuring Reactants and Products 161

6.3 Measuring Matter: Mass and Moles 167

Learning Objective: Use the mole as a unit of measurement for chemical
quantities.

What Is a Mole, and Why Do We Use It? 167

Molar Mass of Atoms 169
Chemical Calculations for Atoms 171
Molar Mass of Molecules 173
Chemical Calculations for Molecules 175
Burning Carbs (Part 1): Changes in Matter 179

6.4 Chemical Reactions Produce Changes in Energy 181

Learning Objective: Relate the energy produced by a reaction to the chemical
bonds in the reactants and products.
 Table of Contents xi

What Is Energy? 181

Making and Breaking Covalent Bonds 182
Energy Changes During Chemical Reactions 183
Burning Carbs (Part 2): Changes in Energy 186

6.5 Biochemical Reactions: The Basis for Life 187

Learning Objective: Explain how cells use glucose to generate energy.

Burning Carbs (Part 3): Cellular Respiration 187

Exercise and Chemical Reactions 189
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Antoine Lavoisier and the Origin of Modern
Chemistry 161
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 166

Chapter 7 Monomers and Polymers 197

7.1 What is the Difference Between Simple and Complex Carbs? 198
Learning Objective: Distinguish between simple and complex carbohydrates.

7.2 Synthetic Polymers 199

Learning Objective: Illustrate examples of monomers and polymers.

Monomers and Polymers 199

Polyethylene 200
Polyesters and Polyamides 205

7.3 Carbohydrates: Sugars as Monomers and Polymers 210

Learning Objective: Relate the principles of monomers and polymers to
various sugars.

Glucose: A Monosaccharide 210

Sucrose and Lactose: Two Important Disaccharides 212
Starch: A Polysaccharide 214
Blood Sugar and Glycemic Index 218
Cellulose: A Polysaccharide We Cannot Digest 220

Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Measuring the Sizes of Polymers 204
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Insulin and Diabetes 221

Chapter 8 The Unusual Nature of Water 229

8.1 Why Is Water Essential for Life? 230
Learning Objective: Characterize the ways in which water’s properties sustain
life on Earth.
xii Table of Contents

8.2 Chemical Bonding in H2O 232

Learning Objective: Compare and contrast polar and nonpolar covalent
bonds.

H 2O: A Review of Bonding and Structure 232

Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Bonds 232
Electronegativity: Attracting a Shared Electron Pair 234
H 2O Is a Strongly Polar Molecule 237

8.3 From H2O Molecules to Liquid Water 239

Learning Objective: Explain why H2O is a liquid at room temperature.

Hydrogen Bonding Between H 2O Molecules 239

Molecular Organization of Ice, Water, and Vapor 241

8.4 The Unusual Properties of Water 244

Learning Objective: Illustrate how water’s unusual pro­perties are related to
hydrogen bonding.
Liquid Water Is Denser than Solid Ice 244
Water Has an Unusually High Boiling Point 245
Water Has a Large Capacity for Absorbing Heat Energy 245
Boiling Water Requires a Large Input of Energy 248
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Does Liquid Water Exist on Other Planets? 231
CHEMISTRY IN YOUR LIFE Chemical and Biological Antifreeze 243
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Why Does Perspiring Make You
Cooler? 250

Chapter 9 Molecules and Ions in Solution 257

9.1 How Do Water-Soluble and Fat-Soluble Vitamins Differ? 258
Learning Objective: Distinguish between water-soluble and fat-soluble
vitamins.

9.2 Molecules in Solution 259

Learning Objective: Analyze polar and nonpolar molecules to predict their
solubilities in different solvents.

What Is a Solution? 259

Nonpolar Molecules in Water 260
The Hydrophobic Effect 262
Polar Molecules in Water 262
Nonpolar Solvents 264
Comparing Solubilities in Polar and Nonpolar Solvents 265
Water-Soluble and Fat-Soluble Vitamins 266
 Table of Contents xiii

9.3 Molecular Self-Assembly 269

Learning Objective: Apply solubility principles to illustrate examples of
molecular self-assembly.

Self-Assembly of Detergents 271

Self-Assembly of Cell Membranes 272

9.4 Ions in Solution 275

Learning Objective: Characterize the solubility of ions and ionic
compounds.

Ions in Aqueous Solution 275

Solubility of Ionic Compounds 279
Ion Transport Across Cell Membranes 282
Features
CHEMISTRY IN YOUR LIFE Why Do Chili Peppers Taste Hot? 270
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Using Solubility Principles for Drug Discovery 274
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Electrolyte Imbalance 278

Chapter 10 Measuring Concentration 291

10.1 Why Can Drinking Too Much Water be Harmful? 292
Learning Objective: Explain the importance of maintaining an appropriate
concentration of sodium ions in the blood.

10.2 Measuring Concentration 293

Learning Objective: Use various measurements and units of concentration.

What Is Concentration? 293

Measuring Concentration: Percent by Volume or Mass 295
Measuring Concentration: Parts per Million or Billion 298
Measuring Concentration: Molarity 300
Diluting a Concentrated Solution 306

10.3 Biological Applications of Concentration 310

Learning Objective: Relate concentration to osmosis and hyponatremia.

Osmosis: The Flow of Water Across a Membrane 310

Why Is Hyponatremia Harmful? 311
Changing Concentrations in the Human Body 314
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Measuring Unknown Concentrations Using
Light 309
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH How Much Salt Should We Eat? 314
xiv Table of Contents

Chapter 11 Acids and Bases 323

11.1 What Causes Acid Reflux Disease? 324
Learning Objective: Explain the origin of acid reflux disease.

11.2 What Are Acids and Bases? 325

Learning Objective: Apply the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases.

Examples of Acids and Bases 325

Brønsted-Lowry Theory of Acids and Bases 327
Acid–Base Neutralization 332

11.3 Relative Strengths of Acids and Bases 335

Learning Objective: Compare and contrast strong and weak acids and bases.

11.4 Measuring Acidity: The pH Scale 340

Learning Objective: Use pH as a measurement of acidity.
Ionization of Pure Water 340
Neutral, Acidic, and Basic Solutions 341
Defining the pH Scale 343

11.5 Biological Applications of Acid–Base Chemistry 346

Learning Objective: Illustrate two biological applications of acid–base
chemistry.

Origin and Treatment of Acid Reflux Disease 347

Blood as a Buffer System 351

Features
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH What Is “Freebase” Cocaine? 331
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Don’t Try This at Home: Discovering the Cause
of Stomach Ulcers 350

Chapter 12 DNA: The Molecule of Heredity 359

12.1 How Was the DNA Double Helix Discovered? 360
Learning Objective: Explain why the DNA double helix was an important
scientific discovery.

12.2 Nucleotides: The Building Blocks of DNA 361

Learning Objective: Analyze the structures of ­nucleotides and
polynucleotides.

Molecular Structure of a Nucleotide 361

The Four Varieties of DNA Bases 362
Making a Polynucleotide Chain 364
 Table of Contents xv

12.3 Discovering the Double Helix 367

Learning Objective: Characterize the scientific methods and evidence that
led to the discovery of the DNA double helix.

Biology: DNA Is the Molecule of Heredity 367

Chemistry: Building Molecular Models 368
Physics: X-ray Diffraction Studies of Molecular Structures 369
Constructing the DNA Double Helix 372

12.4 DNA Replication 376

Learning Objective: Analyze the mechanism of DNA replication.

