What to do when the professor is wrong?

[FishyTheFish]

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What do I do? My chem professor keeps answering a question incorrectly, yet he keeps insisting that he is right and I am wrong. I have a question from my chem textbook that resembles, almost identically, the question he is asking me to answer and It essentially gives proof that he is wrong. This is one of those logic type questions, where his logic is flawed.

I've tried explaining my logic in an email conversation we had (in which he kept insisting he is right), and I even typed up the almost identical text-book question that agrees with my logic, and basically is proof that I'm right. He hasn't responded after I showed him the identical question.

What should I expect? Do you think he's angry at me? I have a test for this chem class coming up soon and I don't know what to do if he asks this type of question on it..

 

[EBTrailRunner]

Go with what he says. This is not a "the customer is always right" type of situation.

 

[tantacles]

What do I do? My chem professor keeps answering a question incorrectly, yet he keeps insisting that he is right and I am wrong. I have a question from my chem textbook that resembles, almost identically, the question he is asking me to answer and It essentially gives proof that he is wrong. This is one of those logic type questions, where his logic is flawed.

I've tried explaining my logic in an email conversation we had (in which he kept insisting he is right), and I even typed up the almost identical text-book question that agrees with my logic, and basically is proof that I'm right. He hasn't responded after I showed him the identical question.

What should I expect? Do you think he's angry at me? I have a test for this chem class coming up soon and I don't know what to do if he asks this type of question on it..

I suggest that you buy a copy of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." This situation is essentially right out of the book.

By arguing with him, there is absolutely no way you're going to convince him that you're right. Based on what you've said, it's pretty clear that this professor, whether he's actually right or wrong, believes that he's right in this instance and won't change his mind. The book covers, far more eloquently than I can, what is probably the only way to get him to agree with you; convincing positively rather than confrontationally. This argument may already have ruined your relationship with this professor, who might have been a valuable source for a letter of recommendation or even just advice. In the hope of salvaging what's left, don't argue with him anymore.

If that type of answer appears on the exam, answer it the way he wants it answered. If you don't know how, write something that will likely get you partial credit.

You can privately acknowledge that you were right and he was wrong. Doing it to his face, however, is clearly not showing any results. At this point, the best solution is to accept the fact that you're not going to be able to change his mind and, since you can at worst avoid all but a few classes with this professor in the future, the lesson you're learning here will be extremely valuable: namely, that you and this professor don't get along, and if this experience has rankled you to the point where you don't wish to even speak with him again, you can choose to avoid taking classes with him in the future.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

What do I do? My chem professor keeps answering a question incorrectly, yet he keeps insisting that he is right and I am wrong. I have a question from my chem textbook that resembles, almost identically, the question he is asking me to answer and It essentially gives proof that he is wrong. This is one of those logic type questions, where his logic is flawed.

I've tried explaining my logic in an email conversation we had (in which he kept insisting he is right), and I even typed up the almost identical text-book question that agrees with my logic, and basically is proof that I'm right. He hasn't responded after I showed him the identical question. This is WRONG. One needs to account for the energy difference due to the state of the material.

What should I expect? Do you think he's angry at me? I have a test for this chem class coming up soon and I don't know what to do if he asks this type of question on it..

Honestly, it's a tricky subject. For two very important reasons:
1) You will never win an "argument" with a professor
2) The book may actually be wrong.

Tantacles is right with respect to reason 1. How I would approach it (if you haven't pushed the prof. too far) is by attending office hours and asking for clarification. Not "but the book says so!" but be like "well the book solves this problem this way, and you are saying that is wrong. Can you clarify why because I do not understand?"

Reason 2, the book may actually be wrong. Examples from the top of my head:

In my gen chem course, the textbook never took into account the different standard enthalpies of formation for water and ice. Hence, when calculating a temperature change it simply did the math for the enthalpy of fusion and utilized only the liquid state standard enthalpy of formation.

An organic textbook I have seen lists Fluorine as an electron withdrawing group on aromatic compounds. Present research suggests that it is actually an electron donating substituent and it is used as such on certain pharmaceuticals.

