I Hate chem formulas and laws

[smilin1590]

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So any tips on remembering Charles' law and boyle's law and whoever else's laws and formulas in general chemistry I. I Understand them but I just won't remember how to set them up when test time comes in a couple weeks. Chemistry is what is going to leave me out of vet school 🙁 I'm really trying to work my butt off but I just can't see myself remembering how to set up these equations

Very sad and must go to chem lab soon 🙁 at least I enjoy the lab part

 

[Minnerbelle]

So any tips on remembering Charles' law and boyle's law and whoever else's laws and formulas in general chemistry I. I Understand them but I just won't remember how to set them up when test time comes in a couple weeks. Chemistry is what is going to leave me out of vet school 🙁 I'm really trying to work my butt off but I just can't see myself remembering how to set up these equations

Very sad and must go to chem lab soon 🙁 at least I enjoy the lab part

just do enough practice problems and it'll just come naturally! I mean if you understand the material enough, these equations should just pop right in. For all the problems, just jot down the givens for all your possible variables (P1, V1, P2, V2, T, n). Note which ones are constant, and just know which equation to use when such and such are held constant.

If you're having test anxiety issues or lack test taking skills, I'd try to seek help from any resources at your school though. Good luck! PM me if you ever need last minute studying help before the exam.

 

[Martee527]

I struggled too... I just wanted to let you know you're not alone! Hang in there! One day you'll look back at Chem and laugh at how ridiculously horrible it was!

 

[Adrift108]

Just to be safe, ask your professor if they will provide a reference sheet with all the equations on it during your exam, mine always did. But to be completely honest, you should practice so many of those problems that you have the equations memorized, it's the best way. Not only do you know the equations, but exactly how to use them for the different types of questions he will ask. I literally spent hours upon hours just doing practice problems, because chemistry is my absolute weakest subject. You can do it, put in that time and work. 👍

 

[gone2dogs]

All of those laws can be derived from the ideal gas law... if you rearrange the ideal gas law so that it is set equal to R...
R = PV/nT
then you can add subscripts and then set "case 1" equal to "case 2" since they both equal R.
P1V1/n1T1 = P2V2/n2T2
Then whatever stays constant will cancel out, and leave you with whatever law you need.

For example, for Boyle's law, n and T are constant, so they cancel out leaving you with
P1V1 = P2V2

So as long as you can remember PV=nRT you can get the rest...

(says the chemistry teacher who hates memorization!)

 

[DVMDream]

Ok. Pull out your handy dandy scientific calculator and put the equations in the memory. The prof. will never be able to tell (kidding). Cheating is bad unless you are talking about physics. 😉

The best way to remember is to keep doing them over and over again. I am amazed that some people can still remember these equations. I took gen chem 3 years ago and these equations have long left my memory. Gone2dogs made a good point. Remember one and derive the others. Keep your head up study hard and practice. Soon gen chem will be over and these equations will be a distant memory. Good Luck!

 

[smilin1590]

Thanks for all the supportive comments. I'm just going keep hitting those problems hard! I want this bad enough which makes me believe I'll just make it through if I put in enough hard work! Again thanks. I love this forum and all the supportive people in the pre-vet section!!!!!

 

[BlacKAT33]

So as long as you can remember PV=nRT you can get the rest...

(says the chemistry teacher who hates memorization!)

Just incase you cant remember this, my classmates always called this Piv-nert (thats how it sounds when we pronounce it) for some reason this silly thing always stuck in my head and since you know what letters are used you'll know it is pv=nrt when you say piv nert in your head. haha this sounds so stupid when i type it, did anyone else learn it this way? i guess it became common lingo at my school

 

[purplepup21]

Just incase you cant remember this, my classmates always called this Piv-nert (thats how it sounds when we pronounce it) for some reason this silly thing always stuck in my head and since you know what letters are used you'll know it is pv=nrt when you say piv nert in your head. haha this sounds so stupid when i type it, did anyone else learn it this way? i guess it became common lingo at my school

we used to say "perv-nert" which doesn't really make sense because there isn't an r at the beginning, but it stuck the equation in my head, so i guess it worked!

