What is difficult in Preliminary Chemistry? (1 Viewer)

[Fizzy_Cyst]

So, I am teaching Preliminary Chemistry for the first time this year..

What did you guys find most difficult? (be it content, concepts, calculations, practicals etc..)

I would like to make sure that I address the harder things adequately during the next three terms and it would be awesome if I could get some ideas about what part(s) of the syllabus students think is most difficult!

Thanks xD

 

[anomalousdecay]

I found preliminary Chemistry a bit more difficult to understand than HSC Chemistry.

Prelim: "What is Chemistry? What theories are there behind all matter?"

HSC: "How does Chemistry apply to everyday life and work?"

The most difficult thing is the concepts for most students.

I know most of my class had difficulty distinguishing between the different types of bonds, and difficulty understanding how they reflect the different properties of materials. Also, many people had problems learning about the periodic table and how its placement relates to the properties of the elements (for example the electronegativities and ionisation abilities).

Generally the last topic "Energy" was the easiest for many, although it took a long time to learn about organic molecules and their different structures and names. The enthalpy graphs confused me for sometime too, but that long time to learn it helped me to do better in HSC.

I don't know what else I can think of at the moment.

Though, I will say so if I come across anything.

And I have some resources just for you if you want.

 

[tashe]

It's been a while, I don't remember much.

However, I do remember that the jump from junior science to preliminary chemistry was huge.

My groundings from junior science was so weak that I had trouble understanding:

• how to write balanced equations and formulas

Sorry, that's all I remember as of now. I'll edit my post when I remember.

EDIT: These concepts that a year 11 are first exposed to are difficult as well:

• The different types of bonds; intramolecular (ionic, covalent, covalent network, metallic) and intermolecular (dispersion, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding)
• Definition of a mole - in particularly, the origin of Avogadro's number
• Calculation involving heat of combustion

 

[anomalousdecay]

EDIT: These concepts that a year 11 are first exposed to are difficult as well:

• The different types of bonds; intramolecular (ionic, covalent, covalent network, metallic) and intermolecular (dispersion, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding)
• Definition of a mole - in particularly, the origin of Avogadro's number
• Calculation involving heat of combustion

I never found out how they made up that massive number.

But I did understand the use and application of it.

 

[tashe]

I don't think it's part of the syllabus (I could be wrong). However all teachers seem to go through it as it explains what a mole is. Some teachers can't explain it properly, leaving everyone even more confused.

 

[strawberrye]

I don't think it's part of the syllabus (I could be wrong). However all teachers seem to go through it as it explains what a mole is. Some teachers can't explain it properly, leaving everyone even more confused.

I got one of those teachers-but then, I couldn't exactly blame the teacher since the teacher was originally a biology teacher and was teaching chemistry for the first time. Luckily I had a different teacher in year 12.

 

[mysterymarkplz]

Mole calculations, activation energy in the Energy topic, concentration in the Water topic, everything else is just theory rote learn i guess.

 

[anomalousdecay]

I don't think it's part of the syllabus (I could be wrong). However all teachers seem to go through it as it explains what a mole is. Some teachers can't explain it properly, leaving everyone even more confused.

I couldn't even research it though. The number is very important in the syllabus, but the history to it being just seems like a mystery to me and countless other students.

 

[Cleavage]

Just keeping your students interested in the subject, yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwn

A lot of students in my class found it difficult to calculate the molar heat of combustion, others found it difficult to differentiate between intermolecular and intramolecular bonds, and the different types of bonds within those two categories.

I found chemistry remarkably linear, in that the next topic was building on the skills I learnt in the topic before (sort of like maths). I couldn't find such a relation in preliminary physics.

EDIT: Oxidation/Reduction reactions, I think that was what i found to be the most difficult concept.

 

[golgo13]

Its been a while for me but i remember prelim chem being very math intensive to some degree with the balancing equations etc

 

[someth1ng]

Just keeping your students interested in the subject, yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwn

A lot of students in my class found it difficult to calculate the molar heat of combustion, others found it difficult to differentiate between intermolecular and intramolecular bonds, and the different types of bonds within those two categories.

I found chemistry remarkably linear, in that the next topic was building on the skills I learnt in the topic before (sort of like maths). I couldn't find such a relation in preliminary physics.

EDIT: Oxidation/Reduction reactions, I think that was what i found to be the most difficult concept.

Agreed. This is pretty much my thoughts on the topic. Redox was hard at first but once you realise that it's just about what wants electrons more, it becomes simple.

 

[snipez264]

Hint: Get used to reading the Conq Chem book (If you have it) because its referenced in the HSC textbook, nearly every single page. Like OMFG

 

[esaitchkay]

ahh good old prelim chem...
hardest parts would've been the equations, formulas, redox reactions (might've been because I gave up by this stage hah)
I suppose these would be fixed by just reinforcing a really strong base.
Then again, my junior science base was realllllllly weak.

 

[enigma_1]

So, I am teaching Preliminary Chemistry for the first time this year..

What did you guys find most difficult? (be it content, concepts, calculations, practicals etc..)

I would like to make sure that I address the harder things adequately during the next three terms and it would be awesome if I could get some ideas about what part(s) of the syllabus students think is most difficult!

Thanks xD

The freaking mole concept. I still suck at it

 

[GabbyS]

Literally everything. I don't think I'm cut out for hsc science...

But calculations and remembering the difference between different kinds of bonds and being able to identify them in different questions were my biggest downfalls. I ended up giving up and just dropping the subject, it's exceptionally difficult to learn and study chem without having a strong interest and motivation for it.

 

[AsianFrustratio]

Calculations and anything involving the mole concept took a bit of getting used to. Thank God my teacher spent A LOT of time drilling these concepts into our heads during preliminary, despite not finishing Module 4 in time for yearlies. Heat of solution also took some time completely understanding.

Another thing that wasn't particularly hard but was extremely boring was the stuff on the Metals topic about the history of metals and the history of the periodic table.

Preliminary Chemistry also has a lot of fundamental concepts which, although I didn't find it to be particularly hard, took a bit to completely wrap my head around. Once I finally understood these concepts well, Preliminary Chemistry was really easy and the content was pretty easy to retain.

 

[Drongoski]

The freaking mole concept. I still suck at it

Even I can teach you mole. It ain't hard.

 

[Amundies]

It's been said here before, but I'll say it again.
Moles.
Personally, I understood this the very lesson it was taught, and thought it to be one of the easier topics, but pretty much the entire cohort had trouble with this topic. It's also an important concept to know for HSC Chem, so that made it worse for those who didn't understand it.

 

[strawberrye]

It's gonna be everything for me initially since I have a weak foundation from junior science (although I bombed out, lol).

Just learn stuff step by step and you will be fine-remember consistent effort can help to consolidate any foundation

 

[Cleavage]

It's gonna be everything for me initially since I have a weak foundation from junior science (although I bombed out, lol).

Don't stress, Year 11 Phys/Chem/Bio is very different to Year 10 science. Just work hard from the start, it always pays off, particularly in the sciences which involve quite a lot of rote learning.