What kind of math is there in Chemistry 1 at junior college? ?

Question

I was going to take introduction to chemistry at a junior college, but the class was full, but the teacher did say that the class is mostly math, more math than chemistry in first level chemistry class, what kind of math is there in the basic beginner chemistry course in school?

It is called chemistry 10 at our school, but it is really just the basic, or first chemistry course that students take before taking the other chemistry courses.

Answer 1

One has to do a fair amount of math in order to do chemistry:

1. conversion factors and the metric system

2. add atomic weights to get molecular weights - plus other basic arithmetic processes

3. use formulas, rearrange equations to solve for different variables - in other words, basic algebra

4..use exponents and scientific notation

5. use logarithms

6. be comfortable working with algebra and solving problems

Two years ago we raised the requirement for entrance into our first high school chemistry course from algebra 1 to algebra 2.  I have  found that the more math a student has studied, and the more comfortable they are with solving problems, the easier it will be to learn to solve chemistry problems.

I also teach advanced placement chemistry.  The College Board has said that the best predictor of performance on the AP chemistry test are final grades in math courses, not science courses.