 

[DVMorBust]

Why do gasses look in windows?

Because they're pivnerted!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Why do gasses look in windows?

Because they're pivnerted!

🤣

 

[smilin1590]

Why do gasses look in windows?

Because they're pivnerted!

OMG I was laughing my butt off when I read this. Finally someone else in this world with my obscure sense of humor. LOL!

 

[Ellie Abernathy]

I'm taking chem again right now....I did terrible when I took it like 6 years ago.

Did you try www.chemreview.net? They break everything down extremely well and the more difficult concepts I was able to master thanks to them.

They also have great mnemonics to memorize things!

Good Luck!

 

[No Imagination]

As a "non-memorizer" who gets formulas that he KNOWS screwed up - I strongly suggest you re-re-reread gone2dogs post. Thats how I ended up doing it - and the same concepts are getting me through vet school - learn as many concepts as you can, and save whatever precious memorizing brain cells you have for the stupid stuff you just have to memorize.

If you understand key concepts you can usually 'figure' out the awnsers on an exam, even if you forget the details.

Good luck!

All of those laws can be derived from the ideal gas law... if you rearrange the ideal gas law so that it is set equal to R...
R = PV/nT
then you can add subscripts and then set "case 1" equal to "case 2" since they both equal R.
P1V1/n1T1 = P2V2/n2T2
Then whatever stays constant will cancel out, and leave you with whatever law you need.

For example, for Boyle's law, n and T are constant, so they cancel out leaving you with
P1V1 = P2V2

So as long as you can remember PV=nRT you can get the rest...

(says the chemistry teacher who hates memorization!)

 

[DLY303]

I can totally relate to what you are experiencing. Chemistry is *not* my subject. I mean it is just an unbelievable struggle for me. Like you, if there is anything that is going to keep me out of vet school- this is it.

It is frustrating because I am an excellent student and have a 4.0. I have done well in all of my sciences other than Chem. The only reason I have a 4.0 is because I withdrew from Chem. I retook it (with a much easier instructor) and got an A the second time around. Even then and being able to take the tests with notes, it still was difficult for me. That is just General Chemistry too! I hate to think what the higher level classes are going to be like.

Anyway, I think I need to really discuss this with other DVM students. If the Chem. in vet school is significantly harder, I don't know if I will make it.

 

[smilin1590]

I can totally relate to what you are experiencing. Chemistry is *not* my subject. I mean it is just an unbelievable struggle for me. Like you, if there is anything that is going to keep me out of vet school- this is it.

It is frustrating because I am an excellent student and have a 4.0. I have done well in all of my sciences other than Chem. The only reason I have a 4.0 is because I withdrew from Chem. I retook it (with a much easier instructor) and got an A the second time around. Even then and being able to take the tests with notes, it still was difficult for me. That is just General Chemistry too! I hate to think what the higher level classes are going to be like.

Anyway, I think I need to really discuss this with other DVM students. If the Chem. in vet school is significantly harder, I don't know if I will make it.

Keep trying DLY 303! Amazingly enough I studied my ass off this last week and all of sudden I had an epiphany(is that how you spell it?) and I just started understanding concepts that never clicked with me before. I was so extremely excited! I spent hours upon hours studying but totally worth it because I feel confident now for the things that will be on my next exam! KEEP TRYING!!!!!!!!!!!👍 If you want this as bad as a lot of people on this site (which I'm sure you do) you can make it happen. Good luck and happy studying

 

[Airborne Vet]

I'd make flashcards to memorize the formulas and then work several practice problems over a period of days to get comfortable with using the concepts.

I'm not comfortable with my level of understanding of a concept until I can explain/teach it to another person.

You will use these formulas and concepts again in vet school BTW, so don't discount them after your exams.