Update:
I am 90% sure I will be taking GChem I based on this thread, my premed adviser, and my academic adviser. The issue I'm running into right now is that, since I already took upper-level chemistry and did exceptional in them (all A's), I may be disqualified from taking GChem I. There may have been some form of minor miscommunication, so my academic adviser and I are trying to get that sorted out before enrollment in two weeks.
Most probable scenario: I'll take GChem I (and excitedly add in a cryptography course because why not) and sleep like a baby.
Worst case scenario: I can't take GChem I and must take PChem I (in which case I'll take a summer GChem I course at a local community college and call it done).
For the record (I used to tutor for a living so I have a need to answer questions/help):
Because the flow rate has to remain constant since we're treating the fluid as non-compressible.
That's the formula for flow rate (how much fluid goes through a cross-section in a unit of time) and it's just an equation saying how flow rate is constant in the same pipe
It has mass and accelerated didn't it? F=ma , right?
You ever stick your thumb over the end of a hose and feel that pressure? That pressure is what accelerated it. It's non-compressible fluid so the pressure buildup from not being able to get out is what accelerates it out so you can spray your friend in the face. Physics is the laws of the universe, they just are at this level.
That is normal.
Thank you for the clarifications! Sorta wish I came to SDN three years ago to ask about physics, rather brute-forcing me way through it by myself, haha.
It sounds like your problem, then, is fundamental to how we teach and think about science rather than the difficulty of the class itself. In all of science, there must be fundamental postulates that cannot be derived from something else. For physics, that might be something like F=m*a. For quantum mechanics, that might be Schrodinger's equation. For chemistry, that might be the Eyring equation (very non-intuitive derivation if you read the original paper). But these things have been established as true - or very good models of the truth (since either Schrodinger or Einstein is wrong). These are the first principles from which everything else can be derived.
I believe your problem is that sometimes, you must accept a certain statement in order to proceed forward in a timely manner and you are reluctant to do so (as you should be). So for example, rather than simply accept an equation, you want to see the derivation and spend a lot of time tracing that down. That is admirable, but in order to learn in these classes, you have to accept the equations first and then later go back on your own to trace down the derivations. It's great that you want to find those first principles because that's what makes science work! But you also have to make some adjustments to how you learn in lecture if you are to succeed in PChem.
That is definitely a problem for me. I've been too spoiled in my math classes, because I get to see proofs behind every theorem/corollary I learn. The funny thing is, I ran into that exact issue a couple weeks ago in my economics class, where I was told to assume something "just because". Needless to say, I got frustrated. In any case, yes, I completely agree with you. I see now that it's also the same in math: we associated two with the symbol "2", but why? Why 4? Why not 5? This is an inherent truth that must be accepted for the rest of math (gosh, I hope I made sense).
I get mild PTSD when I hear P-Chem; take literally anything else if you value your life.
I already lost my life to Abstract Algebra. What will I give to PChem?
When I was an undergrad, I enrolled in p-chem as an "elective" course because I thought it would be fun. I know ... what was I thinking ... c'est la vie?
On the first day of class, I noticed many of the seats in the classroom (that were normally occupied by STEM majors) were glaringly empty, as if this class had been quarantined from the rest of the campus.
After a while, I knew *why* there were so many empty seats: p-chem was one of the most challenging courses I ever completed as an undergraduate and it wasn't even a pre-req for me. Again ... what was I thinking?
Although my classmates and I felt okay with calculations/formulas ... approximations (yup, you have them), we discovered fairly quickly that one's mathematical competency did not guarantee one's competency in p-chem. Instead, we spent countless hours studying and analyzing different theories/concepts in an effort to thoroughly understand the basis of each theory/concept/calculation/formula, including whether the formula (etc.) was valid or not valid ... you know ... complex problem-solving skills ... bridging the gap between math and its application to chemistry. At times, we had no idea how to start - not a clue!
In the past, the American Chemical Society sold a car sticker that said something like: "Honk, if you passed P-Chem!"
Yup, it's all that, and more.
Meeep. From what you said, PChem definitely seems like an intense course. I'm going to assume that it will be worse than the advanced orgo course I took, where students dropped like flies (we had less than 10 people left by the end)? I looked at the chemistry major coursework at my school, and it looks like they list PChem as a required, 4th year course taken literally in their last semester. I'm also going to assume it's there (instead of, say, beginning of 3rd year) for a reason.
My degree is in physical chemistry, so know that this advice is coming from someone who loves pchem and has taught multiple undergrad pchem courses.
Unless you are a chemistry major, take Gen Chem.
Thank you! I'm definitely 90% sure I'll be taking GChem. c:
This thread ought to be required reading for every high school senior who hopes to go to medical school. The OP should have never taken the AP credit exam. He should have sand bagged it and taken Gen Chem as a college freshman and bagged the easy A. What a mistake. I know three chemistry majors who went to med school and all of them thought P Chem was tougher than anything they encountered in med school.
OP, can't you take some other chemistry class?
I wholeheartedly agree.
One thing, however, that I see may trip people: I arrived at college wanting a PhD, not a MD/DO. I took the AP credits, because why not? I get to skip classes. I'm a diligent and disciplined student, so I know how to study (I'm not smart, so I'm completely reliant on how much effort I put into my work). I only realized I wanted to become a physician towards the end of my first year, so I immediately dropped my AP Bio credits and squeezed the sequence into my 3rd year. I did not drop my AP Chem credits because I was led to believe that I would not be able to take Orgo if I did (false), and that I would be able to substitute Biochem I for it (false). The gullible me from the past believed them (it's my fault for not double/triple-checking, so I'm not going to blame them for my mistake and predicament).
From my experience and from the experience of people close to me, here is my conclusion:
If someone is a premed, they should drop those AP credits, unless their major is in that field (ie: I did not drop my AP Calculus/Stats credits because I'm a math major). By not accepting the AP credits, a premed can do well in those courses, earn an even stronger foundation in sciences, be well-prepared for the MCATs, and be in good standing when the time comes for medical school applications.
If someone is not a premed, it's still beneficial to consider retaking the introductory sequences if they are not confident in their skills (ie: they feel like they "lucked out" on their AP exam, which is how I felt during my AP Bio exam). A friend of mine went into her freshmen year with so many AP credits, she was immediately thrown into 3rd year classes. She was put on academic probation a year later, because college is inherently different than high school. (She's doing way better now.) This is completely anecdotal, but I do believe someone who does not know how to study, who procrastinates too much, who got by with partial credit in high school, etc, will benefit from taking introductory courses as a freshmen to get used to how college works. I was a horrible mess in my first semester, and I sincerely appreciate my adviser for kicking me into three general education classes (except Art History because this class is the spawn of all things bad for me).
AP credits people should consider keeping: General education-type AP credits. I kept AP French because it fulfilled my language requirement. I also kept AP Psych for my sociology requirement.
Unfortunately, I'm stuck with GChem or PChem.
