Inorganic chemistry is concerned with the chemical elements (of which there are about 100) and the extremely varied compounds they form. The essentially descriptive subject matter is unified by some general concepts of structure, bonding and reactivity, and most especially by the periodic table and its underlying basis in atomic structure. As with other books in the Instant Notes series, the present account is intended to provide a concise summary of the core material that might be covered in the first and second years of a degree-level course. The division into short independent topics should make it easy for students and teachers to select the material they require for their particular course.