In other words, learn it the way your prof wants and never cite a textbook as proof, rather utilize it as a discussion tool.

 

[Amemus]

Or maybe you misinterpreted the text; could be one small factor that changes the logic entirely. Or maybe new research has proven that detail to be wrong and the textbooks haven't be updated yet. Maybe there was a typo in the text. Maybe your professor is busy and that's why he hasn't responded to your email. I've had all of these situations happen. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that you should consider these things.
I probably would have presented the situation as if I was genuinely confused and looking for information, rather than trying to prove my professor wrong. I'd say something like, "How does the example you gave in class differ from this example in the book?" It's just the respectful thing to do, and if it is the case that your professor is wrong, he's much less likely to be defensive and cover it up if you're respectful about it.
If that fails, you could ask another professor in the department, again presenting it as something you're trying to clarify.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Just let it go.

 

[Celerity]

Learn to pick your battles.
Chances are this is not going to effect you that much by letting it go.

Push it and you may gain a bad rep with your profs. After working with faculty for 2 years you learn they talk to each other about students frequently. You don't want to be "that guy"

 

[tantacles]

Honestly, it's a tricky subject. For two very important reasons:
1) You will never win an "argument" with a professor
2) The book may actually be wrong.

Tantacles is right with respect to reason 1. How I would approach it (if you haven't pushed the prof. too far) is by attending office hours and asking for clarification. Not "but the book says so!" but be like "well the book solves this problem this way, and you are saying that is wrong. Can you clarify why because I do not understand?"

Reason 2, the book may actually be wrong. Examples from the top of my head:

In my gen chem course, the textbook never took into account the different standard enthalpies of formation for water and ice. Hence, when calculating a temperature change it simply did the math for the enthalpy of fusion and utilized only the liquid state standard enthalpy of formation.

An organic textbook I have seen lists Fluorine as an electron withdrawing group on aromatic compounds. Present research suggests that it is actually an electron donating substituent and it is used as such on certain pharmaceuticals.

In other words, learn it the way your prof wants and never cite a textbook as proof, rather utilize it as a discussion tool.

Your post actually realized that I should have given one more piece of advice.

Apologize to this professor for arguing with him. It is probably the last thing you want to do, I know. Even if you feel as if you won the argument with superior logic, what you've lost, the goodwill of this professor, is a far more important thing to have than the pride that comes with being on the right side of an argument.

 

[Stumpyman]

I agree with tantacles, you probably shouldn't have argued in the first place, and if you had to argue, you should have stopped after the first sight of the prof disagreeing with your solution to the problem.

Now, you should probably just let it go.

 

[Sephiroth]

If you're feeling ballsy enough to put ur e-cred on the line, anonymize the correspondence and post it here so we can evaluate the veracity of the argument

 

[milski]

If you are looking for a 'yes, you were right and I made a mistake,' chances are that you're not going to get it.

If you are concerned about the discrepancy between what your professor says and what's in the book, you may still get some explanation if you ask why there is a difference instead of telling him/her that he/she is wrong. How far you'll get that way will depend a lot on how confrontational you have been so far.

 

[Neurosis]

Obviously take the professor's word as factual truth for that specific class. Considering that it's the professor is the one grading your work and not the author of the textbook...this should really be clear choice. But in case you have the courage to question the teacher, do so in a polite manner, do not approach them in a condescending or persnickety way. That's just looking for trouble if you ask me.

 

[vayntraubinator]

I suggest that you buy a copy of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." This situation is essentially right out of the book.

You did not. No, you just did. You referenced the most popular self-improvement book by Dale Carnegie. +10 👍

 

[tantacles]

You did not. No, you just did. You referenced the most popular self-improvement book by Dale Carnegie. +10 👍

It seems like OP might sorely need it at this point to resolve hir situation.

 

[Bojack Horseman]

what is the question?

 

[PennMedMan]

An organic textbook I have seen lists Fluorine as an electron withdrawing group on aromatic compounds. Present research suggests that it is actually an electron donating substituent and it is used as such on certain pharmaceuticals.