12.5 DNA Mutations and Cancer 380

Learning Objective: Characterize the connections ­between DNA mutations
and cancer.

What Is Cancer? 380

Ultraviolet Light and Skin Cancer 381
Chemical Carcinogens 382
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: How Does DNA Replicate? 379
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Do Indoor Tanning Beds Increase the
Risk of Skin Cancer? 382

Chapter 13 From DNA to Proteins 391

13.1 What Causes Sickle Cell Disease? 392
Learning Objective: Identify the characteristics of sickle cell disease.

13.2 Overview: The Expression of Genetic Information 393

Learning Objective: Outline the molecules and processes that are involved
in the expression of genetic information.

13.3 Transcription 394

Learning Objective: Characterize the stages of transcription.

Comparing DNA and RNA 395

Synthesizing mRNA 395

13.4 Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Proteins 397

Learning Objective: Describe the molecular properties of amino acids.

Chemical Diversity of Amino Acids 397

Amino Acids Are Chiral Molecules 398
xvi Table of Contents

13.5 Translation 402

Learning Objective: Outline the stages by which mRNA is translated into a
sequence of amino acids in a protein.

Translation and the Genetic Code 402

The Molecular Mechanism of Translation 405

13.6 Protein Structure 408

Learning Objective: Illustrate the formation of a polypeptide chain and its
structural properties within proteins.

Making a Polypeptide 408

Four Levels of Protein Structure 410

13.7 The Molecular Origin of Sickle Cell Disease 413

Learning Objective: Outline the molecular origin of sickle cell disease.

Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: How Did Scientists Crack the Genetic Code? 406
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH Human Insulin for Diabetes Therapy 412

Chapter 14 Enzymes as Biological Catalysts 423

14.1 What Causes Lactose Intolerance? 424
Learning Objective: Define lactose intolerance.

14.2 How Do Chemical Reactions Happen? 425

Learning Objective: Characterize the changes that occur during a chemical
reaction.

An Energy Barrier for Chemical Reactions 425

A Chemical Reaction Pathway 427

14.3 How Does a Catalyst Work? 429

Learning Objective: Explain how a catalyst increases the rate of a chemical
reaction.

What is a Catalyst? 429

The Catalytic Converter 431

14.4 Structure and Function of Enzymes 433

Learning Objective: Characterize the stages of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

The Molecular Structure of Enzymes 433

The Steps of an Enzyme-Catalyzed Reaction 435
How Does an Enzyme Recognize Its Substrate? 436
 Table of Contents xvii

14.5 Lactose Intolerance: Genes, Enzymes, and Culture 441

Learning Objective: Illustrate how human culture has influenced the ability
to digest lactose.

The Catalytic Activity of Lactase 441

The Chemistry of Lactose Intolerance 442
The Evolutionary Origins of Lactase Persistence 443
Features
CHEMISTRY IN YOUR LIFE Why Does Hydrogen Peroxide Bubble When
You Put It on a Cut? 434
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Using the Transition State to Design a Drug 437
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH What Happens When Enzymes Don’t
Work? 446

Chapter 15 Drug Development 453

15.1 Why Are Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Increasing? 454
Learning Objective: Use tuberculosis as an example of an antibiotic-resistant
disease.

15.2 Bacterial Cells 456

Learning Objective: Describe the size and composition of bacterial cells.

The Cell Is the “Unit of Life” 456

How Small Are Cells? 456
The Composition of a Bacterial Cell 458

15.3 How Do Antibiotics Work? 460

Learning Objective: Illustrate how antibiotics use different cellular targets
to prevent the growth of bacterial cells.

Antibiotics Prevent the Growth of Bacterial Cells 460

Cellular Targets for Antibiotics 462
Antibiotic Target: Constructing the Cell Wall 462
Antibiotic Target: Replicating DNA 465
Antibiotic Target: Making Proteins 466

15.4 How Do Bacteria Become Resistant to Antibiotics? 466

Learning Objective: Illustrate the strategies used by bacteria to neutralize
the effects of antibiotics.

Bacteria Fight Back: Strategies of Antibiotic Resistance 466

Use and Abuse of Antibiotics 467
xviii Table of Contents

15.5 Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: The Coming Plague 470

Learning Objective: Outline the relationship between the development of
new antibiotics and the rise of antibiotic resistance.

15.6 How Are New Drugs Tested and Approved? 472

Learning Objective: Outline the stages that are required to develop and
evaluate a new pharmaceutical.

How Do We Know that the Drugs We Take Are Safe and Effective? 472
The Stages of Drug Development and Approval 474
Features
SCIENCE IN ACTION: Studying Cells with Microscopes 457
CHEMISTRY AND YOUR HEALTH How Do Bacteria Keep Us
Healthy? 468
CHEMISTRY IN YOUR LIFE Why Can a Popular Painkiller Make You
Sick? 476

Appendix A Scientific Notation and Units 483

Appendix B Significant Figures 489

Appendix C Logarithms and the pH Scale 495

Appendix D Answers to Try It Yourself and Practice Exercises 501

Appendix E Answers to Selected Learning Resources (End-of-Chapter

Questions) 535

Glossary 563
Credits 573
Index 577

Preface
Why are many bacteria now resistant to antibiotic drugs that were effective in
the past? We pose this question in the opening pages of Chemistry: The Molecules
of Life. Providing an answer, which is the main focus of Chapter 1, requires an
understanding of pharmaceuticals, biological molecules, and bacterial cells. This
interdisciplinary case study serves as an introduction to our innovative approach
to teaching chemistry in the 21st century. Instead of viewing chemistry as an
isolated discipline, we emphasize its intersection with biology and medicine. By
focusing on “the molecules of life,” we demonstrate how chemistry is vital for
understanding human health. Chemistry: The Molecules of Life introduces non-
science majors to the fundamental chemical principles of biological molecules
and everyday life.
We have written this textbook for students who have a variety of academic and
career interests, not all of which necessarily align with the sciences or health pro-
fessions. We believe that all undergraduate students—not just science majors—
need to be educated about scientific knowledge and reasoning in order to make
informed decisions about their personal well-being and important societal issues.
Have you ever thought about how antibiotic medications work, or why it is im-
portant to take the entire dose that the doctor prescribed? Many of us also take
a vitamin supplement, often in the form of a daily multivitamin. Do you know
what roles these vitamins play in our body, or why the recommended daily dose
for some vitamins is much lower than for others? Does the federal government
regulate vitamin supplements with the same scrutiny that it applies to pharma-
ceuticals? Throughout this book, we examine relevant topics such as these and
many more.
Scientific knowledge is constantly advancing. Almost daily, we hear or read
stories in the media about a new scientific discovery, a new interpretation of what
foods or activities are good or bad for us, or the societal impact of a new medical
breakthrough. Given this rapid progress, we cannot learn science as a collection
of facts to be memorized. After a short time, our knowledge will quickly become
outdated. Instead, we need to understand how scientists investigate the natural
world—the methods they use, the evidence they generate, and the conclusions
they make based on that evidence. Throughout this textbook, we describe exam-
ples of scientific discovery. By analyzing these case studies, students will develop
the critical thinking skills necessary to thoughtfully evaluate scientific informa-
tion that is presented in the news media or obtained from other sources.

