GailV Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Dh says he had to memorize the Periodic Table of the Elements in high school. I never had to -- not in high school, not in college (I was a horticulture major, so took general chemistry and a semester of organic that was geared to Ag. majors). Dh is appalled that our older dd hasn't yet memorized the table, but, honestly, I'd never realized that it was something people did unless they were nerdy chem majors who probably did it for fun. So, what's your experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 yes I did. I had to memorize the name, where are are on the table and the number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I had to memorize it in high school as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I don't see any point in doing that. Maybe the first 20 or so elements, but the periodic table is a perfect example of something that you consult when you need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I don't see any point in doing that. Maybe the first 20 or so elements, but the periodic table is a perfect example of something that you consult when you need it. No we did not. In HS chemistry our teacher let us have the table during tests - we each had our own copy and were also allowed to write in as much extraneous information on there as we wanted to to help us with tests. I even used post its on mine. I still failed the course. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 A while back there was this reaaly cool post of a mom who had her son make a table. They had small pieces of each element and it was really neat! I wish I could find it because she said doing it like that he had no problem learning all about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yup, I did. I think it was in tenth grade. I actually enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I had to for chemistry but I don't remember a single one. It was a complete waste of time, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Uhmm, high school chemistry was- well let's just say a long time ago. I do not remember having to memorize the periodic table, but maybe we did. If so, it was indeed, as Daisy said, a waste of time, because I sure don't remember it now. Having said that, my dh asks so little re our homeschool. If he requested that ds memorize the periodic table, I would probably oblige. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 On necessity: Would you want to have to go find a multiplication chart every time you have to multiply? I agree to an extent - but I think a lot will depend on whether or not your child has goals of working in the science fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessdmommy Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes, we memorized the first 20 elements and I still remember them. My chemistry teacher was great and she had a cool mnemonic that has stuck with me. H HeLiBeB CNOF NeNaMgAlSi P S ClArKCa We would pronounce this phrase. I did minor in chemistry and this did help me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I work in the science fields and never had to memorize the periodic table. Now I would have appreciated a much better explanation of it in high school so that when I hit college, I wouldn't be so surprised how much information that thing held. It would have made configuration easier, that's for sure :lol: Now after working with it for so long, I have the stuff I need in my head, but when I was employed, I never had an employer hide it from me when I was actually working. The thing was even printed on other people's t-shirts in the lab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 It's been a long time, but I don't remember memorizing it. If we did, I've certainly forgotten it. I never had any trouble in chem classes in college (i took 2) not having the table memorized. The ones I used often I probably remembered anyway. I wouldn't compare it to multiplication tables. Multiplication is used in daily life by non-math majors. It's useful for everyone to know basic multiplication. The periodic table, OTOH, is typically not needed by non-chem majors. I don't think I've ever needed to consult one outside a chemistry class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes we had to know name, atomic number, and symbol as well as position on chart. On necessity: Would you want to have to go find a multiplication chart every time you have to multiply? When I was in high school, chem was college prep. No gen ed. My middle child indeed finally learned his multiplication facts by consulting a multiplication chart until he just knew them. Just memorizing the table never worked. What worked was actually using that information in his math. The same could be said of the periodic table. If you are in a position where you need to use that information, then you will of course remember it. If, however, the only chemistry you take is high school chemistry and never use it again, you will probably not remember the periodic table... even if you memorized it in high school. Just saying that most people use multiplication, but few people use the periodic chart. Alright, I admit my oldest memorized the periodic table with Spectrum Chemistry. I promise he doesn't remember any of it. While I do understand the benefits of using the mind for basic storage and recall, our chemistry time may have been better spent more time applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating more equations while referencing the periodic table. Doing this may have actually led to better retention of the periodic table itself. I don't know what I'll do with the little guy except that I do know that if dh requests it we will do it. After all, at the end of the day it is such a little thing. Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy_of_4 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Nope, only the first 30 elements in HS and College. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2blessings Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I think we did....I had a tough chemistry teacher in h.s. But I don't remember a whole lot, so agree with the poster that this is something that's an example of you consult it when you need it:) Gina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I did in college as a freshman in chem101. