Drax
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Learning Chemistry
Can someone tell me any sites that are good to learn about the basics of chemistry? I know a little bit, but everything that I've tried to read
is too complicated.
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Hermes_Trismegistus
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Textbooks.
Trying to learn about chemistry through your computer is....crappy.
There are 5 billion web pages, it takes but a minute to make one, and no-one regulates them.
A textbook is a money making venture, it has editors and spell/factcheckers.
Professional teachers write them. They include practice questions (if you are like most of the human race, you cannot really retain technical
knowledge unless you apply it somehow)
Find a good introductory college level textbook. It's not that much more difficult than a high-school textbook, but since it sells for more
money, they seem to put more effort into it and try to bring you further towards the practical aspects.
I've wasted more time in front of my computer than I care to remember. Only to discover that my greatest resource, is, and has always been my
local public and university libraries.
Good Luck.
Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics; even if you win: you\'re still retarded.
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vulture
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Don't buy highschool textbooks, they're made for the lowest common denominator. They also often contain mistakes, false information or
severe omissions.
College books are the way to go. Though I wouldn't recommend a college textbook for chemistry students, try finding one for medicine students for
example, as college books for chemistry students usually demand certain knowledge.
[Edited on 4-9-2004 by vulture]
One shouldn't accept or resort to the mutilation of science to appease the mentally impaired.
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Hermes_Trismegistus
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as long as it has introductory in the title....
Yer smilin'
also, don't buy a book before checking it out of the local library to see if you like it first. Lot's of great books have crappy titles, and
the other way around too.
What I have started doing, is to look up the books I want on amazon, look at the reveiws etc. If I want it, I look it up at my local library, if they
don't have it, they will do an "interlibrary loan". That's where they send it in from another library in another city. It's a
free service, and some library, somewhere, has the book you want, no matter what book that is.
Through the interlibrary loan service, I have even got books like.....backyard ballistics.....and the illustrated guide to
lockpicking....
I love libraries! 
Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics; even if you win: you\'re still retarded.
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jimwig
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it is intirely dependent on what you really want to learn. if you your goal is organic synthesis as a chemist that's one thing but if you simply
want to "cook" up some various compounds and have a very rudimentary understanding of all that is going on with the very many facets (ha)
then that's entirely different.
i am a chemistry student NOT a chemist by any stretch. to master the knowledge that is required to become same requires a structured approach IMHO.
you need some sort of feedback learning enviroment that includes testing and supervision (not necessarily academic).
it also depends on your character, and motivation to learn.
when I took my first course it became as a mountain of unknowns (some seemingly meaningless at the time) were facing me.
I passed that course by the skin of my teeth. And I worked myass off doing so. And I had been "studying" chemistry on an amateur level for
many years.
So I believe to really fathom- all that the science has -school is the way.
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Hermes_Trismegistus
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Perhaps not.
Structured learning enviornments are essential for some, but the majority of history's greatest scientists weren't being walked through
their eductation by paid proffessor's holding thier hand.
The lecture format itself is loosely based on infrequent public lectures given by travelling scientists whose main purpose was to hawk their books.
There are still self-didacts that the modern conformist educational system hasn't yet been able to quash.
You can learn from books, you can perform experiments in your own laboratory.
If a man was driven, spent the many thousands of dollars that he would put into university tuition into his own purchases and spent his days working
to fund his private education and his nights hitting the books or in his small lab, there is nothing he could not accomplish.
The first years of university education could be learned from books alone, a man/woman could challenge the exams and still take home the papers for a
fraction of the cost of the education itself.
It is rare to see such drive today.
and that is the largest barrier to the sort of education we are discussing here.
SELF-DISCIPLINE. PERSEVERENCE. SACRIFICE. DEDICATION.
These are the precious keys to the kingdom.
Rare is the man that possesses them.
Blessed is he.
Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics; even if you win: you\'re still retarded.
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JohnWW
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But what about when it comes to sitting and passing examinations? There is a difference between being a good student and a good "examination
student", giving an examiner what he wants to read, without necessarily being good in the practice of one's profession afterwards.
