(depending on the edition—5th or 6th) typically falls within the chapter on Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory . This is the chapter where chemistry stops looking like beakers and starts looking like abstract geometry.
By page 120, the textbook has gently introduced concepts like symmetry elements, proper rotations, and reflection planes. Then, the problems at the end of the chapter ask you to assign point groups to molecules like ( \text{B}_2\text{H}_6 ) (diborane) or ( \text{XeF}_4 ).
Because on that page, inorganic chemistry stops being a subject and becomes a puzzle. And puzzles, no matter how hard, are always worth solving. Have you survived Page 120? Share your war story in the comments—just don’t share the illegal PDF. inorganic chemistry miessler tarr pdf 120
So, next time you hear a chemist mutter about “reducible representations” or “( C_{2} ) axes,” ask them if they remember page 120. They will groan. And then they will smile.
But why page 120 ? And why does this particular textbook—officially titled Inorganic Chemistry by Gary L. Miessler, Paul J. Fischer, and Donald A. Tarr—inspire such a cult following? (depending on the edition—5th or 6th) typically falls
Let’s decode the legend. For the uninitiated, Miessler and Tarr (often affectionately called "M&T") is the gold-standard textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate inorganic chemistry. It is famous for two things: crystal-clear explanations of terrifying concepts (like ligand field theory) and problem sets that can make a pre-med student weep.
The jump from theory to application is brutal. Students hunt for the PDF of the solutions manual (often called the "Miessler Tarr solutions manual PDF")—and page 120 of that document contains the worked answers. Then, the problems at the end of the
It translates to: “I understand the words ‘proper axis,’ but I cannot tell if ferrocene is ( D_{5h} ) or ( D_{5d} ), and my exam is tomorrow.” The Legal Grey Area (A Necessary Aside) Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr’s textbook is a masterpiece, protected by copyright. While free PDFs circulate on sites like Library Genesis or Academia.edu, these are illegal copies. The "Page 120" search often leads to shadowy servers hosting scanned, sometimes illegible, pages.