Approach
In Chemistry: The Molecules of Life, we use the chemistry of life to introduce,
explain, and apply foundational chemical principles. Each chapter begins with a
framing question to stimulate students’ interest and motivate them to explore the
chapter content that is necessary to answer the question. Many of these questions
are pertinent to students’ health, whereas others address foundational scientific
topics. The scientific content in each chapter is introduced on a “need-to-know”
basis that is related to the framing question. By the end of the chapter, students
will be able to answer the question using the chemical concepts they have learned.

xix

xx Preface

In addition to the core content, each chapter contains features that illustrate
important themes. Chemistry and Your Health demonstrates the relevance of the
chapter material by applying chemical concepts to students’ health. Examples
include omega-3 fatty acids, alcohol metabolism, and the potential hazards of
indoor tanning beds. Science in Action develops students’ understanding of scien-
tific investigation—in other words, how do we know what we know? Some of these
features focus on experimental techniques, such as using a mass spectrometer to
measure the mass of atoms, or the application of X-ray diffraction to determine
the structure of a molecule. Other examples describe an important historical ex-
periment, such as Antoine Lavoisier’s investigation regarding the role of atmo-
spheric oxygen in chemical reactions. Chemistry in Your Life, which is included in
selected chapters, uses chemical principles to explain students’ life experiences.
One such feature describes why chili peppers taste “hot,” whereas another ex-
plains why hydrogen peroxide bubbles when you put it on a cut.

Overview of Chapters
Chapter 1 uses the example of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as an interdisciplinary
overview of the molecules of life. This chapter also includes Textbook Previews
that highlight the chapters in which scientific topics will be examined in greater
depth.
The next four chapters of the textbook illustrate how atoms form the building
blocks of molecules. Chapter 2 examines the chemical elements and the structure
of atoms, including examples of elements that are beneficial or harmful to human
health. Chapter 3 explains how and why atoms form chemical bonds. Chapter 4
investigates the unique chemistry of carbon and why life is “carbon based.” Chap-
ter 5 explores the remarkable diversity of molecular structures that can be made
using only a handful of different atoms.
The textbook contains two chapters that describe the formation of molecules.
Chapter 6 shows how chemical reactions produce changes in matter and energy,
along with how these changes can be described in quantitative terms. Chapter 7
uses the example of sugars to illustrate the construction of very large molecules
from multiple copies of smaller components.
The following four chapters describe the chemistry of water and solutions.
Chapter 8 explains the unusual properties of water as deriving from interactions
among H 2O molecules. Chapter 9 examines the behavior of molecules and ions in
solution, with a focus on various types of vitamins. Chapter 10 provides a quan-
titative description of concentration, with applications to human health. Chapter
11 describes the chemistry of acids and bases, including the pH scale for measur-
ing acidity.
The final four chapters of the textbook explore the molecular basis of life.
Chapter 12 examines DNA from the perspective of the scientists who contributed
to the discovery of its molecular structure. Chapter 13 explains how information
stored within DNA is converted into various proteins, which perform most of
the essential biological functions of cells. Chapter 14 uses the example of lactose
intolerance to introduce the chemistry of enzymes and how they function as bi-
ological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. Chapter 15 returns to the
theme of Chapter 1, antibiotics, by investigating of how these drugs work against
various types of bacteria, with a special focus on the resurgent global problem of
antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis.

Teaching and Learning Features

One difference between expert scientists and new learners is the ability to keep the
“big picture” in mind. Therefore, each major section in a chapter is accompanied
by a Learning Objective that focuses students’ attention on the central concept.
When reading the chapter, students can relate the scientific principles and skills
 Preface xxi

to the overarching theme of the learning objective. In addition to the Learning

Objectives, The Key Idea accompanies each chapter subheading to provide a one-
sentence summary statement that highlights the main point of the section. Each
subsection concludes with a set of Core Concepts that summarize the most impor-
tant scientific principles of the section. In addition, a Marginal Glossary defines
key scientific terms when they are introduced. Highlighting these glossary terms
enables students to enrich and reinforce their scientific vocabulary.
The chapter art illustrates the amazing diversity of molecular structures, rang-
ing from small molecules such as H 2O to large molecules such as DNA. With this
art, we show how different representations of molecules are used to communicate
various features of their structure. We also assist students in developing the skill
of analyzing molecules in three dimensions, because the spatial geometry of a mol-
ecule is often essential for understanding its chemical and biological properties.
Each chapter also contains Worked Examples that pose a relevant question
and then provide a step-by-step solution to help students develop their problem-
solving skills. Each Worked Example is followed by a Try It Yourself exercise that
enables students to practice what they have just learned. In additional, Practice
Exercises provide students with further opportunities to answer both conceptual
and numerical questions that relate directly to the chapter content.
Concept Questions within each chapter promote active learning by providing
a basis for in-class exercises and discussions. These are not routine practice ques-
tions; instead, they stimulate students’ thinking about the scientific principles
and their applications. Some of these questions ask students to apply what they
have learned to a new situation. Others prompt students to investigate a topic
using the Internet and then report back to the class.
Each chapter concludes with a Visual Summary that presents key figures from
the chapter accompanied by brief summaries of important scientific concepts.
This novel feature is based on the insight that visual learning is an effective strat-
egy for 21st-century students.
The Learning Resources section at the end of each chapter divides questions into
three categories. Reviewing Knowledge questions ask students to recall and explain
the core content within the chapter. Developing Skills questions provide multiple
examples that enable students to developing their scientific reasoning through
the application of chapter concepts. Exploring Concepts questions are more open-
ended and analytical extensions of the chapter content. These questions often re-
quire students to investigate and critically evaluate a topic using the Internet.

SUPPORT PACKAGE
Oxford University Press has created a comprehensive set of ancillary resources to
accompany Chemistry: The Molecules of Life. These resources are designed to help
students master the concepts introduced in the text and to assist instructors in
making chemistry accessible to those who are not science majors.

For Students
• Laboratory Manual: Written by the authors in conjunction with Bill
Gunderson, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Hendrix College, this labo-
ratory manual includes more than 20 laboratory exercises that relate directly
to topics explained in the text. Each laboratory exploration provides an over-
view of the experiment, a detailed description of the procedures, and data
sheets that students use to record their observations and answer questions.

For Instructors
• Sapling Learning Online Homework System: Sapling Learning’s
online homework system includes more than 400 homework questions
designed to test students’ understanding of key concepts from the text. It
xxii Preface

also includes a set of interactive animations that allow students to simulate

chemistry experiments online. Automatic homework grading, diagnostic
feedback, and dedicated support from chemists provide instructors all the
resources they need to assign homework that students will find useful for
learning.
• Lecture Notes: Editable lecture notes in PowerPoint format make pre-
paring lectures faster and easier than ever. Each chapter’s presentation
includes a succinct outline of key concepts and incorporates graphics from
the chapter.
• Digital Image Library: The image library includes electronic files, again
in PowerPoint format, of every illustration, graph, photo, figure caption,
and table from the text, with both labeled and unlabeled versions. Images
have been enhanced for clear projection in large lecture halls.
• Test Bank: The Test Bank includes more than 800 exam questions in
multiple-choice and short-answer formats, provided in a series of editable
Word files that can be easily customized.
Contact your local Oxford University Press sales representative or visit
www.oup-arc.com/jordan to learn more and gain access to these resources.

