Chem textbook - which one? (1 Viewer)

[Derkk]

I think my school uses chem in context (CIN) and they let us borrow the textbook for our senior year. I'm not sure if I should buy another textbook as well. I'm kinda gearing towards having CIN for schoolwork and stuff and buying maybe conquering chem or spotlight? Which should I buy?

I hear that they are both pretty good, and that the format of conquering chem is pretty easy to follow. Also if you know how much spotlight and conquering chem costs. Please post it as well.

 

[-tal-]

Conquering Chemistry, though good in most parts, is devastatingly wrong and absolutely irrelevant in a fair few parts (eg its spiel about acid rain etc, while valid, are not the only ways of forming acid rain. And sulfurous acid is not the only by product. It's part about ammonia in the chemical monitoring and management section spans for about 8 pages - though it's understandable he wants to be thorough, it's more than you'll ever need to know about ammonia production and its uses)

Spotlight can be good, but slightly off tangent.

If I were you, I'd go buy Jacaranda. It's thorough, relevant, slightly wordy, but very scientifically correct.

As with most textbooks, they're not perfect. All have gaps here and there, just Conquering Chemistry seems to have more than most.

 

[hermand]

my school uses jacaranda and i think it's great. everything you need in the one massive beast of a book. haha. apart from it's sheer weight and largeness, it's amazing.

 

[Derkk]

ive been told by my friend jacaranda is good. anyone know how much it is?

 

[turksta101]

if you're looking for a work book i think that dot point is the best

if you just want plain notes you're better off buying excel

as for jacaranda.. i've never heard of it lol

 

[-tal-]

ive been told by my friend jacaranda is good. anyone know how much it is?

All textbooks are going to be in the $60+ range. Or at best, $55

 

[-tal-]

if you're looking for a work book i think that dot point is the best

if you just want plain notes you're better off buying excel

as for jacaranda.. i've never heard of it lol

Epic fail.

 

[Sarah182]

Epic fail.

Have you used the new Excel ones, they are really good???

I find Conquering Chem is the best, steer clear of Chem Contexts.
The surfing chem ones are also good (I only have the production of materials one) and as I said above the NEW excel chem is great.

 

[g4geexa]

Yep. Jacaranda is the way to go.
There is alot of data in this textbook, much more than you will need to remember for the exam. The questions are moderately dificult and are much better than most textbooks in terms of clarity, but you will need to think.

Get the surfing guides for quick revision, it's pretty much all the theory from the questions in the Dot Point series (same author).

Seriously though, one or two textbooks is enough, exam papers is what you should be doing before your exams and asking the teacher for their help. The teacher is worth $50 000 (probably more at a senior level) a year, so make the most out of him/her to help you understand, not the textbook.

 

[Ryuu-jin-jakka]

Is there a new edition of Jacaranda for Chem, because the phy one is great!!! and not only that you can also access extra resources online

 

[Derkk]

Okay so I think I might get jacaranda and surfing.

So that bout right? Good choices?

 

[jet]

Chem contexts is the book we use, and its completely worth it.
We also use chem pathways, though not as much.

When I asked around about conquering chemistry, the comment i always heard was that it was not good. It was always recommended that I purchase Jacaranda.

CSU HSC online is always an excellent resource.

 

[Derkk]

yeh, chem context is the one that my school and tutor uses as well. I hear that it's alright but the information is like all clumped together and paragraphed.

 

[bayan92]

1. MACQUARIE??!?!?!?! Why hasn't anyone said it yet. It is also EXCELLENT for practicals as it was all the reliability and validity stuff which is good for discussions.
2. The old is EXCEL is ok.
3. Dotpoint is good if you can be bothered to do it.
4. Conq. Chem - is my school textbook. Its not much of a summary.

 

[kwabon]

my school uses jacaranda and i think it's great. everything you need in the one massive beast of a book. haha. apart from it's sheer weight and largeness, it's amazing.

hi5 for jacaranda

 

[Sarah182]

1. MACQUARIE??!?!?!?! Why hasn't anyone said it yet. It is also EXCELLENT for practicals as it was all the reliability and validity stuff which is good for discussions.
2. The old is EXCEL is ok.
3. Dotpoint is good if you can be bothered to do it.
4. Conq. Chem - is my school textbook. Its not much of a summary.

Yeah Macquarie is actually really good, I forgot to mention that.

For mine I use:
Conquering Chem> NEW excel > Macquarie > Surfing Chem > Dot point >>>>> Chem Contexts

 

[lo0cy]

I own and used both the excel and dotpoint books. Dot point was great as it went through all of the syllabus outcomes and kind of set you up so you knew what to expect in an actual exam. Excel was a waste of money. Our teacher also took notes from spotlight but there was always alot of extra material that you didn't need to know. As long as you have a supplementary text to help you (like the one the school has supplied) then dot point is the best.

 

[lychnobity]

In order of overall usefulness:

1) Jacaranda
2) Chem Contexts
3) Dot Point
4) Macquarie/Conquering Chem
5) Excel (new or old)

 

[Shoom]

Excel is pretty good, its all u really need. I mean i havent screwed up yet and its all ive used for the my whole chemistry course,

 

[jet]

I would honestly invest in another textbook. You're doing yourself a real disservice.