Not only that, but in my estimation academic corruption is rampant, across all academic disciplines. I have heard, over the years, of many cases of
it, e.g. students being given undeserved good grades for sleeping with examiners (or being undeservedly failed if they refused to do so), students
being given scholarships or good grades or admitted to restricted-entry courses (especially medicine or law) just because of the
academic/business/political influence in high places of their parents or other close relatives i.e. nepotism (not through academic merit), wealthy
students bribing examiners either for good grades or to be given previews of examination questions and model answers (university printers and clerical
staff are even more liable to be bribed for the latter, in the light of a case I know of). Discrimination according to political opinions is also
significant.
Many universities ask first-time enrollees for the occupations of their parents, which certainly cannot be for innocent purposes - it must be to judge
what sort of influence in high places the students' parents can bring to bear, or what sort of "donations" the parents could make to
university coffers, with the children of the richer and more influential parents being given "an easy ride". So if you are ever asked this
when enrolling for a course, tell them lies to the effect that your father is a millionaire, and the most influential businessman or lawyer or
scientist or engineer or accountant or politician in town. I am, personally, very sure that I was discriminated against academically by some staff
because of the occupation of my father, which I gave unsuspectingly when first enrolling as a freshman.
Has anyone else on the forum any experience of academic corruption?
John W.
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Hermes_Trismegistus
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Jesus no!
Maybe the examiners here in Canada are just typically honest but I've never heard of anything like that.
It's too bad really because given the choice between sleeping with an examiner a couple times and studying my ass off every goddamn night......
.....pass that KY jelly over here!
and If that was a possibility I am quite certain that the professor's and TA's would be coming into lecture looking pretty haggard every
morning!
My university, at least, is a bit of a meat market. 
Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics; even if you win: you\'re still retarded.
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MadHatter
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Textbooks
I've found that sometimes you can get decent textbooks(college level) on
eBay. As for taking tests, I was a horrible test taker ! Don't go bangin your
instructors - learn their testing styles instead ! Unless they're total jackasses,
you'll be fine ! I've found that most of my college professors were good
people interested in seeing their students succeed. But occasionally, you
get the real asshole determined to bust your ass because you're
taking his/her course only as a requirement. They're the ones to watch
out for !
From opening of NCIS New Orleans - It goes a BOOM ! BOOM ! BOOM ! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !
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jimwig
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notice i said "it also depends on your character, and motivation to learn." and throw in orientation.
that also means the END goal of the journey. entry level in legitimate chemistry is at least masters or PhD and entry level in illegitimate chemistry
(???) is living thru to see the next day.
I am not saying that there are not exceptions to this, but its all relative.
Nobody is born anything except a blank. How one chooses to learn or rather what one can assimilate naturally and unstructured is great. But if you
want to speak the language then go to Rome and assimilate as apropo.
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Hulk
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Hi Drax
A very simple chemistry book I found is called Chemistry Demystified A Self-teaching guide by Linda Williams. It is very simple not much math and a
great way to start to understand chemistry.
You can most likely find this in a library. Than go onto Chemistry made simple or easy I can't remember the name for sure. It is a black
softcover book. It has many problems to solve.
Find a good book of experiments, one used by teachers for chemistry demonstrations and begin.
This to me this is the best way to learn.
I agree with you Hermes_Trismegistus
here in Canada I didn't see those kinds of problems in testing. Many tests are multiple choice. Answer a) is a) the computer will mark it
correct.
Hulk
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Hulk
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The 2nd book is Chemistry the Easy Way. I just saw at a locale book store.
Hulk
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jimwig
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oh yeah one last point on this dead dog.
when nothing is known of a given subject the field so to speak is wide open.
it is a prerequisite that all previous knowledge be mastered before the experimenter and the experiment can become as one.
how many basement atom smashers do you know of these days? meaning that once the state of the art of most all fields of endeavour were within the
motivateds' grasp - not so these days - it is far too advanced.
and BTW = Trimigetus are you a student or basement genius tweaking the unknowns of the cosmos?
be careful what you advise others other than the search itself - as I note and bow that you seem to do.
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