BMCC - Chemistry

displacedfloridian · May 20, 2008

I'm taking it this summer- I did that because I anticipated it would be a little hard & I wanted to really understand it-especially the conversion of measurements. I only need a C, it won't count on my nursing GPA, but of course I want an A!! If you take it, I'd like to find study partners.

cmo701 · May 21, 2008

Hello,

Thanks for your quick response. I went to an orientation today at the school and they advised me not to take chemistry since is one of my week points. I decided to take mat104 for summer session 1.

Good luck with chemistry. I will definetly want to keep in contact with you and see maybe we could be study partners for any other classes.

carolinagirlz · May 22, 2008

Hi,

I have just started Chemistry for the summer. We have had 2 classes and 1 lab so far. I would love to have a study buddy. I am really nervous about it.. I think it's going to be hard. I am having trouble with the scientic figures and notations.

cmo701 · May 22, 2008

Hi Carolinagirlz,

Are you attending BMCC? I thought the summer session starts June 2nd. Anyway... I decided not to take chemistry during the summer. I will be taking Mat104. Have you taken that class before?

Thanks,

Cristina

displacedfloridian · May 22, 2008

Hi Carolinagirlz (and anyone else taking chem this summer) I don't start till Tuesday. I have class 4x a week & labs on M & W afternoons. I have the book & started reading 1st two chapters & am now re-reading them! I hate scientific notation (I'd rather wrote out the big long number!!!) and I'm trying to get the "significant number" thing. I already have questions for the teacher. I ordered "Cliff's Study Solver for Chemistry" from Amazon based on a post I saw on Allnurses.com, said it would really help w/ equations. I'd be happy to be a study buddy if you like! I attend AACC in Maryland. I find the general material fascinating, but am intimidated by the math. I have done well in my college math courses, but am not "quick" if you know what I mean!

carolinagirlz · May 22, 2008

Hi Displacedfloridian,

I am in South Carolina and we go MW 12-5 and that includes labs. We have our test coming up next Wed on Scientic Notation & Figures. The first couple chapters are very strong in Math. I have quiz questions and a power point I could share with you. This is how my teacher taught the work the 1 and 2 Ch. What text book are you using? We are using the 6th edition by Zumdahl. I am going to also get the Cliff notes. But study your lab book (lab glassware/other apparatus) so you will understand what the name of the items you will be using. This is really help you. I didn't know the pipet. So preparing in advance will help you. Maybe we can share notes and quizes with each other.

carolinagirlz · May 22, 2008

cmo701,

I am not sure which math that is? I am taking a Math over the summer also. I will save all my chemistry notes for you. It is a much quicker 10 weeks vs 17 weeks. Good Luck this summer! I hope the semester is great for you.

Crystal

displacedfloridian · May 22, 2008

Hi back Carolinagirlz,

My book is "Essentials of Chemistry" 2nd edition by Ebbing. I didn't even open my lab packet, what a good idea, I don't even know what a "pipet" is! Your 100% right with a course like this, I have to let it sink in, so reading in advance helps, especially being prepared with questions. I know the math has to be done first.

One thing I try to remember, usually the concept is easier to grasp than you thimk it will be, so you set yourself up to "not grasp" it. I'm going right now to go open those lab packets! Thanks!

displacedfloridian · May 30, 2008

OMG- this is much harder than I thought, the "Professor" isn't a Professor, just a guy w/ his master's that retired from Corporate & Navy research work 2 years ago. For all I know, we're his 1st class. He's being WAY to general about what to memorize, what's worse, he's basically smirking when asked questions like that and responding with "better just memorize it all"....like the ions & their charges....this is gonna be ugly!!!

carolinagirlz · May 30, 2008

Hey Back Displaced Floridian,

I am feeling some of the same frustration! We are still in Ch 2 doing Measurements and Sign figures. My professor doesn't really teach at all. He shows a power point. He doesn't tell you what one the tests or the quizzes. I have nightmares about this class because I have to pass it to get in nursing in 09. I have studied so much but I still didn't make very good on my 1st quizz. I think it's just my nerves..before the test. I just keep telling myself I can do it!! (I can do all things through christ who strengthens me). :heartbeat:heartbeat I hope your 1st test goes well.

Carolinagirlz

displacedfloridian · May 31, 2008

Well we'll determine to try our best to get through this! I need a C at minimum, the grade won't count into my GPA for nursing school acceptance, but I don't want my over GPA to be lower.

Here's an example of my frustration. The problem in the book said to write the follwong number w/o scientific notation and w/ the proper SI prefix. The number said "0.2010 m" . This just wasn't speaking to me, I looked at the answer, which was "2.010 dm".

I e-mailed the preofessor, asking what should I see here to click my little brain cells into understanding why the decimal moves over one and the prefix is dm vs., say, cm?

He e-mailed me once, I still didn't get it, aske him to please clearly tell me what should I be *thinking* as to why write the number 2.010dm? Here is a cut & paste of his second answer, so if anybody out there can explain it in human terms, please do, I'll be grateful!

or cm.

For example, if you wish to calculate the density of a substance (100 g

and it occupied a cube 0.2010 m on each side) and compare it to other

densities that are listed in g/cm3 then you would first need to convert

0.2010 m to 20.1 cm, find the volume in cm3, then calculate the density.

You would not convert 0.2010 m to dm since the units of density that

you require are in cubic centimeters.

As I mentioned in class 1 cm3 = 1 milliliter (mL). So a substance with

a density of 1 g/cm3 can also be expressed as 1 g/mL.>>

Thanks,

Judy (by the way, the Cliff's Study Solver is a good investment, easier to understand than the text)