Does the DAT ask questions with tedious calculations conducing to BIG numbers?

[Cofo]

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I'm doing a GChem problem regarding Solubility Product Constant. I can get my answer all the way to: Ksp = 27(4.5x10^-10)^4
but then the Kaplan BB goes even further with the calculation and says the answer is Ksp = 1.1x10^-36

...Am I really going to have to break my answer down THAT MUCH?!

 

[Streetwolf]

I'm doing a GChem problem regarding Solubility Product Constant. I can get my answer all the way to: Ksp = 27(4.5x10^-10)^4
but then the Kaplan BB goes even further with the calculation and says the answer is Ksp = 1.1x10^-36

...Am I really going to have to break my answer down THAT MUCH?!

Play with it.

You'll get 27 * (4.5)^4 * (10^-10)^4.

= 27(4.5)(4.5)(4.5)(4.5) * 10^-40

Really at this point the answers would be spread out enough. Try to figure out what the 27 * 4.5^4 is going to be around.
27 is close to 25 and 4.5 is around 4. So you have 25*4*4*4*4 which is 400*4*4 which is 6400. That's a low guess. It's probably around the 10,000 range which is 10^4.

This cancels out the -40 exponent down to a -36 exponent. I really don't think the answer choices will be what Kaplan has. I would bet it would be what you wrote with the 27, etc.

However if they did take it further they would give u spaced out exponents so you could at least do some rough calculations like I did above.

 

[Cofo]

Play with it.

You'll get 27 * (4.5)^4 * (10^-10)^4.

= 27(4.5)(4.5)(4.5)(4.5) * 10^-40

Really at this point the answers would be spread out enough. Try to figure out what the 27 * 4.5^4 is going to be around.
27 is close to 25 and 4.5 is around 4. So you have 25*4*4*4*4 which is 400*4*4 which is 6400. That's a low guess. It's probably around the 10,000 range which is 10^4.

This cancels out the -40 exponent down to a -36 exponent. I really don't think the answer choices will be what Kaplan has. I would bet it would be what you wrote with the 27, etc.

However if they did take it further they would give u spaced out exponents so you could at least do some rough calculations like I did above.

...riiiiiiight. So, anyone else know if the DAT will make us break down our answers this much? LOL. No disrespect meant to you Wolf.

 

[Streetwolf]

...riiiiiiight. So, anyone else know if the DAT will make us break down our answers this much? LOL. No disrespect meant to you Wolf.

Buried in that is my answer of no, I do not think they'll do it. They're more concerned that you know the chemistry part than the math.

But to cover my ass, if you NEEDED to do it, remember that they almost always space their answer choices far enough apart that you can do some rough calculations to ballpark the answer.