I realize this isn't what this thread is about, but I feel compelled to point out that flourine actually is an electron withdrawing group. Like all halides its sigma withdrawing and pi donating. But due to the small size of its p orbitals, the overlap with the pi-system of the benzene ring is nearly non existent and so little if any pi-donation actually occurs and the sigma withdrawing dominates.

 

[FishyTheFish]

The prof. still has not responded to the email. Then again I sent the email at around 5:00 PM so if he doesn't check his email at home then I should not get a response until tommrow.

I was in good standing with this professor before, and have asked similar questions regarding who was right. However most other times the prof was able to come up with logical explanations that agreed with the textbook, but this time the textbook has something TOTALLY different than what the prof says. It's like the equivalent of going right instead of left.

I don't know if my relationship is totally ruined with the prof. at this point as they have not responded to the email, and this wasn't like a full-fledged, shouting argument if that's what you guys are thinking. It was more like 5 emails of the prof, saying that I'm wrong, and 6 emails of me trying to ask why I'm wrong and proving the logic. It could just be that the prof. decided that he was 'right' and that I am too stupid and gave up on me lol.

Anyway, is there any way to repair my relationship if he thinks I am too stupid to understand a concept? (Even though he has the concept wrong.. I've now also checked this with friends who are majoring in chem, and they agree that my logic is right.)

I don't want to try to prove my point any more and risk the relationship totally.

Also an important note: This professor is not one of the types that thinks "I am god, what I say is right." He has admitted that he's wrong before, and apologized when corrected by students DURING lecture.

 

[sliceofbread136]

The prof. still has not responded to the email. Then again I sent the email at around 5:00 PM so if he doesn't check his email at home then I should not get a response until tommrow.

I was in good standing with this professor before, and have asked similar questions regarding who was right. However most other times the prof was able to come up with logical explanations that agreed with the textbook, but this time the textbook has something TOTALLY different than what the prof says. It's like the equivalent of going right instead of left.

I don't know if my relationship is totally ruined with the prof. at this point as they have not responded to the email, and this wasn't like a full-fledged, shouting argument if that's what you guys are thinking. It was more like 5 emails of the prof, saying that I'm wrong, and 6 emails of me trying to ask why I'm wrong and proving the logic. It could just be that the prof. decided that he was 'right' and that I am too stupid and gave up on me lol.

Anyway, is there any way to repair my relationship if he thinks I am too stupid to understand a concept? (Even though he has the concept wrong.. I've now also checked this with friends who are majoring in chem, and they agree that my logic is right.)

I don't want to try to prove my point any more and risk the relationship totally.

Also an important note: This professor is not one of the types that thinks "I am god, what I say is right." He has admitted that he's wrong before, and apologized when corrected by students DURING lecture.

Go play a video game or something, youre freaking out for no reason....

 

[tantacles]

The prof. still has not responded to the email. Then again I sent the email at around 5:00 PM so if he doesn't check his email at home then I should not get a response until tommrow.

I was in good standing with this professor before, and have asked similar questions regarding who was right. However most other times the prof was able to come up with logical explanations that agreed with the textbook, but this time the textbook has something TOTALLY different than what the prof says. It's like the equivalent of going right instead of left.

I don't know if my relationship is totally ruined with the prof. at this point as they have not responded to the email, and this wasn't like a full-fledged, shouting argument if that's what you guys are thinking. It was more like 5 emails of the prof, saying that I'm wrong, and 6 emails of me trying to ask why I'm wrong and proving the logic. It could just be that the prof. decided that he was 'right' and that I am too stupid and gave up on me lol.

Anyway, is there any way to repair my relationship if he thinks I am too stupid to understand a concept? (Even though he has the concept wrong.. I've now also checked this with friends who are majoring in chem, and they agree that my logic is right.)

I don't want to try to prove my point any more and risk the relationship totally.

Also an important note: This professor is not one of the types that thinks "I am god, what I say is right." He has admitted that he's wrong before, and apologized when corrected by students DURING lecture.