Acknowledgments
Creating a textbook is a truly collaborative endeavor. We would like to thank the
wonderful team at Oxford University Press USA for their encouragement, advice,
and patience during the gestation of this project. First, we are grateful to Jason
Noe, senior editor, for serving as our guide from the initial prospectus to the
completion of the book. This project could not have reached the finish line with-
out his unwavering support. We also benefitted immensely from the insightful
comments provided by our development editors, Anne Kemper, Naomi Fried-
man, and Maegan Sherlock. Andrew Heaton, associate editor, reviewed our
text as it progressed through several drafts and then helped to prepare our final
manuscript. Production editor Micheline Frederick, production team leader The-
resa Stockton, and production manager Lisa Grzan worked together on a tight
deadline to turn the manuscript into a finished book. Wesley Morrison provided
eagle-eyes scrutiny of the pages during the proofreading stage. We are grateful
to the design team led by Michele Laseau, art director, for the beautiful textbook
design and page layout and Dragonfly Media Group’s team of Craig Durant, Cait-
lin Duckwall, and Rob Duckwall, for the imaginative artwork they created. We
would also like to thank Patrick Lynch, editorial director; John Challice, vice
president and publisher; Frank Mortimer, director of marketing; David Jurman,
marketing manager; Clare Castro, marketing manager; Ileana Paules-Brodet,
marketing assistant; Meghan Daris, market development associate; and Bill Mar-
ting, national sales manager.
Other individuals also made important contributions to the project. Robert
Weiss provided insightful editorial comments on many chapters. Anna Powers,
Tania Lupoli, and Jennifer Sniegowski supplied ideas for end-of-chapter questions.
Jennifer Lee invested many hours creating the art manuscript. Veronica Murphy
gave valuable assistance by checking calculations, appendices, and page proofs.
Our faculty colleagues at New York University, Bobby Arora, Daniela ­Buccella,
and John Halpin, provided expert advice about specific chemistry topics.
We wish to express our deep appreciation to the many friends and colleagues
who endured our fixation on this textbook for more years than we like to admit.
We are grateful to George and the Chicken for their weekly welcome at our local
diner. Finally, we thank Diana and Martha for supporting us throughout the
entire journey.
 Preface xxiii

Manuscript Reviewers
Throughout the development of this textbook, we have benefited from the
insightful comments by many faculty members who provided expert reviews of
the chapters. They not only informed us when a topic was not expressed clearly
but also provided valuable suggestions for how to communicate it more effec-
tively. The names of these individuals and their affiliations are listed below. We
are enormously grateful to them for their guidance and advice.

Kate Aubrecht Stony Brook University

Rita Bagwe Great Basin College
Soumitra Basu Kent State University
Robert Billmers Rutgers University
Timothy Brewer Eastern Michigan University
William Bryan Saint Norbert College
Sarah Carberry Ramapo College of New Jersey
Charles Carraher Florida Atlantic University
Yuh-Cherng Chai John Carroll University
Brent Chandler Illinois College
Kaiguo Chang New Mexico Highlands University
Li-Heng Chen Aquinas College
Stephen Contakes Westmont College
Paul Czech Providence College
Cory DiCarlo Grand Valley State University
Rodney Dixon Towson University
Taela Donnelly Wilkes University
Jason Dunham Ball State University
Timothy Ehler Buena Vista University
Andrew Frazer University of Central Florida
Kenneth French Blinn College
Richard Fronko California State University, East Bay
Kimberly George Marietta College
Marcia Gillette Indiana University Kokomo
William Gunderson Illinois College
Tamara Hamilton Barry University
Alan Hazari University of Tennessee
Thomas Holme Iowa State University
Xiche Hu University of Toledo
Amber Hupp College of the Holy Cross
Kasem Kasem Indiana University Kokomo
Daniel King Eastern Mennonite University
Todd Knippenberg High Point University
Punit Kohli Southern Illinois University
Eric Lewis Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Greg Love East Tennessee State University
Helene Maire-Afeli University of South Carolina Union
xxiv Preface

Lydia Martinez Rivera The University of Texas at San Antonio

Kenneth Marx University of Massachusetts Lowell
Forrest Gregg McIntosh Winthrop University
Dorene Medlin Albany State University
Zoltan Mester Chapman University
Sheldon Miller Chestnut Hill College
Ray Mohseni East Tennessee State University
Robert Moran Wentworth Institute of Technology
Basil Mugaga Naah Wright State University
Ruth Nalliah Huntington University
Daphne Norton University of Georgia
Paul Okweye Alabama A&M University
Sandra Olmsted Augsburg College
Charlotte Otto University of Michigan–Dearborn
Joyce Overly Clarion University
Maria Pacheco Buffalo State College
Felipe Pascal Fairleigh Dickinson University
Karisa Pierce Seattle Pacific University
Tamiko Porter Indiana University–Purdue University
Indianapolis
Mary Railing Wheeling Jesuit University
Scott Reid Marquette University
Arlie Rinaldi The Claremont Colleges
Melinda Roberts Texas Tech University
Katie Roles Lake-Sumter State College
Sarah Rosenstein Hamilton College
Diptirani Samantaray Virginia State University
Joseph Scanlon Ripon College
Allan Scruggs Gonzaga University
Vasudha Sharma Valencia College
Jennifer Sniegowski Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix
Anne Marie Sokol University at Buffalo
Craig Streu St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Mark Tapsak Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Nathan Tice Butler University
Megan McLean Tichy Santa Clara University
Marcia Tinone University of Hartford
Petra van’t Slot Montclair State University
Alexandre Volkov Oakwood University
Shelli Waetzig College of the Holy Cross
Erin Whitteck Butler University
Charles Wohlers Bridgewater State University
Lou Wojcinski Kansas State University
Mali Yin Sarah Lawrence College
Kazushige Yokoyama State University of New York at Geneseo
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
stuck into the board, and thrust at the same time through a square
scrap of paper.
“On this bit of paper is inscribed in red ink the name of the deserted
craft, if it is known, together with a minute picture showing the
attitude of the vessel, whether bottom up, sunken at the stern, or
what not.
“These little pictures are reproduced on the next pilot chart (which is
a monthly publication), and changes are made in the chart as
frequently as the derelicts are reported.”
“Seems to me, ’Doniram,” remarked Caleb, puffing away with vast
content at the pipe—“seems to me you know a good deal about this
derelict business.”
The little man seemed strangely confused at this, and his jolly face
blushed a deep red as he shifted his position restlessly.
“Well,” he said slowly. “I have been looking it up lately. I—I had an
idea—a scheme, you know—that caused me to study the matter
some. Seems odd, too, doesn’t it, with the matter of the Silver Swan
coming right on top of it?”
But here Brandon, whose thoughts had been wandering a little,
interrupted any further questioning on the sailor’s part.
“I’m dreadfully sorry that that rascally Leroyd got away with the letter
father wrote me,” he said reflectively.
Caleb looked at him with a smile, and removed his pipe from
between his lips.
“Did I say he had got away with it?” he said.
“Eh?” interjected Adoniram, quickly.
“What do you mean?” queried Brandon.
“See here,” said Caleb, enjoying their surprise, “You’ve been running
this pretty much by yourselves. I haven’t said that the swab got away
with the papers, have I?”
“For pity’s sake, what did he steal then?” demanded Brandon,
springing to his feet.
“Well,” returned the mate of the Silver Swan, “by my reckoning he
got an old pocketbook with some worthless bills of lading in it and
about ten dollars in money—an’ much good may it do him.”
“Why—why—” sputtered Mr. Pepper, staring at the smiling sailor in
amazement.
“Now, don’t be in a hurry,” urged Caleb. “I didn’t say the papers were
stolen, so don’t ye accuse me o’ that. Ye both jumped at that
conclusion and I let you think so, for as I’d made a fool of myself
once by lettin’ folks know I had ’em, I reckoned I wouldn’t do it again.
“But now,” he added, “if ye think this is the time and place to see
them papers, I can perduce ’em ter oncet.”
“Where are they? Let’s see ’em,” urged Brandon, in excitement.
“All right, my lad. If you says the word, why here goes.”
The old sailor laid his pipe down, and coolly began to unstrap his
wooden leg. The implement was an old fashioned affair, consisting of
a smoothly turned stick at the lower end hardly larger than a broom
handle, but swelling as it rose, to the semblance of a leg.
In a moment he had it off and to the surprise of his two friends this
swelled portion of the imitation limb was hollow. From this cavity he
drew forth first a bulky wallet and then a package of papers wrapped
in oiled paper.
“There ye be,” he declared, with satisfaction. “If I’d known about
them di’monds afore we left the brig, I sh’d have had the cap’n let me
hide ’em in this ’ere timber leg. Then we’d have been saved a mighty
sight o’ bother.”
 CHAPTER XX
THE CONTENTS OF SEVERAL INTERESTING
DOCUMENTS