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 No, and I took AP Chemistry in high school and majored in Chemical Engineering in college. But I would say that we studied the periodic table's organization a great deal, and informed ourselves on properties based on location in the table, and so we ended up naturally learning the first 25-30 or so elements plus some selected additional ones. And we did have to know the translations between the chemical symbols and the elements, some of which were completely counterintuitive, like Pb for lead or Na for sodium. The book "Exploring the World of Chemistry" by Tiner has a good introduction to the periodic table for about grade 6 or 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes we had to know name, atomic number, and symbol as well as position on chart. On necessity: Would you want to have to go find a multiplication chart every time you have to multiply? When I was in high school, chem was college prep. No gen ed. But multiplication facts are both basic and applied across any disciplines. Mastery is reinforced (and often learned) through use. I think it makes sense to have a working knowledge of the most common elements and groups, but to memorize the entire periodic table seems to me to be a great waste of time and energy for most kids, college prep or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Ds has not even had to memorize the table for AP chem. He has had to memorize the polyatomic ions, memorize the classifications, etc, but never simply regurgitate the table on a test. FWIW, simply by doing all the chemistry he has done over the last 2 yrs, he has memorized the symbols and even the atomic masses and numbers. I think memorizing it via usage is preferable vs simply memorizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeanM Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I was never required to memorize the periodic table, and I took chemistry & AP chem in high school, and was a chemistry minor in college. I do know many of the elements and symbols from using them often. I'm not sure I'd require the whole periodic table, since there are a lot of obscure elements that aren't used often. The first 20 or so sounds reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Dh holds a B.S. & PhD. in chemistry and NEVER had to memorize the periodic table! I have B.S. in science and never had to memorize it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 No I never did. I was a chemistry major in college, and did some graduate work in organic chemistry. I do have the more common elements memorized just from working with them so much, but I never did learn the more obscure transition metals. I don't really see the point. If you have to look up the atomic weight of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen every few minutes while you are making calculations, you will memorize them pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 No. Periodic table is something you use in chemistry all. the. time. and during all that time, by constantly consulting it, you do happen to memorize the position and the basic information of the most important elements. There is, however, little point in specifically going about memorizing it, especially if you are allowed to have it next to you to freely consult. What you constantly use, you learn it anyway. For the record, DH's fields are biochemistry and pharmacy and he has never purposely memorized it either, although we time he pretty much did end up "knowing" it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes, I had to remember it all in high school. While I sometimes like memorizing things, I don't see a practical point in memorizing this. I won't have my DD memorize for the sake of memorizing. There are better things to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yenisei Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I've taught my 2 year old daughter the first twenty elements by making a little song out of their names. It has come in very useful during long trips on public transportation and she loves "the elements". I divulged elements 21-27 today and we'll see how far she can go. I'd really like to find a periodic table puzzle (a physical one, not a software drag-and-drop) with each element representing a single element and fitting into the appropriate slot in the standard periodic table configuration. It would be a twofer- she loves puzzles as well, but she's obviously not advanced enough to handle a 1000-1500 piece puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I had to memorize part of the periodic table of elements in college. I was a biochemistry major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I passed the AP Chemistry exam and was never asked to memorize it. I probably picked up some data on the more common elements through usage. Frankly it appeared knowing what color different things are when burned would lead to higher scores on the exam than whatever's in the periodic table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bobby Soxer Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Yes, in a public high school (1987). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Yes, my chem class had to memorize it in high school. That was a little over twenty years ago. : ( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Here, maybe this will help those wanting to memorize it: Singing starts at 2:20. ETA: Slightly inappropriate science humor within. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I took chemistry twice in high school actually - 1 regular and 1 AP. In regular chemistry we had to memorize it {I've long since forgotten now}, in AP we were allowed to use a copy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Yes...in AP Chemistry; memorization wasn't required in the regular Chemistry class I had to take before the AP level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 If , I'm sure it must have value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Um, no. And I majored in biochemistry in college. Memorizing the periodic table is an idiotic exercise and is assigned by teachers that have *no* idea about what's important in chemistry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I remember we had to memorize a part of it at least-not sure how much of it LOL and yeah it would have been in the last few years of high school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Yes, I had to memorize it for high school chemistry in 11th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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