Unfortunately, regardless of how humble someone appears to be most of the time, when someone is absolutely convinced that he is right, it is often hard to prove him wrong.

However, the fact that this conversation was done over e-mail means that you have a chance to fix your relationship with him. Go to office hours. Apologize to him. Do not argue this point with him. He might be wrong, and it doesn't matter if he is. One thing you could say is, "I reread my e-mails from the other night, and I'm terribly sorry that I sent them. They were extremely rude, and I didn't mean to start an argument. I genuinely enjoy your class and find it very informative, and I was just confused about that specific problem and I definitely will learn from this experience not to let my frustration get out of hand again."

The four things that are important in that quotation are:

1. Apology with no qualifiers

2. Admission of "guilt"

3. Lavish praise and acknowledgment of professor's importance (though if you can't do this sincerely, just skip it).

4. Acknowledgment of a possible fix.

In any case, it's best to say this to his face, but if you can't do that in a reasonable time-frame, you may want to send him an e-mail with those four components. You might be able to word it a little bit better than I did mine, though.

 

[CoolWhipp]

Sounds like you messed up. I would recommend apologizing in a short letter for your annoyances and then move on. Make it short and sweet.

Why do you care so much that he has said something wrong? Nit pickers come off like real douches. Let it go, it's not important. I hate it when people ask me to explain something to them, then shortly after they correct me for something ridiculously minute that doesn't effect the main point of the message. Pisses me off.

 

[BigRedBeta]

Mastering this sort of interaction is actually a pretty important going forward in medicine.

What's most typical is that multiple attendings have very different ways of approaching a situation. And in medicine, there's usually only variations of being "right". A major portion of residency/fellowship is learning to take all the different ways you learn to approach a situation (ie if you do med school, residency and fellowship in different locations) and synthesize them with your own readings/understanding to determine what you'll actually do in practice.

In general, when you have a situation like this, the more you can ask "will you explain this aspect to me?" and if you disagree say things like "well I was thinking this...why is that different than what I was thinking". And then if you have something like an example from the text book, say "well I found this and it seems similar, can you explain it?"

That approach is going to be far more fruitful and not burn any bridges. Leave your outbursts for things that really matter, when things are really egregious, and you actually have consensus statements to rely on...as much as it seems important now, chemistry really is unimportant. Wait until you're dealing with patients in septic shock who certain attendings prefer to manage in ways that contradict published guidelines...then you can get upset because someone may get hurt.

 

[FishyTheFish]

Unfortunately, regardless of how humble someone appears to be most of the time, when someone is absolutely convinced that he is right, it is often hard to prove him wrong.

However, the fact that this conversation was done over e-mail means that you have a chance to fix your relationship with him. Go to office hours. Apologize to him. Do not argue this point with him. He might be wrong, and it doesn't matter if he is. One thing you could say is, "I reread my e-mails from the other night, and I'm terribly sorry that I sent them. They were extremely rude, and I didn't mean to start an argument. I genuinely enjoy your class and find it very informative, and I was just confused about that specific problem and I definitely will learn from this experience not to let my frustration get out of hand again."

The four things that are important in that quotation are:

1. Apology with no qualifiers

2. Admission of "guilt"

3. Lavish praise and acknowledgment of professor's importance (though if you can't do this sincerely, just skip it).

4. Acknowledgment of a possible fix.

In any case, it's best to say this to his face, but if you can't do that in a reasonable time-frame, you may want to send him an e-mail with those four components. You might be able to word it a little bit better than I did mine, though.

I think I'll try this method. The whole problem probably arises from starting this conversation via email. Face to face, my message probably wouldn't have sounded as aggressive as it did via email. Should I go to office hours and make up a random problem "I found on the internet" that makes the prof. right? I just find it so hard to apologize for something when I know I'm right, but I guess I need to get over that to better myself.

 

[FishyTheFish]

Sounds like you messed up. I would recommend apologizing in a short letter for your annoyances and then move on. Make it short and sweet.