“Well, of all things!” ejaculated Mr. Pepper, as the old sailor

produced the papers from their queer repository, while Brandon burst
out laughing.
“There’s some reasons for being grateful for even a wooden leg,”
remarked Caleb grimly. “I hid those papers there when I was aboard
the raft, and if I’d passed in my checks I reckon papers an’ all would
have gone to the sharks, for Leroyd would never have thought to
look there for ’em.”
Then he strapped the artificial limb in place again, and gravely
handed the package to Brandon. The boy had lost all desire to laugh
now, for he was in possession of the last written words of his father,
and for a moment his hands trembled and his eyes filled with tears.
“Open it, my lad,” said the sailor. “I haven’t touched the wrapper
since Cap’n Horace gave it to me.”
Brandon untied the string which bound the package, and removed
the oiled paper. There were several folded documents within and
one was marked:
“To my son, Brandon,
Horace Tarr.”
Don quickly opened the paper, recognizing the chirography of the
dead captain at once, although much of the writing was blurred and
illy formed, showing how great a tax the effort had been for the
injured and dying man. It read as follows:
On Board the Raft,
Tuesday Noon.
My Beloved Son:
We have now been on this raft two days, and I feel that my
end is drawing near, although my companions will
doubtless escape. But I have received a terrible blow on
the head, and my sufferings at times are frightful; therefore
I know I am not long for this world.
Oh, that I might see you again, my son! That I might be
spared to reach you, and to put into your hand the power
to make you the wealthy man I should have been had I
lived. But no; it could not be. Fortune has at last come to
the Tarrs, but I shall not share it; your uncle Anson was not
benefited by it, and death will overtake me soon, too. But
you, my son, I pray may regain the fortune which I have
hidden aboard the brig.
We committed a grave error in leaving the wreck; I know
that now. The hull of the Silver Swan was uninjured, and
she may outlast many gales. I shall put these papers into
Caleb Wetherbee’s hands ere I am called, and he, I know,
will help you to regain the fortune which first belonged to
Anson. Be guided by him, and trust him fully.
The letter from your uncle will explain all about the
diamonds, and how he came in possession of them. I
dared not take the gems with me from the brig, for Leroyd
knew about them, or suspected their presence, and he
would have killed us all for them, I fear.
But they are hidden in the steel lined closet—the one I
showed you in the cabin. Caleb knows where it is. Go to
the reef at once and get the jewels, before some one else
gets there. There are diamonds enough to make you
fabulously rich, if Anson appraised them rightly.
I am so weak that I cannot write longer.
These will probably be my last words on earth to you, my
son. Live uprightly; fear God; and hold sacred your
mother’s memory. God bless you, my boy! Farewell!
 Your loving father,
Horace Tarr.
Tears fairly blinded Don’s eyes as he finished reading the missive.
He passed it to Mr. Pepper, who, in turn, passed it to Caleb.
“He was a good man,” declared Adoniram softly, while the old sailor
blew his nose loudly, and wiped the suspicious moisture from his
eyes.
“That he were!” responded the latter. “Cap’n Horace were all that he
tells you to be, Don.”
“Please God, I’ll be worthy of his memory,” said Brandon quietly. “If
we are fortunate enough to obtain any of this treasure he speaks of. I
hope I shall use it wisely, and as he would wish.”
“Don’t you fear—we’ll get it, lad,” Caleb assured him earnestly. “I feel
it in my bones we will.”
“What else was there in the package?” asked the merchant
curiously.
“There were two other papers,” Brandon replied. “One is my father’s
will.”
He picked that up from his lap and opened it.
“Why,” he exclaimed, “you are named as executor, Mr. Pepper.”
He passed the legal document to Adoniram who adjusted the eye
glasses (of which a new pair had been purchased), and examined it
with manifest surprise.
“This is a legal will, as sure as I am alive!” he exclaimed. “It was
drawn up at Rio by an American lawyer—a Mr. Bromley. Properly
signed and witnessed.”
“Well, you’ll look out for it, won’t you?” said Caleb, who was eager to
hear the other paper—the letter from Anson Tarr to his brother—
read.
“Of course. But let me tell you its contents,” replied the merchant. “It
is short and to the point, Caleb. You are given the Silver Swan, in fee
simple, and everything else goes to Brandon, here.”
He read the paragraph which secured all the property of which
Captain Tarr had been possessed, excepting the brig, to Brandon,
including “certain uncut diamonds, roughly estimated at two hundred
thousand dollars.”
“Two hundred thousand!” repeated Brandon, in bewilderment.
“Quite a pile, my boy,” said Caleb. “That is, if we get ’em.”
“And you and I, Caleb,” concluded Mr. Pepper, “are joint guardians of
Don.”
“All right, all right,” cried the impatient sailor. “But let’s hear the other
letter, my lad. Read it out.”
Thus urged, Brandon unfolded the third paper, and read its contents
aloud:
“Kimberley, South Africa,
“November the 27th, 1891.
“Brother Horace:
“Probably you have long since believed me dead, and I
have given you good reason for that belief, for, if I am not
mistaken, it was eight years ago, after my miserable
failure at the Australian gold diggings, that I last wrote to
you.
“I intended then that you should never hear from me
again. I was a failure—a complete failure, I believed—and
I determined to tempt fortune no further. With this intention
I went to an island in the Pacific, and buried myself there,
with only natives and one other white man for company,
for six years.
“Then the old roving spirit awoke in me again, and I
longed to try my luck once more where other men were
gaining wealth. The news of the rich finds here in the
diamond fields reached even our lonely isle, and finally I
could not resist the temptation longer, and came here,
leaving my companion to dwell alone among the natives. I
have been here now the better part of a year and, at last,
have been successful!
“Two months ago I struck a pocket in the hills, and out of a
trench less than two rods in length, I have dug what I
believe to be at least forty thousand pounds’ worth of
diamonds of exceptional purity. But the diggings have now
petered out.
“I kept the find a secret, and got all there was myself,
excepting a small number which my black digger ran away
with, and now I am afraid I shall not live to enjoy my
riches.
“Perhaps it is as well. You know that riches have ever
taken wings with us, and I should probably lose all in
some other venture. I hope that you, Horace, will do better
with them than I, for to you, brother, and to your boy, if he
has lived, I bequeath the gems.
“I have been very ill now several days and the physician
tells me that I am in a very bad way. Exposure to all sorts
of weather in every kind of climate, is telling on me.
Therefore I do write this to you, my brother, and take
precaution to have the letter and the package of uncut
stones sent to you.
“Nobody here knows of my find. It is safest to trust nobody
in such a place as this. I propose to give the letter and the
gems, all in a sealed packet, to a friend, who is the most
trustworthy man I know, and have him give them to you.
He will believe the package to contain nothing but papers,
and therefore you will stand a good chance of getting the
diamonds safely.
“Good by for this world, Horace. May the luck of the Tarrs
be changed with this find of mine.
“Your brother,
“Anson Tarr.”
“Well,” exclaimed Caleb, with a sigh, as Brandon folded the
document, “we’ve got the rights of it at last. Two hundred thousand
dollars wuth o’ di’monds—for that’s what forty thousand pounds
mean, I take it, eh, ’Doniram?”
“About that,” said the merchant. “You will be a very rich man, Don.”
“Let’s not count our chickens too soon,” said the youth, trying to stifle
his excitement. “It seems too bewilderingly good to be true.”
“That’s a good idea about not countin’ our chickens,” said Caleb.
“But we’ll have a whack at ’em just as soon as possible, my lad.”
“And you’ll let me furnish the vessel,” the merchant added.
“Let’s see,” said the old sailor. “You was saying something about
havin’ one all ready. ’Doniram, wasn’t you?”
“One that can be ready in a week’s time, any way; and the craft you
want, too—a whaleback.”
“I dunno,” said Caleb slowly. “I don’t fancy them new fangled things.
What under the sun did you ever get a whaleback steamer for?”
Mr. Pepper looked at his old friend curiously, and his little eyes
twinkled.
“Well,” he said reflectively, “oddly enough, I purchased Number
Three from the American Barge Company for the very purpose for
which you wish to use it.”
“What?” shouted Caleb.
“Not to go in search of the Silver Swan?” cried Brandon, in wonder.
“No, not exactly that; but to go in quest of derelicts in general.”
“Another of your crazy ideas, ’Doniram!” Caleb declared finally.
“Perhaps; but I notice that most of my ‘crazy ideas’ turn out pretty
successfully, old Timbertoes,” said the little merchant jovially. “If
you’ll give me a chance, though, I’ll explain how I came to think of
this ‘crazy idea.’”
 CHAPTER XXI
IN WHICH MR. PEPPER MAKES A PROPOSITION
TO CALEB AND DON

