[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 54 KB, 1000x736, beakers[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6438796 No.6438796 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /sci/, I need to learn chemistry for my major (MechE), but I'm not sure how to go about it. I have a pretty recent college textbook (I had planned on taking the class last semester, but ended up dropping).

Are there any good online resources I could utilize, or would reading a text book diligently be the best way to learn?

>> No.6438814

Pay attention in class
Read the book
Show all work
Show all units
Use appropriate sigdigs
Push buttons

>> No.6438831

>>6438814

I meant in the sense of learning it on my own, without a class. That way when I do have to take the class, it won't be as difficult.

>> No.6438844

Which chemistry are you taking, OP?
I'm a chem major who is a peer tutor so I can probably give some advice.

>> No.6438860

>>6438844

As far as I know, its just Gen Chem 1 and 2. I really don't know much more than that, sorry.

>> No.6438872

>>6438844
Oh, awkward. Didn't notice the thread title.

They key to general chemistry is practice problems.

Read each chapter carefully, memorizing the important rules and nomenclature and shit as you go. Then each section should have a couple problems to do with the answer right there. DO THOSE!

Then skim through the chapter one more time to make sure you really got it. Then do every single problem you can at the end of each chapter. Because those problems are going to extremely similar to the kind you will have on your test.

Each chapter in chemistry has like 3-5 main topics that they ask questions on. If you know how to do those 3-5 things, you're golden.

The first part of general chemistry is a lot of memorizing and applying. DON'T SKIMP OUT ON THIS. MEMORIZE YOUR SHIT AND KEEP IT MEMORIZE AND USE IT. ALL THE TIME. THIS IS THE BASIS OF EVERY CHEMISTRY CLASS YOU WILL TAKE AFTER THIS AND IT WILL COME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN. What gets people is that they fucked around in gen chem I so the rest of their chemistry is fucked down the road.

Gen chem one should at least go through molecular geometry if not gases too.

Gen chem II is a lot of bullshit math. Learn all the methods of each concept and you'll be golden.

>> No.6438911

MechE here too. Only needed gen chem. shit was cake son, its the least of your worries.

>> No.6438922

>>6438796

Pick up a copy of "Chemistry" by Zumdahl, and read it from front to back, and do all the examples in it...
you have now completed two semesters of general chemistry

>you dropped 150 grand on a fuckin' education you could have got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library!

>> No.6438923

>>6438911

Really, least of? What should I be worried about, in that case?

>> No.6438926

>>6438831
familiarize yourself with:
the first 18 elements
valence electrons and octet rule
Keq (equilibria), along with acids and bases
PV=nRT

There's more, but those are really the heavy hitters.

>> No.6438930

>>6438923
physics and calculus are both way more difficult for me than chem, your mileage may vary i guess

i put 0 time into chemistry and pulled a B. if i put 0 time into calculus ill fail it.

>> No.6438939

Pay attention to everything. Chemistry builds and builds on top of itself. There's very little you can miss and understand the more complex things. Practice is key. Practice until you understand, and understand until you perfect your methods, then move on.

It's not hard at all, just very very intimidating. IMO, it's simply math with a few constraints and rules you need to understand. If you know basic math, chemistry is a breeze.

Ask questions also. Most things in the textbook can be summed up in simpler terms. Heck, come here and ask for advice. I still get mixed up on some things, but /sci/ has always come around and made things clear. Try and find an interest in chemistry, no matter how lame it may sound. Once you learn and appreciate all that chemistry can achieve, you sort of learn to like it. On a personal note, I went from a 65 in chem in my senior year of Hs to a 106 in college. Things just made sense later on, as my professor taught things much better than my Hs teacher. Hopefully you have a good professor.

But yeah, don't be intimidated. Hang in there, be attentive, ask questions, practice.
Goodluck!

>> No.6438940

>>6438930

I got a C in my first physics class (should have been a B, that's what not showing sufficient work will get you) and I got an easy A in calculus 1 (deriving, very little integrating).

Also, I'm scared to death of taking an Electronics Design class. I took a CompE class and almost killed myself I hated it so much

>> No.6438972
File: 40 KB, 355x417, edgar.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6438972

>>6438940
oh boy.
taking statics and multivariable calc next quarter, scared for my life.

>> No.6438980

>>6438972
>"statics", assuming you mean statistics
Drop statistics, it's pointless

>> No.6438984

>>6438980
I think he meant statics as in physics.

>>6438972
statics isnt too awful, I actually enjoyed some of it. I'd just be familiar with vector math, and remember: all equations equal zero

>> No.6438992

>>6438984
>statics as in physics
What's that? Electrostatics?

>> No.6438993

>>6438940
how do people not get A's in physics?
like wtf?

>> No.6438999

>>6438980
definitely didn't mean statistics

>> No.6438994

>>6438992
We used the word "statics" as in "stationary objects" meaning that the objects are in equilibrium, so we don't have to use calculus.

