Should I select chemistry for YR11??? (1 Viewer)

[Dreamerish*~]

i don't know what it is i find interesting... but it helps me make sense of the world
like... when i see a petrol station i'd think: the world's crude oil supplies will only last a few more decades so it would be appropriate to consider alternate resources such as ethanol which can be produced by fermentation of sugar which requires yeast and a temperature of about 37 degrees...
and when i see that my plastic dividers are made of polypropylene i'd think: they're non biodegradeable. you can use PHB which is a biodegradeable polymer made from alcaligenes eutrophus and has similar properties to polypropylene...

okay...

 

[KFunk]

Wow, the "Chemistry in society" focus seems to be working well.

 

[nit]

well the "chemistry in focus" idea is one of the most important aspects of chem - its so useful. Naturally, with HSC chem, one is not equipped to deal with more complex problems, but the concept of that PHB/Petroleum stuff is a starting point for more general uses in society - for example, areas of study such as organic synthesis/inorganic synthesis using complex mechanistic pathways are cool to study and interesting to apply to the real world (you can see I'm talking generally, and can't pin-point an example off the top of my head now ). Nonetheless, chem has to be considered the most central of the sciences - i mean, while the areas of physical chemistry and biochemistry are things everyone's heard of, how much is biophysics used? Thus chemistry is the most central of the sciences. QED

 

[KFunk]

how much is biophysics used?

I expect that you will be able to answer that by the end of your degree.

 

[nit]

uh uh. I'm not doing much physics at uni. Biochem and pharmacology is mainly what I'll concern myself with.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

In other words, HSC physics is completely pissy.

I'm taking that as an attack fuelled by your regret in not keeping physics for the HSC

 

[Dreamerish*~]

physics is for the math nerds
i'd rather do chem and be really good at it than to do physics and suck at it because of all the calculations and formulae that i can't remember...

 

[Arvin Sloane]

oh that's just illogical.
chemistry saves the world

Sure it does. You know, a few hundred years ago, your kind was burned alive for heresy.

Oh, how the world has changed.

 

[Dreamerish*~]

... and that's why i'm glad to be smothered in chemistry

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

physics is for the math nerds
i'd rather do chem and be really good at it than to do physics and suck at it because of all the calculations and formulae that i can't remember...

Slide Rule's a 3/2 chance of a top 10 placing in Ext 2, but yet he dropped physics - although I'm guessing it wasn't because of the maths behind it, but rather the lack of interesting/challenging content.

 

[KFunk]

physics is for the math nerds
i'd rather do chem and be really good at it than to do physics and suck at it because of all the calculations and formulae that i can't remember...

Formulae which they give you on a piece of paper in the HSC and are hardly used for all of the questions in the vein of:

(6 marks)
"In recent years there has been a shift away from the traditional role of physics and towards quantum theory."
You are a keynote speaker at a conference on physics. Discuss this statement with reference to how your understanding of the history of physics has been changed studying the HSC physics course.

(http://www.boredofstudies.org/scavhunt/withoutaface_physics/ ... Props to withoutaface)

 

[Slidey]

That's gold, Justin.

What do you find interesting in chemistry? (i'm not taking the piss, this is an honest question asked out of genuine curiosity... at how someone can find chem more interesting than physics)

Straight up: I have always found chemistry rather intuitive. Physics on the other hand, I have always found interesting. I like both sciences.

I love the way chemistry explains everyday phenomena. It has tangible applications and you can SEE how it all fits in. I'm a holistic person, so that is important. I personally find molecular chemistry very interesting, so high-energy physics and particle physics interests me a lot, too. Also, chemistry uses a distinct area of 'maths'. Physics merely applies what was once pure maths. Chemistry has its own interesting rules, logic and methods. I think that's fun.

But why do I like chemistry more? For now, simply because the HSC chemistry course hasn't be screwed over as much as the physics course, in the HSC.

As apposed to HSC chemistry or biology? They're all horribly diluted forms of what they really are.

Chemistry is the assumed knowledge for biology courses, so biology is bleh. And physics has certainly been eaten and crapped out by a nasty monster. But I think chemistry has remained relatively unscathed. It's not a brilliant course, but it isn't bad to the possible point of revile. None of this mucking around with your thumbs trying to figure out which way current goes. All in my opinion, of course.

I wish there was more stuff on electrophilic reactions, though.

