G Chem?!?!

[S_R_N83]

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ahhh I thought general chemistry I was supposed to be easy?
we started out with nuclear chem which i could do..but i was just surprised thats what we started out with
we are currently doing quantum mechanics.... 😕 Hhat(psi)=E(psi)

2nd derivitives.....legendre polynomials.....trig functions...


did you all go through this???


I thought g-chem 1 was like percent yield....conversions...etc?

 

[tennismn]

What course number is this? I wouldn't expect to see those things in a 1000 or 2000 level course. I had a lot of that in Physical Chemistry I and II, but those were 4000 level courses at UF.

General Chemistry was a little bit more than percent yields from what I remember, but you shouldn't be doing calculus or higher level math in it.

 

[S_R_N83]

This is Chem 112 General Chemistry 1

Its the first General Chem class for science majors.

We're using the book Chemistry: The Science in Context by Gilbert, Kirss, and Davies.


I just can't believe that he is expecting us to know 2nd diriviitives and legurre and legendre polynomials? The pre req for this course..is 2 years of high school algebra...??? seemes like 2 years of calc to me...

seriously.. i think im going to have a hard time.. i wasn't ready for this

 

[rxlynn]

ahhh I thought general chemistry I was supposed to be easy?
we started out with nuclear chem which i could do..but i was just surprised thats what we started out with
we are currently doing quantum mechanics.... 😕 Hhat(psi)=E(psi)

2nd derivitives.....legendre polynomials.....trig functions...


did you all go through this???


I thought g-chem 1 was like percent yield....conversions...etc?

This is NOT NORMAL! I have a masters in chemistry, and I taught 1st and 2nd quarter general chemistry while I was in grad school. I don't recall any calculus of any sort until I took 3rd year physical chemistry, which was a 300-level course. I think it is more typical for 2nd semester chem to be electrochemistry, nuclear chem, titrations, and usually some study of representative chem in groups (like basics of carbon chemistry, alkaline earth metals, etc.)

 

[tcid]

Are you sure you're in the right class? j/k... Seriously, make sure that you actually need to know this stuff. I was a TA for general chemistry, and the instructor did put up some quantum mechanics equations, but it was just for fun. If you actually do need to know it, I'd complain to someone. This is definitely not what a general chemistry class is supposed to be.

 

[DHG]

Make sure you are in the correct class... You shouldn't be doing that stuff until Physical Chemistry and more advanced courses. I know our Gen Chem book started out with states of matter, the atom and its parts, etc...

Maybe they are trying something different at your school but that is definately not "normal" topics for Gen Chem.

 

[aya01]

I agree with the other replies in that the things you are being asked to do don't sound like typical gen. chem material.

However, it can really depend on the school sometimes. If you go to a highly ranked school that's focused primarily on the sciences and math, this sort of thing may be typical. A person I know who goes to a college like this was doing things in intro classes that were pretty crazy and was taking classes in the 2000 level that wouldn't have been offered until the 4000 level at most other universities.

If there are any other professors teaching general chemistry at your school, I would check around to see if the same thing is happening.

 

[S_R_N83]

haha..yes i am sure i am in the correct class...

Actually my school is trying a new chem. program


My first semester I actually had Organic Chemistry then you take G Chem 1, then G Chem 2 then O Chem 2...in that sequence.

In O Chem 1 we covered a lot more than an O Chem 1 class would normally, but we didn't do into depth on the various topics. ( We avoided mechanisms all together.)
In the 2nd O chem course we will go back and get into more depth on the topics and talk about the mechanisms...weird yes i know

Even with that being said, I still don't see why G Chem would have this type of stuff in it. I hope, like some of you said, that maybe he is just doing it to show off or something. I guess I shall see around test time. I just dont think its fair because he just assumes you understand all the calc and physics..and for a G Chem course..thats just wrong.

It's a small private college, so he is the only one teaching it at this time...I guess I'll jus have to stick it out

 

[cdpiano27]

That's really cool! But it is physical chemistry he is teaching not general chemistry.

I, as a graduate statistics PHD student, always said that I would teach ST 311 at NC State as a more theoretical masters-level class, because I think that the stuff in the intro to stats is EXTREMELY TRIVIAL. And I never actually get chosen to teach that, by the way.

General Chemistry, I guess, your professor thinks is extremely trivial as well!


I would recommend dropping the class, if you will not get a withdraw, and taking it with a another professor next semester.