• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Need some help with my decision (1 Viewer)

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
Okay y'all I've chosen general maths for yr 11 next year and I'm also doing chemistry. Maths is definitely not my strength but science is. However, I'm blank whenever the teacher brings in maths into the science topic. Will general maths be a waste of time or will it help me with chemistry?
:hammer:

Thanks
 

HeroicPandas

Heroic!
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
1,547
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: Need some help with my decision SKDJFBSDKJFNJSSDBISFSDZHJKSDCDBKNV

Chemistry doesn't need maths for the calculation questions, its just numbers and calculator. The most most u'll ever do is the re-arrangement of something to find it

example:

This is a great formula - say they gave u the mass and moles of an unknown compound (say, mass = 1.22 grams and moles = 0.605 mol) and they tell u to find the molar mass, all u need to do is make MOLAR MASS the subject, sub in 'm' and 'n' and u'll get the answer

u dont even have to do maths (as a subject) to do calculations in chemistry AND u'll only struggle if u dont understand chemistry. There is not a lot of maths in chemistry, it just understanding how to use formulas and u will only know how to use them if u understand chemistry
 
Last edited:

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
Re: Need some help with my decision SKDJFBSDKJFNJSSDBISFSDZHJKSDCDBKNV

Chemistry doesn't need maths for the calculation questions, its just numbers and calculator. The most most u'll ever do is the re-arrangement of something to find it

example:

This is a great formula - say they gave u the mass and moles of an unknown compound (say, mass = 1.22 grams and moles = 0.605 mol) and they tell u to find the molar mass, all u need to do is make MOLAR MASS the subject, sub in 'm' and 'n' and u'll get the answer

u dont even have to do maths (as a subject) to do calculations in chemistry AND u'll only struggle if u dont understand chemistry. There is not a lot of maths in chemistry, it just understanding how to use formulas and u will only know how to use them if u understand chemistry
oh so it's kind of like speed, distance and time? feeling more confident!

thanks :)
 

HeroicPandas

Heroic!
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
1,547
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Re: Need some help with my decision SKDJFBSDKJFNJSSDBISFSDZHJKSDCDBKNV

oh so it's kind of like speed, distance and time? feeling more confident!

thanks :)
yeh like that. general maths will suffice, helps u with some rearranging equations and subbing in variables - chemistry calculations is about applying formulas CORRECTLY
 

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
Re: Need some help with my decision SKDJFBSDKJFNJSSDBISFSDZHJKSDCDBKNV

yeh like that. general maths will suffice, helps u with some rearranging equations and subbing in variables - chemistry calculations is about applying formulas CORRECTLY
what happens if i drop it in yr 12? will i survive?
 

HeroicPandas

Heroic!
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
1,547
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Example: Calculate the number of moles of 5 grams of magnesium (use the periodic table)
 

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
Example: Calculate the number of moles of 5 grams of magnesium (use the periodic table)
Ok so would you go:

n=24.305/5
n=4.861

I have no idea. ???¿¿¿¿??? Is that correct? Slap me if I'm wrong.
 

HeroicPandas

Heroic!
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
1,547
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Would you round it to 2 decimal places or..?

n=m/M
n=5/24.31
n=0.20567668
=0.21
In chemistry, its significant figures, so u look at the question and the data given, and pick out the data that U HAVE USED (in this case the 5 grams of magnesium), how many significant figures is 5? Its 1 sig fig, so ur answer should be in 1 sig fig

so n = 0 (1sf) lol

this is a bad question i shouldve done 5.0001 grams

HOWEVER, say u did a question and u used 2 values from the information given: say 0.1001grams and 0.2grams, ur final answer will be in 1 sig fig as it is the lowest
 

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
In chemistry, its significant figures, so u look at the question and the data given, and pick out the data that U HAVE USED (in this case the 5 grams of magnesium), how many significant figures is 5? Its 1 sig fig, so ur answer should be in 1 sig fig

so n = 0 (1sf) lol

this is a bad question i shouldve done 5.0001 grams

HOWEVER, say u did a question and u used 2 values from the information given: say 0.1001grams and 0.2grams, ur final answer will be in 1 sig fig as it is the lowest
AAAAAAHHHHHHHGGMDAKSNKSHSJ ok lol so if my answer was 1.0000025274 the sigfig would be 1. Or if I had 0.0009263 sigfig would be 0?
 

AnimeX

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
588
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
AAAAAAHHHHHHHGGMDAKSNKSHSJ ok lol so if my answer was 1.0000025274 the sigfig would be 1. Or if I had 0.0009263 sigfig would be 0?
no no, the first non-zero number is counted as the first "significant figure", for example 0.00000000002927 to one sig fig would be 0.00000000003, would not round to zero.

try these ones: correct to 2 sig fig, see how you go!

a) 1.00987
b) 0.000999
c) 1.234
d) 2.001
 
Last edited:

jaycoo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
41
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
no no, the first non-zero number is counted as the first "significant figure", for example 0.00000000002927 to one sig fig would be 0.00000000003, would not round to zero.

try these ones: correct to 2 sig fig, see how you go!

a) 1.00987
b) 0.000999
c) 1.234
d) 2.001
a) 1.0099
b) 0.001000
c) 1.230
d) 2.000

man idek I just..
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
2,225
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2012
Correct answers:

a) 1.0
b) 1.0x10^-3
c) 1.2
d) 2.0

(all 2sf)
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top