moose
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Getting Started in Chemistry
I have no idea where this belongs, but this looks like the best place.
I'm getting started in chemistry. By that I mean that I have bought some supplies including beakers, a power supply, and some burette thing I don't
quite understand. So far I've only made some acetates and dirtied a couple beakers trying to replicate YouTube videos. I want to get further, but I
can't really things learn from YouTube. How do I go about knowing exactly what I'm doing? I begin college this September, is the average Chemistry
class going to help me?
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sargent1015
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Learning Chemistry
Chemistry 101, or whatever you are taking, will be your best bet to learn the theory behind Chemistry. That being said, if you don't
want to take the class and just do reactions in your garage, youtube works great for that (then you really don't learn much...). Buying a textbook is
by far the best thing you can do for yourself. Learn the trade!
Once again, just doing reactions isn't going to teach you anything. There are millions of people that have worked hard to create the field of
Chemistry and develop the theory. At least pay them the credit of learning it, rather than, "cool it changed colors/made fire for some reason".
That being said, and of course shameless self promotion, look at my signature for a link to the home chemistry textbook project I am working on with
Bromic Acid and plenty of other members on this forum. This will most certainly point you in the right direction of how to learn Chemistry and
hopefully further inspire you.
I will warn you in advance, this book is a work in progress! I am currently working through it and this is a painstaking process. Please do not
blindly follow anything published in the book; it is not an excuse for poor planning/research.
Enjoy and let me know what you think! Updates will hopefully be posted weekly!
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Pyro
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didnt help me, it depends where you live, where i live they dont do any real experiments, they are too dangerous according to the school. read around
here, and buy a book on chemistry.
that helps a lot
but as mentioned in the prev. post it is good to take the class, the theory has helped me a lot
[Edited on 12-5-2012 by Pyro]
all above information is intellectual property of Pyro.  |
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CHRIS25
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Hi Moose, being a beginner myself and I suppose starting from scratch I can only share with you what gave me a good foundation (before the
stoichemetry and equation balancing); I looked into the Dynamic Period Table(http://www.ptable.com/) and started looking into the qualities of various metals and non-metals, I found (though it has been said it is not 100%
perfect), I found that Wikpedias descriptions of compounds, chemicals, metals, and non-metals gives a very good overview of properties and gives a
good understanding of what they are about. The periodic table http://www.ptable.com/ here is really helpful. Getting a general idea of how everything fits together I suppose.
Hope you enjoy things.
‘Calcination… is such a Separation of Bodies by Fire, as makes ‘em easily reducible into Powder; and for that reason ‘tis call’d by some
Chymical Pulverization.’ (John Friend, Chymical Lectures London, 1712)
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. (William Penn 1644-1718)
The very nature of Random, Chance development precludes the existence of Order - strange that our organic and inorganic world is so well defined by
precision and law. (me)
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moose
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Thanks sargent, your book looks really helpful. Now that I think about it, I do have a textbook or two lying around somewhere...
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sargent1015
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Read up on it and enjoy! Chemistry is a thoroughly rewarding field. Hope you have fun in your endeavors as a scientist!
Oh, I also want to promote the Home Scientist's, Robert Bruce Thopson, book:
http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Guide-Home-Chemistry-Exper...
I have heard nothing but great reviews on it! He truly is an amazing chemist and an inspiration to the rest of us. The book is a great way to learn
about chemistry BY DOING the actual experiments with chemicals you can obtain yourself. Be sure to check out the book; plus it's only
$18 on Amazon!
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Steve_hi
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Illustrated guide to home chemistry is the book i'm going through myself. He "Robert bruce Thompson" also maintains a web site where you can ask
questions concerning experiments in his book
http://forums.homesciencelab.com/viewforum.php?f=30
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