<p>What’s the difference between Atkins’ Chemical Principles and Atkins’ Physical Chemistry? Which one is recommended for USNCO?</p>
<p>Chemica principlesl is general chem, you should pread that. Well, it’s a pretty tough read in my opinion tho. I feel like I’m rotting when I’m reading it.</p>
Bumping this thread up, I’m taking the USNCO local exam and just hope to be able to take the national exam honestly.
Uguu. So bored~ennui~. I almost finished Atkins with a new appreciation (I actually like it now! Excluding the first chapter which I skipped of course). I’ll move onto Organic chem soon but right now my gen chem skills are still horrendous (40 on national MC >.<). Btw, anyone want to study buddy or something to boost motivation? Exam is somewhat soon… like a month or two. Enough to review a book or two.
@andyis - Isn’t the local exam in April?
I thought March 7th at least here in NY
March 7? Makes me feel grateful Rockford, IL has locals March 28. Frustratingly though it is my first, rather than last, day of spring break. And, for the good of the cause, I thought I would post an annoying question I saw recently on a regional chem exam known as WYSE:
Hydronium [H3O+] is a ____
a) Molecule
b) Element
c) polyatomic cation
d) some-weird-answer
e) yet-another-weird-answer
A and C are both correct, but they were looking for C since, in pure inorganic chemistry, ions are not generally counted as ‘molecules’. I think it’s ridiculous, but I suppose these are the things that will really trip people up - the basics. Hope it helps!
Interesting point! I didn’t immediately think of hydronium as a molecule. I guess it’s important to make sure you can do more than just problems, although solving is probably the main thing. I’m glad I think alike to the test makers tho:P, easier to score points.
Two questions
- when do we get our scores
- are we allowed to discuss answers or nah
Hi, fnl012, did you already take your local? What state are you in? I still couldn’t find date and location for Maryland/Washington DC local yet. Anybody has idea?
Thanks
your teacher should know… unless your homeschooled or something
Did anyone take the local exam yet? I took it and it was haaaaaaaaard.
Well, everyone will have taken it by end of Month. if it was actually hard (not a personal issue of not studying. Maybe random facts?), the cutoffs of your section will drop accordingly too, though I expect an evil cutoff in my section. Or perhaps you got a special test? If it wasn’t 60 questions. …
National Chemistry Olympiad Exam (apr 18th) falls during the MIT CPW? Any ideas how to take the exam on a diff location that offers it before Apr 16th or on or after Apr 19th?
probably contact the support on the website. maybe they can accommodate
Did anyone take the local exam from the LA region?
I’m in the San Antonio region and I take it tomorrow. I’m so not prepared…
Did anyone else take the Chem local exam? What do you all think?
There were a few troll questions but overall pretty easy. Perhaps a bit too easy overall? But I’d wait till the end of month before discussion of specific questions, for myself anyway. However, I am eager to hear results! 
For all of us
Btw, the troll questions were very deceptive. I bet half the contestants didn’t even realize the trollery. Lol. I realized and died. Who knows what’s better? Good thing I know some actual chemists who helped clarify. *if you havent taken the test, ignore my words. It would do more harm than good. Trust me. Except for maybe the easy part.
@andyis what do you mean LOL i took it this past weekend. I just thought there were a lot of trivia questions