General Chemistry: Atoms First starts from the building blocks of chemistry, the atom, allowing the authors to tell a cohesive story that progresses logically through molecules and compounds to help students intuitively follow complex concepts more logically. This unified thread of ideas helps students build a better foundation and ultimately gain a deeper understanding of chemical concepts. Students can more easily understand the microscopic-to-macroscopic connections between unobservable atoms and the observable behavior of matter in daily life, and are brought immediately into real chemistry-instead of being forced to memorize facts.

Reflecting a true atoms first perspective, the Second Edition features experienced atoms-first authors, incorporates recommendations from a panel of atoms-first experts, and follows historical beliefs in teaching chemistry concepts based and real experimental data first. This approach distinguishes this text in the market based whereby other authors teach theory first, followed by experimental data.