Applying Knowledge in HL Chem?

[ib_waad]

Hello fellow IB Students

Ever since i had started taking the HL course in chemistry, I have managed to sustain a 4 throughout the year. Howwever,with many attempts in vain, i couldn't surpass that grade. I have talked to my teacher about it and he told me that i rely on the theory too much and donot apply my knowledge effectively.I have no idea what she means by that and if I knew so, how would i go about and get on track ?

Edited October 9, 2011 by ib_waad

[CkyBlue]

You missed a word up there somewhere... Please read your sentences again before you post a thread. I'm going to assume "rely" too much on theory?

If you're like me, an HL chem student, assuming we are sticking with the same procedural syllabus, things shouldn't be too hard right now. If you're not a chemistry person, you need to put in that extra effort to study that much harder. That sounds idealistic, but it is a guarantee that you will do better.

It's just like math thinking questions. You need to not memorize, but extend. I actually haven't come across thinking questions in Chemistry because a lot of it just is applying plain theory O.o And believe me, there are things that you will be memorizing. But you need to make logical decisions and assumptions with the knowledge you already have.

I'm thinking of examples.... here is a math related one.

Pretend you learn that 1+1=2. But not addition. You will always know 1+1=2. But what if you get 1+2? You won't know that, because you've never seen it before.

Pretend you learn the concept of addition. Even though you haven't seen the question 1352+32.53, you will still be able to "apply" the concept of addition.

To apply knowledge in HL Chemistry its like knowing why the atomic radius of Na+ is smaller than that of F- on a test that I did recently. I didn't learn that in Periodicity, and it wasn't in the textbook, but I did learn something about the nuclear charge pertaining to it, and I was able to make that connection that Na has more protons and can pull the electrons closer to its nucleus. Another example of applying knowledge is knowing how to name complex organic molecules when you have the "concept" of naming the basic ones. By memorizing, you aren't applying. You must "know" and "learn" chemistry.

So in conclusion, read the book, do your homework and make those connections in those harder thinking questions.