PCAT: Periodic Table

[xtsukiyox]

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I have a question for those who have taken the PCAT.

Somehow, luckily or unluckily, I have managed to make it through 4 college chem courses without being required to have memorized the periodic table, or really much of anything off of it. (OK, I know a bit about oxygen, carbon, etc. - you almost have to for OChem, but there was always a periodic table poster on the wall.)

I'm noticing that on several of the PCAT practice tests on the books I have, it assumes that you know a lot about the periodic table - masses, series, etc. Is this the case for the PCAT? Should I spend time trying to learn masses & such? Or just maybe memorize the alkali metals / alkali earth metals? Or just the first couple rows...??

On a related note - Should I reload the charges for common compounds from gen chem into my brain (nitrate, sulfate, etc.)? Ironically, I didn't have to remember these for any college classes, just for high school chem.

Thank you for your responses... Everything else I have to remember / relearn seems surmountable, except this.

 

[ttpharm]

I have a question for those who have taken the PCAT.

Somehow, luckily or unluckily, I have managed to make it through 4 college chem courses without being required to have memorized the periodic table, or really much of anything off of it. (OK, I know a bit about oxygen, carbon, etc. - you almost have to for OChem, but there was always a periodic table poster on the wall.)

I'm noticing that on several of the PCAT practice tests on the books I have, it assumes that you know a lot about the periodic table - masses, series, etc. Is this the case for the PCAT? Should I spend time trying to learn masses & such? Or just maybe memorize the alkali metals / alkali earth metals? Or just the first couple rows...??

On a related note - Should I reload the charges for common compounds from gen chem into my brain (nitrate, sulfate, etc.)? Ironically, I didn't have to remember these for any college classes, just for high school chem.

Thank you for your responses... Everything else I have to remember / relearn seems surmountable, except this.

I'd prolly jsut know the 5 most abundant in biochemistry CNOPSH

 

[xtsukiyox]

You know what? I just realized that there's a PCAT questions forum now. Since I have a response here, I'll leave this question open (thanks ttpharm) but I'll post there too. 🙂

 

[dblock05]

know the trends..

 

[chemguy79]

know the trends..

WORD! Trends are a big deal and honestly, unless you were completely braindead in Chemistry 1 or 2, you'd have a general idea regarding the position of certain elements on the periodic table.