>> No.6439009

>>6438993
Well, for me it was the fact that I didn't realize calculus 2 was a prereq and we were expected to know quite a bit of trig and vector math, neither of which I'd had hardly any prior exposure to.

Our average for the final was below a 60%, and I scraped by with a C, despite having to learn every bit of math we used on-the-go, thanks to some friends in higher level maths. Many others, who had the background in math, weren't so lucky.

The class covered everything from vector math, to equilibrium equations, civil engineering concepts and superposition, to vector calculus applications. Interesting as hell, but also very difficult

>> No.6439025

>>6439009
all of this was in your first physics class? is this mechanics? what the fuck?

my first physics class (mechanics) was a fucking joke.

>> No.6439038

>>6439025
Classical Mechanics, yes. Part 2 of 4 in the engineering analysis sequence. Part 3 continues same shit and taken together, both substitute for Physics 1 for non-engineers.

>> No.6439051

>>6439025
my first uni physics class has integrals and vectors. Fairly low level, yes, but you'd be SOL without prior exposure. I'm not even a physics major.

>> No.6439057

>>6439051
That was definitely my situation. I had never evaluated an integral in my life. 2/3rds way thru the quarter when my prof drew one on the board, I knew I was fucked.

Thank God for Khan Academy

>> No.6439064

>>6439051
my teacher used integrals to show where the basic ass formulas came from and i rarely use vectors, ive never had to integrate on a test once.

i guess i got lucky.

>> No.6439071

>>6439064
Try integrating acceleration given in terms of velocity or position. Our final had questions on both, one having to do with a plane landing, the other about launching a satellite to the moon.

>> No.6439082

>>6438796
why did you drop a freshman course?
it's gen chem. if you've taken physics, you can pass gen chem.

>> No.6439088

>>6439082
I was very naive and overwhelmed with my other classes, so I freaked out. I also didn't take physics until the following quarter, so I hadn't really gotten my feet wet yet.

>> No.6439101

>>6439088
the key to gen chem is stoichiometry, ice tables, henderson hesselbeck, book keeping.

its pretty easy, just have to get past initial intimidation

>> No.6439105
File: 759 KB, 336x200, 1395255510585.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6439105

>>6439088

>> No.6439108

>>6438796

gen chem is generally very easy, if you can't do this, you are in for a world of hurt in your upper level classes.

My school makes mech E's take organic chem, which is a different ball game.

>> No.6439112

>>6439108
That's harsh. I've mixed things about orgo, mostly that its a lot more "fun", but also harder than gen chem

>> No.6439114

>>6439101
That initial intimidation is intense. I know at my school they call gen chem the pre-med dream killer

>> No.6439324
File: 269 KB, 234x249, 1394788608149.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6439324

>>6438980
>statistics is pointless

>> No.6440095

Why do so many people say gen chem 1 is hard? I'm early on in a mechEngineering degree, but I got an A in genchem easy. Does that mean the other classes I'm going to have to take aren't that hard either? What do you all think the hardest classes in a mechanical engineering curriculum are?

>> No.6440151

>>6438972
Multivariable calc is incredibly fun and makes all other physics classes much easier.

>> No.6440318

>>6438926

>PV = nRT

You forgot the part where that is useless in the real world

>> No.6440329

Chem engineering here, general chem is about the easiest class out there. I do warn you though, you need to really know your calculus if you want to learn anything about thermodynamics

>> No.6440337

>>6440095
>Why do so many people say gen chem 1 is hard?
usually the profs make it hard

>> No.6440430

>>6440337
Ya I guess my professor was pretty good. He was great at explaining things, and we worked through a shit ton of practice problems in class. I tend to learn by doing so that was really effective for me.

>> No.6440441

>>6440329
Ya I'm taking thermo next semester, thermodynamics, calc 3, statics, and gen physics 2 with the lab. Should be fun, but this will probably be the semester I end up having to quit my job. No time for nuthin

>> No.6440456

>>6440441

thermodynamics generally shouldn't be too complicated, at least until you get to really advanced stuff. You'll mostly work with very simple derivatives and integrals, very basic multivariable calculus is all you need. Same for physics 2

>> No.6440473

>>6439114
>I know at my school they call gen chem the pre-med dream killer

That's O. Chem here. Biochem is regarded as tougher, but if you made it that far, you've shown at least tenacity if nothing else.

O Chem. is really the last chance to drop and bail on the major.

>> No.6440489

I've got a quick question about boiling points.
Is there a way to determine the boiling point of a substance without just straight up testing it out? Specifically looking for one that could sum up the basic shit like alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. I know it's related to van der Waals bonds which in turn are determined by the surface of a molecule and the power of its bonds (e.g. single bonds for alkanes, double bonds for alkenes), but is there a way to sum that all up into one solution?

>> No.6440513

>>6438926
Depends what ur doing mang.

I'm a full time cake baker and i HAVE TO CINVERT THE MOLES OF GAS IN THE FILLING WITH my caps lock is on and i wont change it

>> No.6440522

>>6440513
>implying baking a cookie isn't super professional chemistry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6wpNhyreDE