Why do you care so much that he has said something wrong? Nit pickers come off like real douches. Let it go, it's not important. I hate it when people ask me to explain something to them, then shortly after they correct me for something ridiculously minute that doesn't effect the main point of the message. Pisses me off.

This was not something minute. This was something that changed the whole answer. Like I said it's like going left when you're supposed to go right and arriving at two different locations.

Also I'm positive I didn't sound like a douche. At worst I must have sounded like I cared too much about the problem, and that I cared too much about being right. (Maybe just from nervousness of questions like these on exams.)

 

[tantacles]

I think I'll try this method. The whole problem probably arises from starting this conversation via email. Face to face, my message probably wouldn't have sounded as aggressive as it did via email. Should I go to office hours and make up a random problem "I found on the internet" that makes the prof. right? I just find it so hard to apologize for something when I know I'm right, but I guess I need to get over that to better myself.

I don't think you need a fake internet example. I think he'll accept your apology with no trouble. Notice how I didn't tell you that you had to tell the professor that he was right about the entire problem. You just have to apologize for starting the argument and suggest that you were probably just, and you can use these exact words, "Thinking about the problem wrong." I very much doubt that he'll ask for too much of an explanation, but if he does, you should be able to weasel your way out without saying anything too revealing. If he asks to look at the problem with you anyway, just let him explain, and accept everything he says even if it's wrong. You can make a mental note for later (for the MCAT specifically) and learn from it in this case.

 

[Barcu]

Why did you do all this over email? If a question can be answered in a few sentences, fine. But if you're sending multiple emails back and forth, you should have just arranged a time to meet during office hours. It can be a terrible medium for explanations.

I would still arrange to meet. That way you can hopefully get an explanation and can gauge if the professor is angry or annoyed with you or not. It's probably not a huge deal if you were respectful in the emails.

Edit: I missed that someone already suggested this. Good advice. Listen to them.

 

[Celerity]

I just find it so hard to apologize for something when I know I'm right, but I guess I need to get over that to better myself.

It gets easier after you have been married a while.

You can be right, or you can be happy

 

[Bojack Horseman]

Why don't you tell us the question so we can see what all this fuss is actually over?

 

[tantacles]

It gets easier after you have been married a while.

You can be right, or you can be happy

Even unmarried, the motivation to be right really wanes. It's a good thing.

 

[DavetheMD]

Why don't you tell us the question so we can see what all this fuss is actually over?

This. We need more information, If only to avert the disaster which you will inevitably create by pursuing this course of action.

 

[tantacles]

This. We need more information, If only to avert the disaster which you will inevitably create by pursuing this course of action.

What more information do we need? A verbatim e-mail? The OP described it pretty well, don't you think?

 

[varsityblue]

OP, have you considered talking to his immediate superior?

 

[hapticity]

I was in good standing with this professor before, and have asked similar questions regarding who was right. However most other times the prof was able to come up with logical explanations that agreed with the textbook, but this time the textbook has something TOTALLY different than what the prof says. It's like the equivalent of going right instead of left.

Of course the textbook/you can be wrong and the prof can be right. That's what they'll teach you in senior-level science courses - you'd be surprised at the amount of info in an introductory textbook that is hogwash/simplification/totally false. It's how science works. Like, to give you an example - what's the rate-determining step of a chemical reaction? It takes some careful literature search to realize that most textbooks (and profs too) get it wrong.

 

[EnergyDrink]

What is the question, god damn it?

Ever think that maybe you are wrong?
And if you are, it'd be best to find out and admit it to him.

You're a Freshman pre-med... show some humility.

 

[CoolWhipp]

This was not something minute. This was something that changed the whole answer. Like I said it's like going left when you're supposed to go right and arriving at two different locations.

Also I'm positive I didn't sound like a douche. At worst I must have sounded like I cared too much about the problem, and that I cared too much about being right. (Maybe just from nervousness of questions like these on exams.)

I don't think you are getting the point. You need perspective, zoom out.

 

[tantacles]

I don't think you are getting the point. You need perspective, zoom out.