Biophysics will be very important to me when I'm studying bionanotechnology. There's a lot to be learned from nature, and I certainly think biophysics can help out there.

 

[Sphyx]

Chemistry has its own interesting rules, logic and methods. I think that's fun.

agreed. there are rarely any formulae that you have to use in chem, but it sort of has mathematical patterns that are not quite maths. hard to explain, but a whole lot of fun.

I have always found chemistry rather intuitive. Physics on the other hand, I have always found interesting. I like both sciences.

both are intuitive to an extent - for me physics more than chem - there are alot of concepts in physics that you have to get your head around, whereas in chem that only applied balancing formulae.

i enjoy chem much much more than phys.

 

[expensive_taste]

Ok, i think i've hit rock bottom now. I'm having huge difficulties over my subject choices. The subjects i've so far chosen are:

English (Advance)
English Extension 1
Maths
Maths Extension 1
Physics
Chemistry
Economics

I am 100% sure with everything apart from chemistry. That's why i thought of posting such a thread in this part of the forum. I know you guys have had heaps of experience, but my only question is, is it worth doing??? At the moment, i know nothing but the standards of chemstry. When i glanced at the guides for chemistry, i went, "What the???". Is that how you guys reacted at first. Anyways, I've only just completed the SCT, and all we've learnt are the basics of chemistry (elements, aqeous solutions, valencies). I'm one of the top students for science in my class (got 93 for yearly examination and a very disappointing 89 for SCT). Is it that hard??? Should I do it??? Or should I do something else???

PS: Can you change your mind for the courses, on the first week of attending the class??? I.E. can you give it a go, and if u don't like it, can you change the subject if not too late???

Thanx heaps!!!!

Holy crap! thats a lot! hopefully u can handle it... if not u can always drop it for year 12 :uhhuh:

 

[slix_88]

LOLZ, i was looking back at this forum, and noted some of the interesting posts made by ppl. I am currently in the start of the 2nd term of Yr11 and these are my subjects:

English Advanced
English Extension 1
Maths
Maths Extension 1
Chemistry
Physics
Economics
Armenian (sat skool)


I hate 1 subject, and thats the additional unit of english. I hardly put my effort into it, and at the same time really wanna drop it coz I HATE IT!!!!! so boring, especially my teachers stupid method of teaching!

Neways, yah, thought I would include an update!!!

 

[KFunk]

Nicely picked, you've got a lot on your plate there. Just remember when it comes time to cut back on subjects that
physics > chemistry ... and that my opinion < yours in this matter.

 

[Tegz]

The subjects i've so far chosen are:

English (Advance)
English Extension 1
Maths
Maths Extension 1
Physics
Chemistry
Economics

im doing pretty much the same subjects as u but i dropped ex math & i also do food tech. im still doing yr 11 so i hope every1 else is right and it gets better coz at the mo its is so boring except i cant drop it coz i need it for my uni course (bachelor of health science: nutrition and dietetics at QUT if i can get the uai [96] eeeck!) is it suicide to do 13 units in the HSC yr?

 

[LaCe]

U can drop Chem at anytime u want and its a pretty easy subject, u dont need to know much about the subject, just regurgitate the information provided by teachers, textbooks, internet, etc...

its easy and if u plan to do 4u english and 4u Maths, u can always drop chem cause in yr11 chem does not count, remember that, its important. Just give it a go, and if u dont do too well, who cares?? parents, teachers, ...? it doesnt count in yr11, and if it pulls off, then that's awesome

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

LOLZ, i was looking back at this forum, and noted some of the interesting posts made by ppl. I am currently in the start of the 2nd term of Yr11 and these are my subjects:

English Advanced
English Extension 1
Maths
Maths Extension 1
Chemistry
Physics
Economics
Armenian (sat skool)


I hate 1 subject, and thats the additional unit of english. I hardly put my effort into it, and at the same time really wanna drop it coz I HATE IT!!!!! so boring, especially my teachers stupid method of teaching!

Neways, yah, thought I would include an update!!!

Hmm...your platter of subjects was much like mine in Year 11, but for the Armenian + Business Studies instead of Physics. It might comfort you to know that I dropped Ext 1 English earlier this year (I hated Crime Fiction)

In contrast to what KFunk said, Chemisty > Physics (Although maybe that's coz I don't do Physics)

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Btw. I forgot to add:

Maths > English (always)
(I think KFunk should agree with me on this one...)