smaerd
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Analytical Chem before Physical Chem?
For a requirement to take physical chemistry it says that I need to take analytical chemistry. I've skimmed through the Atkins eighth edition on a
number of occasions and I'm not really sure why that would be. Do you think it would be a bad idea to take physical chemistry while taking analytical
chemistry at the same time?
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Ephesian
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I took Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Seminar, and Linear Algebra at the same time. In addition did research.
you can handle those two together.
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arsphenamine
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I would recommend AChem prior to PChem since it firmly instills practices for preparation and consistent attention to detail.
Similarly, linear algebra is good preparation for Quantum Chemistry if you join the dark (cough!) er...computational side.
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Dr.Bob
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I took Analytical and P-Chem at the same time, no problem here. There is no amount of preparation that will make P-Chem any easier. Either you
understand it or not, for most people, not... I did usually find that after the tests, I sometimes would have things makes sense, but not until a
while later, and I had already done poorly on the tests, usually abotu a 30, but at least that was a "C" when I took p-Chem.
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smaerd
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I really appreciate the advice. I think I will ask a professor first to see if I can, if not take Analytical first and follow the reccomended order. I
will be taking linear algebra next semester which I'm kind of bumming about because I am loving differential equations and the two don't appear to be
similar at all. Maybe take a partial differential equations class out of pure mental masochism and to satisfy the equation solving itch. Not going
computational lol, I love experimental chemistry way too much to be behind a screen.
[Edited on 9-11-2012 by smaerd]
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tetrahedron
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Quote: Originally posted by smaerd  | | I will be taking linear algebra next semester which I'm kind of bumming about because I am loving differential equations and the two don't appear to
be similar at all. |
the main relationship is that linear differential equations can be described as 'functions' in linear algebra; thus some abstract results from linear
algebra can be used to find solutions of differential equations and express them in simple ways.
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smaerd
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I did notice that with the method of undetermined coefficients and a few other techniques for solving ordinary differential equations. Handling the
algebra seems key when it comes to higher math. Definitely needed for physical chemistry as well.
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watson.fawkes
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Linear algebra is perhaps the
most single most unappreciated area of mathematics by non-mathematicians. Linear algebra is truly ubiquitous in mathematics, in each of its three
great branches of analysis, geometry, and algebra. In scope, it's more important even than calculus. Personally, I'd teach linear algebra before
calculus, since it greatly clarifies the real nature of the derivative as the best-linear-approximation of a function at a point, a perspective that
makes derivatives of, say, multi-dimensional functions far more comprehensible.
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smaerd
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well that makes me feel a lot better about learning it  .
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arsphenamine
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...with reasonable practice, it is
very efficient notation.
The phrase "suffering like a Hessian" refers not only to the US revolutionary war,
but to manually working out determinants for large square matrices.
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Conrad
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When I remember my first year at a typical german university, we had inorganic chemistry 1 and 2 (1 being the what the mortimer says, 2 being ions in
solution), organic chemistry 1 and 2 (the complete vollhardt/schore), physical chemistry 1 and 2 (the atkins), analytical chemistry 1 (identification
of all cations and anions and separation of cationic mixtures), analytical chemistry 2 (instrumental analytics), maths, physics .... and all this
combined with labs in :
inorganic chemistry
analytical chemistry
physical chemistry
physics
There was no choice in what to take when. If you didn´t succeed in one course you were not allowed to take the according lab course, which basically
sucked, since that was the most fun part.
Later on, off course you could specialise and you were free to take organic chemistry 8 in favour of theoretical chemistry 2....
So, yes why not take those two courses at the same time?
Didactically they are not connected and with a good understanding of your prior inorganic chemistry course, you can go ahead taking analytics.
And once you understand that the atkins is not just a textbook but a classic novel about yorself understanding the world arround you, you will love
physical chemistry too :-)
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Mildronate
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Actualy for physical you need only general chemistry and math. I had in same time Analitycal chemistry II and Physical chemistry I in university, blah
blah dP/dt if const V that was so faking boring and all that diferential equations. Read Atkins and get drunk from reading. You guys had so much math
in university? I had one semester Math I and one semester Math II?
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