I think OP got perspective. See OP's post before that.

 

[tantacles]

OP, have you considered talking to his immediate superior?

I hope OP has not. I can't imagine what OP would say. "My professor was wrong about a problem and I can't get him to admit it to me" generally doesn't go over well with higher education administrators. There's been no wrongdoing on the part of the professor in question per the OP, and the OP genuinely considers the professor to be answering her questions in good faith, which seems enough reason to me to speak to the professor in person.

Were the professor to respond badly to an apology, maybe then would be the time to go to an administrator. I doubt that will happen, but if it does, then this idea might hold water.

 

[JESSFALLING]

This was not something minute. This was something that changed the whole answer. Like I said it's like going left when you're supposed to go right and arriving at two different locations.

Also I'm positive I didn't sound like a douche. At worst I must have sounded like I cared too much about the problem, and that I cared too much about being right. (Maybe just from nervousness of questions like these on exams.)

Maybe you'll get a similar question on the MCAT..... then you can put your money where your mouth is 😀. Honestly, though, even if he is wrong, you need to suck it up. It sounds like you shared your argument in a logical fashion..... and he obviously doesn't care. Not caring is a privilege reserved for tenured professors and independently wealthy politicians... Answer the questions in the fashion he wants, get the grade, and move on. Agree to disagree, cooperatively.

Pro tip: Ask another professor how s/he would solve the problem at hand for your OWN information/benefit. Don't go around bad mouthing the professor, though, whatever you do!!! It will just make you look like that 'person' that no one really likes.

 

[Richard Dawkins]

OP, have you considered talking to his immediate superior?

stfu

OP, the only advice i can give you is: don't get your advice from SDN. yes, i see the paradox

 

[Bojack Horseman]

What more information do we need? A verbatim e-mail? The OP described it pretty well, don't you think?

I don't think he did. Without knowing the question, we don't really know who's right.

And to the OP: Has your grade been affected by this error? If not, don't worry about it. If the professor puts a similar problem on the test and you still feel stalwart, put whatever you feel is the correct answer. If the professor counts your answer wrong and you think it is right, push the matter further. If he won't change your grade and you still feel wronged, then you would need to think about taking another course of action.

 

[tantacles]

I don't think he did. Without knowing the question, we don't really know who's right.

And to the OP: Has your grade been affected by this error? If not, don't worry about it. If the professor puts a similar problem on the test and you still feel stalwart, put whatever you feel is the correct answer. If the professor counts your answer wrong and you think it is right, push the matter further. If he won't change your grade and you still feel wronged, then you would need to think about taking another course of action.

The point in this case isn't who's right. I acknowledge that OP could be right or wrong. You're right about that. We have in common that we can't for certain say the OP is right.

The point is that arguing with this professor might affect her life more than getting one question wrong on a test ever would, so OP should work on salvaging her relationship with this professor. Right now, he probably just sees her as some annoying and arrogant undergrad, but if she apologizes, she's much more likely to curry his good favor in the end and potentially build up a stronger relationship which could lead to a letter of recommendation or a research project.

As awful as it can be to have to suck up a little and admit that you're wrong when you're not, I think the OP's pride can take the relatively small hit with the caveat that she'll know for certain that this professor won't actively sabotage her chances for medical school.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

I realize this isn't what this thread is about, but I feel compelled to point out that flourine actually is an electron withdrawing group. Like all halides its sigma withdrawing and pi donating. But due to the small size of its p orbitals, the overlap with the pi-system of the benzene ring is nearly non existent and so little if any pi-donation actually occurs and the sigma withdrawing dominates.

My first post should have said "electron donating in certain systems."

A small p-orbital in this case is a good thing, because the aromatic system is comprised of carbon p-orbitals. In general, a 2p-2p orbital overlap is better than a 3p-2p orbital overlap. However, fluorine's inductive effect is also the greatest of the halides.