“You see,” the ship owner began, as soon as he was assured of the
attention of his audience, “I have had my eye on these whaleback
steamers from the start. Three years ago, you know, nobody but
Captain Alexander MacDougall, the inventor, knew anything about
them.
“We are altogether too conservative here in the East,” continued
Adoniram warmly. “It takes the Westerners to get hold of new things,
and practically test them. These whalebacks are a Western idea and
were first used and tested on the Great Lakes.
“You don’t seem to realize, Caleb, that the boat was never built
which could sail as easily as those whalebacks. In the heaviest gales
they only roll slightly, as a log would at sea. The waves can beat
against the curved steel sides of the craft as much as they like, or
wash clean over her; but the boat is not affected by them in the
least.”
“It’s the most wonderful thing I ever heard of,” Brandon declared.
“They are wonderful boats, as you will declare, yourself, when you
see Number Three, tomorrow,” Adoniram returned. “My whaleback is
265 feet long, 38 feet beam, and 24 feet deep. She is warranted to
carry 3,000 tons of grain on a sixteen and one half foot draft. You
see, for her size, she carries an enormous cargo, for between the
collision bulkhead forward, and the bulkhead in front of the engine
room aft, the whole inside of the craft is open for lading.
“But my scheme—the reason I bought this vessel, in fact—is this,”
went on Mr. Pepper.
He hesitated a moment, and looked just a little doubtfully at Caleb.
“I presume this is what you will call a ‘crazy idea,’ Caleb,” he said.
“Several months ago my attention was drawn to the fact that great
numbers of these derelicts now afloat in the Atlantic, north of the
equator, are richly laden merchant vessels on whose cargoes and
hulls a large salvage might be demanded by any vessel towing them
into port.
“Now and then, you know, it happens that somebody does recover a
derelict with a valuable cargo. In these times, when the crews of
American ships, and even many of the officers, are ignorant and
untrustworthy fellows, lacking altogether the honor arm
perseverance which were characteristics of sailors forty years ago (I
don’t say that all are so, but many) under these circumstances, I say,
many a vessel which might be worked safely into port, is abandoned
in mid ocean by the frightened crew.
“With a vessel like Number Three one could recover and tow into
port many of these hulks, and net a large salvage from the owners.
Vessels which would not be worth saving themselves, might still
contain articles which it would pay to transfer to the hold of the
whaleback, before they were sunk; for it was my intention to have
Number Three destroy all the wrecks which are not worth saving.
“I have even sounded the Washington officials in the matter of aiding
me in the work of destroying these derelicts; but I find that the
Hydrographic Office is trying to get an appropriation from Congress
to build a vessel of about 800 tons burden, especially for the work of
blowing up these wrecks. Until that matter is decided, of course I can
get no bonus on what I do.
“Nevertheless,” Mr. Pepper continued, “I believe that there is money
enough in it to amply reward me for my outlay. Why, look at that New
England whaler which found the British ship Resolute fast in the ice
of Melville Bay in the summer of ’55.
“She was one of three vessels sent out by the British government to
find Sir John Franklin. She was ‘nipped’ by the ice in the winter of ’51
and was abandoned. The whaler brought her to New London, and
Congress bought her for $200,000 salvage and sent her to England.
Of course, I shouldn’t expect to get many such prizes as that,” and
the little man laughed, “but I do expect to make a handsome profit on
the venture.”
“Take, for instance, the case of the Silver Swan. I’ll make you a
proposition, Brandon, and you see if it isn’t a fair one. Caleb shall
judge himself. I’ll send the whaleback out after the brig at my own
expense. If we are successful and find the derelict and tow her to
port, I will take the cargo (I know it to be a valuable one) for my pains
—of course, not including the diamonds, which are your own
personal property, my boy. The brig herself is Caleb’s, any way,
according to the terms of your father’s will. Now what do you say?”
“I say it’s a good offer!” exclaimed Caleb, slapping his thigh heartily.
“You’re a man and a gentleman, Adoniram. And far from thinking this
scheme of yours crazy, I think well of it—mighty well.”
“That’s because it ‘hits you where you live,’ as the saying is,”
returned Mr. Pepper, smiling slily.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about whalebacks,” began Caleb.
“But you will,” the merchant declared, interrupting him. “I haven’t got
through with my proposition yet.”
“Fire ahead, old man,” said Caleb puffing steadily on his pipe.
“Well, then, first I want you for the captain of the steamer, Caleb.”
“Yes, so I supposed,” remarked the mate of the Silver Swan
imperturbably. “What else?”
“I want Brandon for second mate.”
“Me?” exclaimed Don. “Why, I never was aboard a steamship in my
life.”
“Oh, that doesn’t make any difference, Don,” returned Caleb
sarcastically. “It would be just like him (if he wanted to) to send the
vessel out with every blessed one of the crew landlubbers. It don’t
make a particle o’ difference.”
“Now, Caleb,” said the merchant deprecatingly.
“No, Adoniram, we can’t do it. The boy knows nothing at all about a
steamship, and I know but little more.”
“You’ve been mate on a steamer, Caleb.”
“On a dredger, you mean,” returned the old sailor, in disgust.
“There’s no reason why you can’t do it—both of you,” the ship owner
declared. “If I’m satisfied, you ought to be. I’ve already engaged
Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“Coffin!” ejaculated Caleb, his face lighting up, as he forgot to pull on
his pipe in his interest. “Got him, eh? Well, that puts a different
complexion on the matter. I could sail the Great Eastern with
Lawrence Coffin for mate.”
“I thought so,” said Mr. Pepper, laughing gleefully. “Then I’ve got a
man by the name of Bolin for third. He’s a good man, and knows his
business, too.”
“That would make Don’s duties pretty light,” said Caleb reflectively.
“Of course. I shall put in rather a larger crew than a whaleback
usually carries—fourteen at least,” Mr. Pepper added; “to handle the
cargoes I shall expect the steamer to recover.”
“Well, well,” said Caleb, rising; “let’s sleep on it. It’s never best to
decide on anything too quickly.”
“If you’ll take up with my offer,” concluded the merchant, rising, too,
“the craft can be made ready, and you can get away this day week.”
“Let’s think it over,” repeated the old sailor, bound not to be hurried
into the business; but Don went to bed so excited by the prospect
that it was hours before he was able to sleep.
“Did a fellow ever have a better chance for fun and adventure?” was
his last thought as he finally sank into a fitful slumber.
 CHAPTER XXII
INTO BAD COMPANY

