<p>I know it's a little early, but how are you guys feeling about the Chem olympiad next year? If anyone has any advice on how to make top 20, please feel free to post. Also, which organic chem textbook is better? Wade's or Carey's? What's on the national exam btw?</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, no text is really better than the other (95% similar material including little subtopics). Personally I use Organic Chemistry by Klein (1st Ed will suffice, especially since older versions are pretty cheap) because of its clear diagrams and colorful pictures. Im also supplementing wih an entire copy of wade on pdf that I found; it works just as nicely.</p>
<p>Though I’ve only made honors, I’d suppose the process is the same: review ap text, do practice tests, and learn some advanced topics. </p>
<p>Any suggestions? </p>
<p>If I recall correctly from reading previous threads, you have a brother that made camp? Any experiences to pass on? Thanks.</p>
<p>What extra topics are in Chem Oly outside from AP? Haven’t really thought about doing this but might consider it if it isnt too much work out of AP</p>
<p>If your goal is only to make nationals, then, depending on your region, not much extra work is required as long as your thoroughly brush up on ap. If your intend to achieve honors- camp, then a significant amount of extra studying is necessary to fully understand all topics that wouldn’t typically be covered in detail, if at all, in ap Chem.</p>
<p>@CallMeGod Is there a list of topics for Chem Oly that states what I would need to know, or do I just study randomly loosely based off AP?</p>
<p>For preparation so far this year I have just been working through past exams, and looking up concepts which are unfamiliar in the AP textbook. We just covered organic nomenclature and functional groups in AP. Is there more organic needed to make Top 150?</p>
<p>@Zeppelin7 every year they produce a “list of advanced topics”. Those topics are the basis of the study camp. Anything else more specific won’t be required, and you should be familiar with everyone else related to them I would assume. </p>
<p>@boomvoom4000 Definitely. Nomenclature and functional groups don’t even scratch the surface. At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with common reaction types and examples in AP along with a couple useful ones from doing past exams.</p>
<p>Is it okay if I am the only participant from my school for the Local Exam? </p>
<p>Yep. Just out of curiosity, are you a sophomore too?</p>
<p>Is there a problem book for chemistry olympiad like Irodov’s is used for physics olympiad?</p>
<p>I got Honors last year. I studied entire Klein Orgo over the summer and trying to get in camp this year.
It seems like orgo is occupying bigger portion recently compared to old problems.</p>
<p>Just doing old problems is only resource, unless you know another language like me and use korean chem olympiad books but yeah… it’s sad that USNCO does not have as many resources as AIME/USAMO does.</p>
<p>Here are old problems:
- These are really old lol
<a href=“ChemTeam: National Chemistry Olympiad”>http://www.chemteam.info/NChO/NChO-Menu.html</a> - ACS website
<a href=“http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad/process.html”>http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad/process.html</a></p>
<p>For the first source, it’s somewhat easier than recent problems, but Part II does not have answers. I am going to do every single problem there so if anyone wants to discuss Part II problems please tell me.</p>
<p>@jhgong so you’re doing practice locals nationals and learning organic chemistry for parts 1 and 2? how are you preparing for the lab section?</p>
<p>@boomvoom4000
Last year I just winged it… but this year I am gonna try several with my chem teacher after class time or something.</p>
<p>This thread is way too inactive lolololol ppl</p>
<p>How well have your guys gotten? I’ve kinda read through most of zumdahl just for the concepts, but I haven’t worked through the problems. I’ll probably work in Atkins but it’s kinda… frustrating? with it’s derivations. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t do txt book problems tbh… there are so many unnecessary stuffs. Unless you are aiming for top 20 or something I would do all the old problems and know the pattern. That will do at least for Honors I believe. But for higher achievement, you gotta learn advanced orgo and some inorganic chem stuffs.</p>
<p>I’ve got an old Organic Chemistry book an AP teacher loaned me. It’s Carey’s Oganic Chemistry 3rd edition. Does anyone know if a solutions manual exists or where I might find it?</p>
<p>@ColdCheese
You might be able to find it online with google since I could find one for Klein’s on google on some university website or something…</p>
<p>I would highly recommend Atkins’ Chemical Principles over Zumdahl, it’s clearer, better-organized, and more interesting.</p>
<p>Really, either works. Calculus is more or less negligible until some pretty deep p-chem. Key thing is to cram these coming weeks, ha.</p>