When it comes to balancing chemical equations, it’s very easy to get lost and confused by all the changing numbers. The videos below will show you a simple yet efficient approach to make sure you quickly account for all your numbers (minimal guessing) and don’t lose track of your work along the way. Balancing Equations […]
When it comes to writing chemical equations it’s easy to confuse all the little letters and numbers. What do they mean? Where do they go? This video breaks down every letter and number you’ll see in chemical reactions, from coefficients and phases to numbers that represent charges, multiple atoms or polyatomic ions. (Watch on YouTube: Chemical […]
While the MCAT will not test you directly on the different types of chemical reactions, you will be expected to know them as they show up in more complex questions, passages, and experiments. This video walks you through the common types of chemical reactions including Disproportionation, Single Replacement, Double Replacement, Combination or Synthesis, Decomposition, and […]
Meet Ricky, A teacher, triathlon competitor, iron man finisher, and premed student. Ricky came to me for help creating a realistic study plan, and so we did. The first step in any MCAT study plan is simple: Review the situation, Come up with a strategic plan customized to the student’s unique situation as outlined in […]
The MCAT will require you to know the difference between strong and weak acids and bases. You’ll not only have to recognize the weak acids and bases, but MEMORIZE the standard list of strong acids and bases listed on the cheat sheet below. This cheat sheet below is meant to accompany the MCAT Acid/Base Tutorial Series (math focus) […]
Aromatic side chain oxidation is an interesting reaction. Benzene is not easily oxidized, nor is an alkane. However, when attached to a benzene ring the benzylic carbon is susceptible to a unique oxidation yielding a benzoic acid. This video walks you through the reaction including what to look out for along with multiple practice problems. […]
Oxidation and Reduction reactions happen all the time in a living system and thus very likely to show up on the MCAT. This video walks you through oxidation and reduction reactions, how to figure out the half reactions, and how to easily recognize (+ trick) what gets oxidized and what gets reduced. You’ll also see […]
Amino acids are the building blocks of living things. This makes the process of making/breaking bonds critical to understanding biological sciences. This video walks you through the formation of an amino acid bond – the peptide bond, as well as breaking the bonds through hydrolysis. (Watch on YouTube: Peptide Linkage/Hydrolysis. Click CC for transcription) Links […]
Oxidation numbers can be confusing, unless you think of it as charge (real or imaginary) associated with each specific atom in a complex molecule or polyatomic ion. Calculating Oxidation Numbers Video 1 – Oxidation Numbers This video shows you how to find and calculate oxidation numbers when given simple and complex molecules or ions. […]
The Tollens Test for Aldehydes, also known as the Silver Mirror Test, is a great way to confirm if an unknown carbonyl is an aldehyde or not. This occurs by reacting the unknown carbonyl with Silver +1 which gets reduced to metallic silver (Ag 0) when the aldehyde is oxidized to a carboxylic acid. This […]
The true key to successful mastery of alkene reactions lies in practice practice practice. However, … [Read More...]
While the pre-2015 MCAT only tests you on science and verbal, you are still required to perform … [Read More...]
Aromatic side chain oxidation is an interesting reaction. Benzene is not easily oxidized, nor is an … [Read More...]