If I were to follow up my own inclinations I should much prefer to

stay in the company of Brandon Tarr and of his two good friends, the
honest, hearty old seaman, Caleb Wetherbee, and the jovial,
philanthropic ship owner, Adoniram Pepper. And I feel sure that the
reader, too, would much prefer to remain with them.
But, for the sake of better understanding that which is to follow, I
shall be obliged for a short time to request the company of the
reader in entirely different scenes, and among rather disreputable
characters.
Mr. Alfred Weeks, who had been in receipt of so many favors in
times past from the firm of Adoniram Pepper & Co., is the first
person who will receive our attention.
Weeks was “an effect of a cause.” He was of the slums, his ancestry
came from the slums; he was simply, by accident of education
(compulsory education, by the way) once removed from the usual
“gutter snipe” of the city streets.
Who his parents were, he could not, for the life of him, have told. I do
not mean to suggest for an instant that Weeks was not to be pitied;
but that he was deserving of pity I deny. He had been saved from the
debasing influences of the reform school in his youth by a
philanthropic gentleman (who might have been the twin of Adoniram
Pepper), and sent to a Western State where he was clothed, fed,
and educated by a kind hearted farmer, whom he repaid by theft and
by finally running away.
Then he went from one thing to another, and from place to place,
and you may be sure that neither his morals nor his habits improved
during the progression. Finally at twenty-five, he drifted back to the
metropolis, and quickly found his old level again—the slums. Here
he likewise discovered many of the acquaintances of his youth, for
he had been a boy of twelve when he had been sent West.
Among these old friends he was known as “Sneaky” (a very
appropriate appellation, as we have seen), “Alfred Weeks” being the
name given him by his Western benefactor. The fellow was a most
accomplished hypocrite and it was by the exercise of this attribute
that he had obtained the situation as Adoniram Pepper’s clerk, and
kept it for ten years, despite many of his evil deeds coming to the
knowledge of the shipping merchant.
Not one of the three persons who had been in the office that
afternoon when his presence in the wardrobe was discovered,
realized how thoroughly bad at heart Weeks was, or how dangerous
an enemy they had made. Even Caleb Wetherbee did not fully
recognize it.
But they had made an enemy, and within twenty-four hours that
enemy was at work to undermine and thwart their plans.
Weeks had overheard enough of the story of the Silver Swan and
her valuable cargo to make it an easy matter for him to decide on a
line of action which might lead to his own benefit, as well as to the
compassing of his much desired revenge.
He solaced his wounded feelings the evening after his dismissal
from the ship owner’s office by a trip to his favorite resort—the
Bowery Theater—where he again drank in the highly colored
sentences and romantic tableaux of that great drama “The
Buccaneer’s Bride.” Unfortunately, however, he was forced to remain
standing during the play for obvious reasons; the seats of the theater
were not cushioned.
The next forenoon he adorned himself in the height of Bowery style,
and strolled down past the scene of his former labors and on toward
that rendezvous known as the New England Hotel. He had his plans
already mapped out, and the first thing to do was to join forces with
Jim Leroyd, whom he knew very well by reputation, at least, as did a
great many others among the denizens of lower New York.
But as he strolled along Water Street he discovered something which
slightly changed his plans. Perhaps, to be exact, I should say that he
discovered somebody.
On the opposite side of the thoroughfare was a weazen faced old
man, with bowed shoulders, and not altogether steady feet. He was
dressed in rusty black clothes of a pattern far remote from the
present day.
Evidently he was quite confused by his surroundings and by the
crowd which jostled him on the walk.
“What a chance for a ‘bunco man,’” exclaimed the festive Alfred,
under his breath. “That’s country, sure enough. I wonder how it ever
got here all alone,” and the philanthropic ex-clerk crossed the street
at once and fell into the old man’s wake.
Despite his countrified manner, however, there was an air of shrewd,
suspicious intelligence about the man of the rusty habiliments.
Fortunately for the success of his further plans, Weeks did not seek
to accost him at once.
Had he done so he would have aroused the countryman’s
suspicions. The latter had come warned and forearmed against
strangers who sought his acquaintance.
As they went along, the old man ahead and Weeks in the rear, the
latter discovered that the countryman was seeking for something. He
went along slowly, with his eyes fixed on the signs on either side,
studying each new one as it came in view with apparent interest.
Finally he stopped on the corner of a cross street and looked about
him at the rushing, hurried life in perplexity. Now was Mr. Week’s
chance.
He strolled slowly along toward the old fellow, the only person
without an apparent object, in that whole multitude.
As the ex-clerk expected, the countryman accosted him.
“Say, mister,” he said, in his harsh, cracked voice, which rose plainly
above the noise of the street, “kin you tell me the whereabouts of the
New England Hotel?”
“Whew!” thought Mr. Weeks. “Pretty shady locality for a respectable
farmer. Wonder what the old fellow wants there?”
Then aloud he said:
“I’m going along there myself, sir; it is several blocks yet.”
“Wal, ’t seems ter me,” snarled the other, taking his place by the side
of Weeks, “thet this ’ere street hain’t got no end, nor no numbers ter
speak of. I looked in one o’ them things over at the hotel—a d’rectory
I b’lieve the clerk called it—but I don’t see as it helped me any.”
“It’s pretty hard for a stranger to find his way about New York, that’s
a fact.”
The old fellow flashed a sudden look at his companion, which was
not lost on the sly Weeks. The farmer had “read up” on “bunco men”
and their ways, and expected that the polite stranger would suggest
showing him about the city a little.
But Weeks didn’t; he wasn’t that kind.
Finding that the fellow seemed totally uninterested as to whether he
found his way about the metropolis or not, the countryman gained a
little confidence in his new acquaintance.
“New York streets hain’t much like Providence streets,” he said. “Ye
kin find yer way ’round them; but I defy any one ter know whether
they’re goin’ straight here, or not.”
Mr. Weeks smiled and nodded, but let the other do most of the
talking. He went on the principle that if you give a fool rope enough
he’ll hang himself; and although the old fellow thought himself
exceedingly shrewd, and took pains to dodge the real object of his
visit to New York, in seeking to be pleasant to his new acquaintance
he “gave the whole thing dead away,” as the astute Alfred mentally
expressed it.
“Ye see,” said the old man. “I’m down here a-lookin for my nevvy,
Brandon, who’s run away from me. Nothing else would ha’ got me
down here right in the beginnin’ of the spring work.”
Weeks started slightly, but otherwise showed no signs of special
interest; but as the old fellow ran on about the terrible state he
expected his affairs would be in because of his absence, Mr. Alfred
Weeks did some pretty tall thinking.
“Brandon is no common name,” so the ex-clerk communed with
himself. “I bet there hasn’t been two Brandons come to New York
within the past few days—both from Rhode Island, too.
“This is the old uncle I heard the young chap mention. He’s down
here after the boy, eh? But I’m betting there’s something else behind
it. Now, let’s see; what does he want at the New England Hotel?
“Leroyd, so young Tarr said, had been up to Rhode Island to see
him.” Weeks thought, continuing his train of reasoning. “Passed
himself off to him, at least, as old Wetherbee. Oh, Jim’s a keen one,
he is! Now Leroyd’s at the hotel—at least, he has been. What is this
old scarecrow going there for?
“There’s a great big rat in the toe of this stocking,” Mr. Weeks
assured himself. “This uncle is an old scamp, that’s my opinion.” (Mr.
Weeks knew a scamp when he saw one—excepting when he looked
in the glass.) “I’d wager a good deal that he and Jim understand
each other pretty well.
“Probably Jim has let the old fellow into the fact that there’s treasure
aboard that brig, hoping to get him to back him in an attempt to find
it. By the cast in the old man’s eye, I reckon he’s always on the
lookout for the almighty dollar. Now, he and Jim are going to try and
hitch horses together, I bet. And am I in this? I betcher! with both
feet!”
With this elegant expression, Mr. Weeks drew up before the
uninviting resort known as the New England Hotel.
 CHAPTER XXIII
MR. ALFRED WEEKS AT A CERTAIN
CONFERENCE

