Solid State Resources is intended to help instructors to integrate materials science examples into introductory chemistry courses. It supports and enhances teaching based on the Materials Science Companion. The printed format is far better suited to reading and studying long passages of text than the CD, but the CD provides easy searching for topics or key words, point and click access, and animation and video that simply cannot be duplicated in print. It is an invaluable tool for anyone teaching introductory chemistry at high school or college level. Solid-state topics are an important aspect of such courses and can be learned far more effectively through the animations and video included here.

Those already using the Companion will find Solid State Resources CD a useful adjunct. The CD also is an excellent teaching resource for those who do not have the book. The material on the CD is intended for presentations and is not designed for use by individual students.

A teacher might use video clips of solid-state demonstrations to view a demonstration and learn how to perform it before committing the resources to purchasing or constructing materials needed to perform it in class. The video clip might be shown to a class, perhaps during or after the live demonstration. It is possible to step through one frame at a time or pause at any frame to call attention to small details that could be missed in a live demonstration.