The issue is whether fluorine is donating or withdrawing overall, it is actually both. In an aromatic system which is electron deficient it has been shown to be donating. In a normal aromatic system it has been shown to be withdrawing. The actual mechanism as believed by the professor who taught me organic is due to the orbital overlap, but the reality of the mechanism is disputed ("this provides evidence it cannot be a pi interaction" - "this provides evidence that it is a pi interaction"). In other words, it has become a scientific urinating match . I happened to be taught by the latter of the two philosophies.

 

[ppfizenm]

I don't think he did. Without knowing the question, we don't really know who's right.

And to the OP: Has your grade been affected by this error? If not, don't worry about it. If the professor puts a similar problem on the test and you still feel stalwart, put whatever you feel is the correct answer. If the professor counts your answer wrong and you think it is right, push the matter further. If he won't change your grade and you still feel wronged, then you would need to think about taking another course of action.

Yea. I really want to know what the question is too. I still think the advice in the forum is pretty spot on but we can tell you if you are right or wrong. We will give you smart points.

So what we need from you. In the same post.
1. the question
2. your answer

 

[IMSingular]

You can't depend on book being right. You can't depend on other students agreeing with the book either. A real story: Once a physics professor made a mistake and asked to prove an inequality which was reversed. All the students except one proved what was stated! Only one student said that it was wrong. This was at one of the top 20 universities!

A great professor/scientist wouldn't mind if you do point out the mistake. But you have to make 100% sure that you are right. If you want to be diplomatic you could tell the professor that the book seems to be wrong rather than professor is wrong. He might look into it and resolve the situation.

I had no problem pointing out mistakes to professor, though I made 100% sure that I was right.

 

[Bojack Horseman]

Not to mention the OP's "friends who are chem majors" surely don't have as in-depth knowledge of the subject as the professor.

If the professor is really that big of an idiot, I wouldn't want a recommendation letter from them anyways... And I definitely 200% wouldn't want to work on a research project with someone who can't admit that they've made a mistake / can't pull their head out of their ass.

 

[V5RED]

Yea. I really want to know what the question is too. I still think the advice in the forum is pretty spot on but we can tell you if you are right or wrong. We will give you smart points.

So what we need from you. In the same post.
1. the question
2. your answer

This would be very helpful. If OP is wrong, maybe someone here can provide an explanation as to why he is wrong that makes more sense to him than the professor's explanation.

 

[zzxxzz]

Go with what he says. This is not a "the customer is always right" type of situation.

Same thing happened to me this quarter: professor assigned us several simple Hardy-Weinberg genetics problems, included one that involved conditional probabilities, and then drastically miscalculated the answer. I politely pointed out the mistake in an email - easy to see if you know ANY probability, including stuff you learned in AP stats in high school - and proved that my answers were correct using basic math, which is hard to argue against. I even showed the problem to my Probability professor, who agreed that I was correct and was shocked a PhD would not know basic probability.

Professor in question emailed me back and claimed she was right, despite the fact that her explanation of why she was right actually proved her wrong. Yes, it will cost me a few points, but I am not going to respond because dragging out an argument with a professor is a GREAT way to make them hate you and possibly grade you down on any subjective assignment, or much worse, actually, if you go to a private school.

Save it for the course evaluations 😎

 

[Bro Dude]

#premedproblems

 

[EnergyDrink]

I think he realized he was wrong.

 

[thesauce]

What do I do? My chem professor keeps answering a question incorrectly, yet he keeps insisting that he is right and I am wrong. I have a question from my chem textbook that resembles, almost identically, the question he is asking me to answer and It essentially gives proof that he is wrong. This is one of those logic type questions, where his logic is flawed.

I've tried explaining my logic in an email conversation we had (in which he kept insisting he is right), and I even typed up the almost identical text-book question that agrees with my logic, and basically is proof that I'm right. He hasn't responded after I showed him the identical question.

What should I expect? Do you think he's angry at me? I have a test for this chem class coming up soon and I don't know what to do if he asks this type of question on it..

In med school, I remember our syllabus having a clause that if there is a dispute between the book and what the professor says, the professor will be judged as correct.

I wouldn't argue the point. Just let it go and fight bigger battles.