CHEM 20B
Chemical Energetics and Change
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisites: course 20A or 20AH, and Mathematics 31A, with grades of C- or better. Enforced corequisite: Mathematics 31B. Second term of general chemistry. Intermolecular forces and organization, phase behavior, chemical thermodynamics, solutions, equilibria, reaction rates and laws. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2016 - If you want an easy A in 20B, take Li. I studied for maybe an hour for each of the three tests, often missed lecture, and still pulled an A+. While she is effective in teaching the basic, high-school level topics of this class, its simplicity stems from the fact that in no way does Li challenge her students to apply these concepts to complex problems. Her homework problems are the same as the textbook problems, which are the same as example problems in lecture, which again are the same as her exam problems. Li seems like a genuinely good person and I'm sure she could be a great professor if she challenged her students. As is, however, this class offers 0 intellectual stimulation and I can only recommend it to those who would like to boost their GPA, yet are indifferent towards advancing their education.
Winter 2016 - If you want an easy A in 20B, take Li. I studied for maybe an hour for each of the three tests, often missed lecture, and still pulled an A+. While she is effective in teaching the basic, high-school level topics of this class, its simplicity stems from the fact that in no way does Li challenge her students to apply these concepts to complex problems. Her homework problems are the same as the textbook problems, which are the same as example problems in lecture, which again are the same as her exam problems. Li seems like a genuinely good person and I'm sure she could be a great professor if she challenged her students. As is, however, this class offers 0 intellectual stimulation and I can only recommend it to those who would like to boost their GPA, yet are indifferent towards advancing their education.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - Professor Mason is a really good Chem 20B professor. He teaches you everything he needs to know. The exams are really easy, especially if you took AP Chemistry in high school. Homework is worth 30% of your grade so as long as you put some time into it you'll get a really good grade in the class. The lectures can be really boring but he shows you all the formulas you need to have on your formula sheet.
Winter 2019 - Professor Mason is a really good Chem 20B professor. He teaches you everything he needs to know. The exams are really easy, especially if you took AP Chemistry in high school. Homework is worth 30% of your grade so as long as you put some time into it you'll get a really good grade in the class. The lectures can be really boring but he shows you all the formulas you need to have on your formula sheet.
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Most Helpful Review
I am taking this class now in the winter of 2006, and it is abolutely the most awful class I have ever taken. She just writes notes on the board staright from the book, but she makes it extremely confusing, unless you are one of the few that understand chemistry on your own. Like everyone has said, she sets the curve extremely low, and her tests are almost impossible to finish in the 50 minute time period. I went to her office hours a few times, and one time she even told this kid that she tricked all but a handful of people on a question so few people got points, then she started laughing. Right now probably at least half the class is failing the course when we all passed chem 20A and most did pretty well in it. The only thing that has helped me in the class was finding people in my discussion and lecture that just understood the material to help teach me. Your TA is very important too, mine barely spoke above a whisper and her quizzes were comletely random, one quiz was based on a topic that had one entire sentience dedicated to it in our text. It is a horrible class, I am working the hardest in this class to not pass the tests or some of the quizzes. I cannot compare her to Baugh, but if Dr. Scerri is teaching, definitely take his class! I actually learned the material from his class, and there are actually kids right now signed up for 20B next quarter because he is teaching it and things aren't looking good right now. My opinion: don't take this class, and if you can put it off until Scerri is teaching it, I highly recommend it.
I am taking this class now in the winter of 2006, and it is abolutely the most awful class I have ever taken. She just writes notes on the board staright from the book, but she makes it extremely confusing, unless you are one of the few that understand chemistry on your own. Like everyone has said, she sets the curve extremely low, and her tests are almost impossible to finish in the 50 minute time period. I went to her office hours a few times, and one time she even told this kid that she tricked all but a handful of people on a question so few people got points, then she started laughing. Right now probably at least half the class is failing the course when we all passed chem 20A and most did pretty well in it. The only thing that has helped me in the class was finding people in my discussion and lecture that just understood the material to help teach me. Your TA is very important too, mine barely spoke above a whisper and her quizzes were comletely random, one quiz was based on a topic that had one entire sentience dedicated to it in our text. It is a horrible class, I am working the hardest in this class to not pass the tests or some of the quizzes. I cannot compare her to Baugh, but if Dr. Scerri is teaching, definitely take his class! I actually learned the material from his class, and there are actually kids right now signed up for 20B next quarter because he is teaching it and things aren't looking good right now. My opinion: don't take this class, and if you can put it off until Scerri is teaching it, I highly recommend it.
Most Helpful Review
Scerri is an awesome professor. He's not as difficult as people say and he is definitely very entertaining. He will sometimes make fun of students but it's all in good fun. He does demos in class and gives you a 2 minute break during lecture. It doesn't sound like much, but it really does refresh you for the second half of the lecture. His exams are not difficult at all. Everything on the exams can be found in the reader and you'll breeze through the tests if you go to lecture. I would recommend this professor, especially over Baugh.
Scerri is an awesome professor. He's not as difficult as people say and he is definitely very entertaining. He will sometimes make fun of students but it's all in good fun. He does demos in class and gives you a 2 minute break during lecture. It doesn't sound like much, but it really does refresh you for the second half of the lecture. His exams are not difficult at all. Everything on the exams can be found in the reader and you'll breeze through the tests if you go to lecture. I would recommend this professor, especially over Baugh.
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