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How do you study for Chemistry?

I am taking Intro Chemistry and having a tough time remembering all the laws, rules, how to read and find certain information on the periodic table, and all the various math problems. How do you go about studying for Chemistry? #chemistry

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Thank you comment icon Hi Aun M! We are currently learning about nuclear reactions now but we recently went over moles, molar mass, and a bunch of stuff about chemical reactions. I think my biggest issue overall is related to the periodic table itself and how to answer problems related to certain elements under certain conditions. There's a lot of word problems where we have to use certain formulas to find an answer, or have an understanding of how to find neutrons, protons, electrons and stuff about ions. I will look into what you recommended thank you! Gwen
Thank you comment icon Ah, interesting! Yes, we're learning about chemical matter and bonding, which may be what you're struggling with as well. It is a bit tough at first to understand the effective nuclear charge, and how that affects elements in the periodic table, as well as metallic bonding (that was personally confusing). Isotopic abundance and average atomic mass were also quite confusing for me. However, youtube saved me in the end, and I understood relatively quickly! Through the power of video, I'm sure you will understand after a bit of pausing or rewinding! All the best! Aun
Thank you comment icon Hey, Gwen T.! I love using Quizlet to study for chemistry vocabulary. Also, I ask the teacher for extra worksheets to practice and check with the key of the worksheet! I hope this helps! Salma
Thank you comment icon Thank you Salma! Gwen
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Robert’s Answer

Hi Gwen - I taught intro chemistry for many years, and if you are trying to memorize everything, you are doing it wrong, and will hate it! Sadly, most often this happens because your current teacher (and/or past teachers, in science more generally) are teaching / have taught you wrong, encouraging you to memorize a set of rules to fit each situation. Science in general, and chemistry in particular, makes sense, and if you understand it, a lot of what you would have to memorize you can figure out on your own whenever you need it: like the charges of single-element ions and how to find a limiting reagent or convert mass to moles. The key is to learn and appreciate the power of the general principles that underlie everything else, like the concepts of stoichiometry, dimensional analysis, and the ideal gas law. Once you have those, practice, practice, practice rather than "study," which usually means memorize! Give us a sample problem that you have trouble with, and I'll try to show you more concretely what I mean.

Robert recommends the following next steps:

If you don't know what dimensional analysis is, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAan6L9UjsE (I just found this and gave it a quick look, it seems OK)
Give us a sample problem that you are stumped by, and tell us what's hard about it for you. Thanks!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your advice! Gwen
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Aun’s Answer

Hi! I'm taking an intro to chemistry at my high school class as well, and I understand how hard it is so far! May I ask what you're currently learning? I found that TylerDewitt and the Organic Chemistry Tutor are great for understanding the concept at the macro level before you dive deeper! Also, Khan Academy has some great videos too! Maybe if you're under a time crunch, consider looking at crash course videos on chemistry, as they are fast but can easily be grasped if you have exposure to the content. Keep in mind that I'm no expert though, and this is what works for me! Good luck Gwen!
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Gwen
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Nikisha’s Answer

Periodic table. Moles.look up on a book on general chemistry. Try to compute a problem and understand the solution for the problem--how it was solved and what were the key points on the topic. Then answer more problems. Thats just it. Hardwork.
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Gwen
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Nikisha’s Answer

On laws and formulas: write them down on a huge paper and post them around your room. You'll never forget them.
Thank you comment icon Great idea thank you! Gwen
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