More Rants! This Time, Analytical Chemistry.

It's been a bit more than a week since the first day of lectures. Not surprisingly, my math lectures are already delving deeply into new topics, while the chemistry classes (with some exceptions: one lecture, and the labs) are still reviewing basic, first-year stuff. You know. Things like hybridization and VSEPR and even stupider things like significant figures and SI prefixes.*

*I admit, significant figures and SI prefixes are important, not "stupid" per se. But they are at the high school level. Not second year.

Now, review, in itself, isn't really a bad thing, considering the large class sizes. Merely tedious (especially when I have to miss a math class to listen to it!). But I truly, absolutely detest my analytical chemistry tutorials, which is why I am ranting now.

Some of the tutorial problems haven't improved from the first tutorial's truly idiotic ones: e.g. "determine the number of significant digits in the following numbers", or "round the following numbers to n significant figures".

Others are worse.

One of the problems in my tutorial consists of the following:

Rewrite the following numbers to contain the correct number of digits:
3.711
39.928
10.67
(etc.)

Please, do leave a note in the comments if you know exactly what my TA meant by "correct number of digits": I would welcome any enlightening remarks that may illuminate the dim recesses of my mind at the moment. No, the phrase does not mean "significant figures" (which require some context). Nor is it "scientific notation". In fact, it's not in the textbook. Or, for that matter, in my professor's lectures.

Oh, for the record, my TA's answers to the problem are:
3.71
4.0*10
10.7

There's no point in asking my TA to explain; previous attempts throughout the class has resulted in nothing but mutual frustration. It has something to do with rounding in arbitrary locations. *Sigh*.

In stark contrast, my analytical lab is highly stressful, but interesting. It requires fairly careful prelab preparation, a steady hand, and an efficient mind. The first I have. The other two...well, let's just say that working in a lab for months does not eradicate clumsiness. Furthermore, I sincerely miss having a three-valve pipette bulb, and the joys of unlimited, clean, dry glassware. My index finger isn't an adequate substitute for the "expel" valve.

I guess this somewhat explains (if not excuses) why I am curling up by a 94-chapter novel with a plate of cookies instead of doing my many, many assignments.

Ok, ok, I'll do my CS homework. And listen to my algebra lecture recording. After I finish my cookies.