“Here we are, mister,” said the ex-clerk; “see, there’s the sign—New
England Hotel. Did you expect to find your runaway nephew here?”
“No-o,” replied old Arad Tarr, eying the place with a good deal of
disfavor.
“See here,” said Weeks slowly, “I’ve been trying to remember
whereabouts I’ve heard that name ‘Brandon’ before. It’s not a
common name, you know.”
“No, ’taint common. D’ye thing ye’ve seen Brandon since he’s been
here in New York? He’s only been here two days, I reckon,” said old
Arad eagerly.
“Perhaps.”
“Where was he?” queried the old man. “I’m his lawful guardeen, an’
I’m a-goin’ ter hev him back, now I tell ye!”
“Let’s see; his name is Brandon Tarr, isn’t it?”
“That’s it; that’s it,” Arad declared.
“And he came from Chopmist, Rhode Island?”
“Sartin. You must have seen him, mister.”
“I guess I have,” said Weeks reflectively. “He was the son of a
Captain Horace Tarr, lost at sea on the Silver Swan not long ago,
eh?”
“The very feller!” cried Arad, with manifest delight.
“Then I guess I can help you find him,” declared Weeks cheerfully.
“Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you how I happened to run across him. It’s
not a very nice looking place, this isn’t; but they know me here and it
won’t be safe for them to treat any of my friends crooked.”
The old man, who had forgotten all about bunco men and their ilk in
his anxiety to recover his nephew, followed him into the bar room.
The place was but poorly patronized at this hour of the day, and with
a nod to Brady, who, his face adorned with a most beautiful black
eye, was behind the bar, Weeks led the way to an empty table in the
further corner.
“What’ll you an’ your friend hev ter drink?” inquired Mr. Brady, with
an atrocious grin.
“Oh, a bottle of sarsaparilla,” responded Weeks carelessly, and when
the bull necked barkeeper had brought it, the ex-clerk paid for the
refreshment himself.
Old Arad had looked rather scared at the appearance of the bottle.
His mind at once reverted to the stories he had read in the local
paper at home (which paper he had borrowed from a neighbor, by
the way) of countrymen being decoyed into dens in New York and
treated to drugged liquor.
But as Weeks allowed the bottle to stand on the table between them
untouched throughout their conference, the old man felt easier in his
mind.
“Ye say ye’ve seen Brandon?” inquired Arad, when Jack Brady had
returned to his position behind the bar, and there was nobody within
earshot.
“Yes. I’ll tell you how it was. You see, Mr. Tarr—that’s your name,
isn’t it?—I have a position in a shipping merchant’s office as clerk.
The office is—er—closed today, so I am out. This office is that of
Adoniram Pepper & Co. Ever hear of them?”
Old Arad shook his head negatively.
“Pepper was a great friend of this Brandon’s father, so I understand.”
“Mebbe,” snarled the farmer. “Cap’n Tarr’s friends warn’t my friends.”
“No? Well, your nephew steered straight for Pepper’s office, and I
believe that he’s staying at the old man’s house now—he and a man
by the name of Caleb Wetherbee.”
“Caleb Wetherbee? Gracious Peter!” ejaculated the old man. “Hez
he found him so soon.”
Mr. Weeks nodded briefly.
“This Wetherbee was mate of the Silver Swan.”
“That’s the man,” muttered Arad hopelessly.
“I take it you didn’t want your nephew and this Wetherbee to meet?”
suggested Weeks shrewdly.
“No—o——well, I dunno. I—I’m erfraid ’twon’t be so easy to git
Brandon back ter the farm ef he’s found this mate.”
“Perhaps we can fix it up,” said Weeks cheerfully.
“D’ye think so?”
“Let’s see; are you his legal guardian?”
“Yes, I be,” declared Arad savagely; “on’y the papers ain’t made
aout.”
“I don’t really see, then, how you can bring it about until you are
appointed,” said Mr. Weeks slowly.
“I jest kin!” asserted Arad, with confidence. “I gotter warrant here for
him.”
“Whew!” The astute Weeks looked at the old sinner admiringly. “Well,
well! you are a smart one. What’s the charge?”
“Robbing me,” responded the old man. “The day he run away he
took ’most fifty dollars outer a—a beury droor. Dretful bad boy is that
Brandon.”
“Yes, I should think so. Well, with that warrant I should think you had
him pretty straight.”
“D’ye think I kin find him all right?” asked Arad anxiously.