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Manhattan Beach Chemistry Tutors’ Take: The Struggle of Stoichiometry

April 3rd, 2016

The Struggle of Stoichiometry

We get it! This stuff is tricky. Our Manhattan Beach Chemistry Tutors have created a great outline to help assist you with all of your stoichiometry needs. Take your time and follow our step-by-step guide to solving a stoichiometry problem. Here we go!

Think of these problems as a recipe. If a cake recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of flour to make 1 cake, how many cups of sugar and flour do we need for 5 cakes? This is stoichiometry. The sugar and flour are our reactants and the cake is our product. Also- we need to measure sugar and flour in a universal unit in order to compare. We don’t measure them in weight because or number of particles, because these can vary based on the size of the sugar and flour particles. Instead, we measure them in something universally recognized and standardized: the cup. In stoichiometry, we use the universal unit called a mole (6.022 x 1023 atoms/particles). We use moles when comparing molecules.

Let’s try a problem!

  1. Write out your reaction. Be sure to pay close attention to your charges. Keep a polyatomic ion chart handy for this. Remember, cations come first, anions come second.
  2. Balance your equations. Save Oxygen for second to last and Hydrogen for last. This will save you a lot of time.
  3. Understand what the question is asking. Am I given grams? Am I given moles? Are they asking me to answer in moles, grams, or particles/molecules?
  4. Write the given amount under your ion/compound and draw an arrow to the ion/compound they want you to answer with.
  5. Set up your problem. Remember to use your mole-to-mole ratio. Those coefficients are there for a reason!
  6. Answer in the correct number of significant figures and box your answer.
  7.  Double-check your work. Did you answer the original question?

 

Great job! You’re a stoichiometry master. If you’re still confused, come see one of our Manhattan Beach Chemistry tutors today!

Thinking Outside the Box

December 14th, 2010

Being a veteran tutor at the Hut, I have heard my fair share of
questions from students. One of the most common questions I hear,
especially with math, is some form of the question, “when will I EVER
use this again?” As a trained engineer and eternal student of math and
science I do my best to explain to those college-bound kids that there
is more to it than meets the eye.

It’s hard for kids to understand that when they practice math that
they are learning a language. And as far as languages go, this is much
more complex than learning how to conjugate verbs in Spanish or
memorize French vocabulary. Learning to understand mathematics
comprehensively takes years beyond what a typical 18 year old has
under their belt. What your kids are doing is getting the basics
driven into them until solving an equation becomes as second nature to
them as dribbling a basketball is to Kobe Bryant. As you study more
math it becomes more and more complex, stretching your mind to think in different ways to solve a new problem or understand a new concept, just as pumping iron will leave you sore the next day.

What I want to stress is that our society will always need technical
expertise. But that’s not to say that we need number crunchers,
accountants or statisticians to make the world a better place. What we
do need is creative thinkers that are interested changing the way
things work and inventors that are not satisfied with the status quo.
When your kids say that being a scientist would be boring or that
nobody would be their friend if they declare themselves a math major,
remind them that these people are not just nerds. They are problem
solvers, and people that solve problems think outside of the box. They
must be creative in order to solve the complex problems that our
society demands.

So when your kids tell you that math is worthless and they’ll never
use it again I strongly urge you to ask them a few questions. Ask them
to think about their day to day lives and list all of the technology
they use. The video games that they spend hours if not days trying to
beat are all thanks to people that studied mathematics and science for
several years. That cell phone they’re always texting their friends
on? Throw that out the window if it weren’t for the scientific genius
of the 20th century. How about that car they want to drive? If it’s
made in the last decade it’s almost as much computer as it is engine.
If your son or daughter hates their math class or is struggling with
their chemistry homework it’s important to let them know that, yes, it
can be difficult, but no, it is not impossible. It’s even more
important to let them know that they can really do something with this
beyond their current assignment. They may not change their opinion
about their teacher or their assignment, but at least they can know
that it’s not worthless.

Study Hut’s Student of the Week

November 29th, 2010

If Study Hut isn’t already in your daily vernacular, well – it should be. We’ve been called lifesavers and superheroes, among other superlatives, but we prefer the term tutors. When we are not solving multi-variable polynomial mysteries, we are working hard to make sure our students excel in school.

Hut superstar Kate, a student at Mira Costa High School, is the epitome of a Hut student. Kate comes to the Hut regularly to study, refine and reinforce concepts she is struggling with in her academic classes. Beyond prepping for tests and finishing homework assignments, she is inquisitive about the topics she is learning and asks thought-provoking questions to master the material beyond textbook knowledge. She is never afraid to seek help and is ever ready to do extra practice problems to ingrain these concepts. Her high grades are evidence of her diligence and a testament to our competency and commitment.

The encouraging and nurturing ambiance at Study Hut is vital to the success of students like Kate. We aim to advance and cultivate the students’ desire to learn and grow. By incorporating analogies, interactive videos, worksheets and personal anecdotes into our lesson plans, the tutors are able to provide exciting insight and applicability to the seemingly humdrum topics. I personally enjoy using Math, Biology, Chemistry pick-up lines/jokes to teach the material. While you may not ROFLOL when I ask you `Why did the bear dissolve in water?’ and respond with an enthusiastic `because it was POLAR!’- You will definitely remember the solubility rules of polar compounds. This personal touch catered to the needs of each student is forte of Study Hut. The focused 1-on-1 tutoring, coupled with our unique style, develops these young’uns into self-motivated and hardworking students and avid learners.