Chemistry 2006/ 2007 Club***

andrea5 · Mar 8, 2006

thanks so much for taking the time to explain it to me. Its a lot clearer, thankyou.

I looked at the "following substances" questions again and there are no other substances listed, so I'm guessing its a error on the question sheet.

Thanks again :icon_hug:

droopy1592 · Mar 8, 2006

All a buffer consist of is a weak acid and a weak base. With weak acids and weak bases the Ph stays relatively close to what you design it to be even if you introduce a strong acid or base. A buffer is used to resist change in PH. Since weak acids don't dissociate (lose a hydrogen atom) much at all (usually less than 20%) they only really lose a hydrogen atom if a strong base is introduced into to the buffer in an aqueous solution. So if you have a weak base and a weak acid in a solution they will not interact much with each other. If you put a strong base into the solution with the buffer the acid will react completely with it producing salt and water... The resulting PH will be slightly higher (a little more basic) but not as bad as if the aqueous solution consisted only of a Strong Base or only a strong acid. DO you see the reason for buffers? Your body has plenty of buffers working because you eat a lot of acidic and basic foods (and you have plenty of strong stomach acid) and your body must maintain a certain PH.

I may have misunderstood that question wrong but (I thought it said an aqueous solution of) but if the aqueous solution contains those items you must find out if HCN and KCN are both weak. A buffer cannot have a strong base/acid at all. That's not the definition of a buffer.

FNPhopeful · Mar 9, 2006

Can I just ask (Droopy) and others who get this stuff..........what is your approach to the material?? are you purely memorizing formulas and compounds or is it more about have an understanding of why things are happening?

I myself am a visual learning so I think thats been my trouble. I just wanna know what you guys do when you study.

Because I try and do ALL my practice problems but if I get stuck I cant move on and I dont know WHY things are happening?

And also how much time do you spend every day on chemsitry?

-FNPHopeful

droopy1592 · Mar 9, 2006

Let me be honest with you... I'm am one of those guys that can memorize anything easily and do math problems in my head without every writing anything down....

But chemistry is different. Chemistry is the first and only subject (including other chemistry classes) that YOU MUST understand why things do the things they do. My first and second semester of Gen chem I spent more time studying for chemistry than all other subjects combined.

I could study for a political science or history test the night before for 2 hours (not really paying attention in those classes or taking notes at all). I'd study for statistics test the night before for 30 minutes. I'd study for A and P for two hours before the test.

The weeks of the third and fourth test in second semester I spent 16 hours each week studying, doing every pratice test question three or four times, not just memorizing the answer but working it out. Most other tests in chemistry I spent at least 6-8 hours of vigorous studying in addition to working the problems out over and over again. I also did all of this because chemistry is the first subject I fell in love with as it's the first to challenge me.

Out of my class of 46 (20 dropped out), only 2 As were given (I was one) but it's not an easy subject because there's not as much memorization as there is understanding. My professor also just came out with a 98% effective treatment for breast cancer, so he is a pretty smart guy.

Sometimes you need to google concepts so you understand them better.

Maybe I should over a service where people can download some of my chem notes or Power point files taken from my professors.

FNPhopeful · Mar 10, 2006

Thanks Droopy I appreciate your reply. I guess I have a terrible instructor and Im not putting my lack of effort onto him by any means but he tests us on things we never even talked about in class so Im struggling, where like you said I can easily pull out an A in Micro and Anatomy. So I know Im not dumb........

anyway Im only in Intro Chem, and we are in the chemical reactions/oxidations/ balancing equations areas. We were given the models for what combination, single-replacement, double-replacement reactions might look like but not told anything about them specifically, like what the trends are when you combine metals + H2O or metals+ O2

So I guess I will continue to study study study. It gets confusing because there are so many different classifications of reactions and each one has its own set of possible combinations metal+nonmetal = or metal+H2O= or nonmetal+nonmetal=

How do you keep it staight in your head! :banghead:

We are allowed a note card w/ notes for our exams, so I definitely fill that up

droopy1592 · Mar 10, 2006

HA! Just hope you never have to take organic. There's no more math (other than bond angles) but you have to remember TONS of reactions and exactly how they work, step by step! IN 3D!

Chemistry is something you have to commit to, as it's not memorization. YOu just have to suck it up this semester and knock it out. The latter part of Gen Chem 2 is very hard so don't let up.

FNPhopeful · Mar 10, 2006

I can memorize stuff thats just pure memorization, thats why I think I'll do good in organic. Its the taking the time to actually understand whats happening in a reaction that holds me up.......... I need something visual. Know of any animations of reactions?

droopy1592 · Mar 10, 2006

U just have to google it. I don't have anything as far as animation.

Angels' · Mar 16, 2006

I dropped chemistry due to the stress of classes. I hope that you all are doing well. (This was in Janurary ‘06)

Angels’

SWTE67 · Mar 20, 2006

I'm an LPN who is going to try to just start digesting this Intro to Chemistry at home on my own with help from several websites and books.

What kind of math should I be concentrating on? Should I really brush up my math skills before I attempt to tackle this?

droopy1592 · Mar 21, 2006

basic algebra, logs, natural logs (logs meaning logarithm)

The math isn't bad, it's the concepts and the application of those.

stacyinMD · Mar 24, 2006

The weeks of the third and fourth test in second semester I spent 16 hours each week studying, doing every pratice test question three or four times, not just memorizing the answer but working it out. Most other tests in chemistry I spent at least 6-8 hours of vigorous studying in addition to working the problems out over and over again. I also did all of this because chemistry is the first subject I fell in love with as it's the first to challenge me.

This is so me! I spend about 6+ hours 5 or more days a week....just on Chemistry. I think I have a B average and we're half way through the semester. I'm also taking a psy. class on line...and I am exhausted! I always feel like I'm behind and that I didn't study enough, or enough of a certain concept or area.

I also have to take A&P 1 and 2. Please tell me it will be a little easier than this. I know that the nursing program is pretty rigorous. Please tell me I won't experience this type of studying/exhausting tiredness for the next 3yrs...lol.

Stacy