POLL: Chemistry vs. Algebra 2.

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*ahem*

Neither.

Take accounting - it'll actually get you a job.

/me starts singing the inspiring "Song of the Accountant"

 

What are the words to that song, Splunge?

 

So far as job is concerned, algebra should be more useful than chemistry if you're going to dabble with computers. I started programming pretty early, and some things they taught as during maths classes I had already had to use before, in my programs. Long live help files. It went on and on like that until highschool. Normally people learn things on maths courses and only then use them in programming but it was the other way round for me. Not like highschool maths didn't help me hone some skills useful in coding, anyway.

 

I think algebra is really useful. Maths is useful for everything. Being able to re-arrange simple equations in your head is great for all sorts of job and non-job situations (when negotiating a mortgage for example, or analysing stats from a sports game, or working out the relative merits of Kensai dual wielding vs Paladin two handed etc......)

But chemistry rules too.

 

Chem sucks sooo bad...
Then we had Metallurgy.

Love Maths. Always.

 

lucky you. I'm taking Calculus now. Just had my 1st test re: Integration and got a frickin 66/100..

I don't get this. Does this mean they let you graduate without taking it or that you haven't graduated yet?

 

I must say that I liked chemistry better myself - partially due to my having an excellent chemistry teacher and a lousy algebra teacher but a large part was being able to mess around with volatile chemicals. We managed to cause fire damage to the lab on two seperate occasions in my OAC chemistry class.

One time a student was doing some sort of flaming waterfall demonstration and missed the metal tray that was supposed to collect any of the falling chemicals that hadn't completely burnt up by that time. The result - two burnt floor tiles and a class full of snickering students.

The other time the teacher was doing a demonstration about grain silo fires. It was supposed to shoot a small fireball up into the air but he overdid it by a large margin and a huge fireball shot up leaving a meter wide black circle scorched onto the ceiling. The teacher stared up at the circle for about half a minute and then looked at us and said "Oops, lets keep this quiet and hope no one notices!" at which point just about everyone looked back up at the incredibly obvious burn mark and just about died laughing.

 

Algebra rules. Its cool...and the guys who say Calculus is hard/boring/sucks need to be shot.

It is easy AND interesting, what are you talking about!!??

 

Well, I'm a chemist, so it is certainly possible to get a job in chemistry, although I'd say for 99% of the career possibilities out there, algebra would be more useful.

Now I have some comments here:

and

followed up by:

First of all, yes, pure sodium (not regular table salt, that's sodium chloride) is very reactive with water - explosive even. Lithium works well too.

There are many volatile chemicals in a typical chemistry lab, some of which have low flash points and therefore it a lot easier to start a fire in a chemistry lab than many would suspect.

But here's the thing: Why is blowing up stuff in the chemistry lab the most sterotypical action by the common individual? In fact I shouldn't even say it's stereotypical, because that would imply most people actually DON'T do it. Sterotypical is saying that all chemists are mad scientists, wear twead sports coats and have glass three inches thick.

The other thing I don't understand is people think it's FUNNY when they mess up an experiment and some even go so far as to do so deliberately. I also think such actions are unique in chemistry. No accountant says lets see if I can screw up this persons tax return so he gets audited - that would be really funny - and we can laugh at it later!

 

You are completely right mr. Foppish Idiot.

Now, I like algebra more because I suck at chemistry. Simple an answer as making a bomb.

 

Kovalis, if you don't like significant digits, well, you might as well start to, since (assuming that your science class progression is something like Biology to Chem to Physics) you will be using sig digs until you're finished with scientific research. Some teachers don't care much about it, but others do, and your math teachers might even ask you to do it.

Once you get the hang of it, though, I'm sure you'll be breezing through siggies in no time.

What is funny is that after Algebra II, I rarely used what I learned from it in Pre-Calculus, perhaps because that deals a lot with trigonometry, radians, and limits. You will probably use some algebra in Physics, especially once you get to motion equations (e.g vo = v + at).

 

You weren't very cool back then were you?
hehe

I guess it really just depends on the individual. I can take in history, philosophy and other subjects along this vein easily but I have a hard time with numbers. They bore me :/

 

I like chemistry better then algebra, partly because of the teacher, but mostly because with chemistry I can see how everything works, and why it works. Of course, blowing stuff up is fun, too . . .

 

@Enagonios: I resent that!

Ah well... I still am pretty cool you know...just because you are smart doesnt automatically mean you are not cool.

And btw, algebra happens to be one of THE most useful subjects in real life. Very handy and practical to have it at your fingertips.

/end preachy rant.

 

I agree. but I'd rather learn the bare necessities (addition/subtraction/multiplication/division/fractions/decimals) and then leave the fancier stuff for specialized courses that require them Ah well, I guess I'd like them more if I was good at them hehe

 

Which is what I would say for chemistry...but because I suck at it...