Types of Information in Introductory Chemistry Courses.
In addition to learning concepts as described in the preceding article,
you will need to learn some other types of information in this course which
can be summarized as follows. [This summary is based, in part, on Kean,
E; Middlecamp, C., J. Chem. Educ., 65, 53 (1988).]
- Facts - reproducible observations or conventions on which people
agree. Examples: Water is a compound composed of hydrogen and oxygen (reproducible
observation) and can be represented by the formula, H2O (convention).
- Rules - generalizations about how things usually behave or relate.
Rules can be generalizations such as "all nitrates are soluble",
or principles such as the Pauli Principle - "no two electrons in the
same atom can have the same set of all four quantum numbers", or laws
which can be stated verbally and usually can also be expressed by a mathematical
relation. Experimental law expresses a relation which has limitations
and/or restrictions. Example: the Ideal Gas Law, PV = nRT, describes the
behavior of real gases but only near room conditions of temperature and
pressure. At high pressures and at low temperatures, there are serious deviations
from the relation. Scientific law expresses a relation which has
no known exceptions. Example: the Law of Conservation of Mass applied to
an ordinary chemical reaction.
- Theories - tested explanations of laws. Example: atomic theory
described in section 2.1 of the textbook.
- Problems - exercises in which you are provided with some information
and asked to obtain some new information.
- Standard problem - problem which can be solved using an algorithm
- a series of steps which you perform, in sequence, to accomplish the goal
of the problem. Algorithms are provided in the textbook or lecture notes
and should be learned.
- Variations of standard problem - a problem which can be solved
by relatively simple modifications of a provided algorithm (such as solving
the problem backwards, etc.). Examples: The first problems at the end of
a chapter in the textbook are standard problems or variations of standard
problems. The section heading under which the problem occurs indicates where
the algorithm for solving the problem is located in the chapter. The problems
listed under the heading, "Unclassified", are also standard or
variations of standard problems. The difference from earlier problems is
that you have to decide which of the algorithms in the chapter should be
used to solve these problems.
- Non-standard problem - a problem for which no single algorithm
has been provided. The last problems in any chapter of the textbook, the
"Challenge Problems", are usually examples of non-standard problems.
These problems generally cannot be solved using only one algorithm given
in the current chapter but require combinations of algorithms which may
be from the current chapter and/or any of the preceding chapters of the
textbook.
Facts, rules, theories, and problems can be learned in much the same way
as concepts, i.e., work with the new information in short term memory until
you have established a clear understanding of the information and are able
to update the memory map to which the information should be assigned. Then
memorize the updated memory map and the information on that map. Include
in the information that you memorize all that is needed for you to be able
to use the information properly once you recall it (definitions, algorithms,
restrictions, exceptions, etc.).