The 5 Best AP Chemistry Books Full Expert Reviews

The 5 Best AP Chemistry Books Full Expert Reviews SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The more challenging the subject, the more helpful it is to have a good review book. Since AP Chemistry is considered one of the most difficult classes in the AP canon, it's smart to pick up some additional resources to aid in your studying. There are quite a few popular review books out there, but some are more useful than others. In this guide, I'll provide detailed descriptions of the best AP Chemistry review books so you can choose the right one based on your needs as a student. What’s in This Guide? These are my recommendations for the best books students can use to prepare for the AP Chemistry exam (and review concepts throughout the year). For each book, I’ll list pros and cons, sum up my opinions, and provide a rating out of 10 based on how helpful it is for students. The first three AP Chemistry books are your best bets for a comprehensive and effective review of the course material. The last two supplemental review books are ones that you might consider buying for extra practice materials or additional study strategies on top of a couple of the more essential review books. At the end of this article, I’ll sum up my findings and tell you which review book or books you should get based on your goals, studying timeline, and familiarity with the material. The Best AP Chemistry Book for Long-Term Review 5 Steps to a 5 (McGraw-Hill) Price: $12 print, $10 digital Pros Four practice tests (two in the book, two online) Provides study plans that you can customize to fit your needs Gives you access to an AP Planner app that can be used alongside the book (the app also includes daily assignments and extra practice questions) Important equations are listed at the beginning of each content chapter Sticks to covering only what you need to know for the test Has friendly and understandable explanations of complex concepts Practice quizzes and a glossary are included at the end of each chapter Cons A few typos in the questions and answer explanations Summary This might be the best AP Chemistry review book available. It’s aligned well with the current format of the test, and it isn’t too skimpy or too dense with information. It also provides great instructions for structuring your studying, which is helpful if you consider yourself less of an organized student. You could also throw down some extra dollars for the elite version to get a set of five-minute activities designed to reinforce important AP Chem facts and ideas, but honestly, the regular version is perfectly adequate for most students' needs. Rating: 9.5/10 The Best AP Chemistry Book for Short-Term Review Crash Course (REA) Price: $13 print, $10 digital Pros Good test-taking tips for both multiple-choice and free-response questions Focuses exclusively on what you need to know for the exam Thorough in its explanations while sticking to the point and not becoming too long-winded Aligns well with the most recent updates to the AP Chemistry curriculum Cons Doesn’t offer many practice materials May have too narrow of a focus for students who want a review book that will help them on smaller in-class tests Summary This is a strong AP Chemistry review book due to its intense focus on the most important concepts to understand before the test. There’s a reason why it's called "Crash Course": it's meant to be used for a quick review, so it covers the material as efficiently as possible without any fluff. If you’re looking for help with more specific in-class assignments, you should probably supplement it with another book, but overall it’s a great tool to have in your arsenal. The only complaint I’ve seen is that, similar to 5 Steps to a 5, it doesn’t contain a ton of practice problems. You may have to turn to additional resources to test your knowledge further. Rating: 9/10 The Best Book for Practice Questions: AP Chemistry Practice Questions (Sterling Test Prep) Price: $24 print Pros 900 practice questions Great coverage of all the topics and types of questions you’ll see on the exam Useful test-taking tips at the beginning Online resources frequently and consistently updated (every 4-6 weeks) with user feedback! Cons It’s basically just practice questions with a couple of testing tips, so there’s no content overview or advice on how to structure your studying Summary This book is exactly what it says it is. It's an awesome practice resource that can be used alongside other review books. It’s also great if you already feel confident about the concepts but are looking for some extra practice. Rating: 9/10 for quality of questions, but you need to get another review book if you still don’t fully understand the material Supplementary AP Chemistry Review Books Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam (Princeton Review) Price: $14 print, $12 digital Pros Good advice on how to create a study plan and approach different types of questions Content is organized by the six "Big Ideas" of the course (major themes of AP Chemistry that were established in the most recent updates to the curriculum) Two full-length practice tests as well as practice multiple-choice and free-response questions at the end of each content chapter Sticks to what you actually need to know for the exam Practice problems are high-quality and replicate the content of the exam fairly well Cons Some students complain that it’s too sparse on answer explanations, particularly for math calculations It goes through the content relatively quickly and tends to skim the surface on a lot of topics People have noted that there are some factual errors in the book Summary This book is good for practice problems and light review if you already have a solid handle on the material. It's not so good if you’re still confused about complex concepts. Overall, it's a useful review book, but it's not one that will cover all of your bases if you're looking for more guidance. Rating: 7/10 Barron’s AP Chemistry 8th Edition Price: $25 print Pros Six practice tests (three diagnostic tests, three full-length practice exams) Helps you to effectively identify where you need improvement Cons Some errors in practice tests Goes outside the scope of the material you need to know for the test so could be a bit of a time-waster Questions more difficult than the real test (although this could be a positive depending on how you see things) Summary This review book has a big problem with errors in its practice tests. It also covers too much material, so it will over-prepare you for the AP exam. If you want a challenge and are really interested in chemistry, you could potentially benefit from this book, but I don't think it's as strong as the other titles on this list. Rating: 5/10 Which AP Chemistry Book Is Best for YOU? If you plan on buying a review book, you should make sure it fits your needs first. Most students will find the 5 Steps to to a 5 or Crash Course books helpful. I’d recommend 5 Steps to a 5 if you have at least a few months before the test and are still feeling confused about many of the concepts. Crash Course is better if you have less time to prepare and want a quicker review of everything you need to know. If you get the Crash Course book, you should also consider buying the book of practice questions from Sterling Test Prep to hone your skills. In fact, I think anyone would benefit from having a book of practice questions as a resource in addition to a traditional review book. The books from Princeton Review and Barron’s are moderately helpful, but they wouldn’t be my top choices. If you’re an intense student and are interested in learning more detailed information about chemistry, you might like the Barron’s book. If you’re just looking for an efficient review of the topics on the test, however, it's not the best resource. Cracking the AP Chemistry exam is slightly more helpful, but it goes a little too far in the opposite direction and skims over some of the material. I don’t recommend it for students who are still struggling with complex concepts in chemistry. Overall, I think you should start with one or two of the first three books in this article, and branch out into the others if you need more practice materials! What's Next? Read this article to learn more about the AP Chemistry exam, including its format, content, and scoring guidelines. Taking the Chemistry subject test in addition to the AP exam? Find out how subject tests and AP tests differ and which are more important for college. Need some help organizing your AP Chem studying? We have the ultimate AP Chemistry study guide and notes to study with, along with this primer on how to balance chemical equations. Still not sure whether you should sign up for two or three AP classes next year? This guide will tell you how many AP classes to take based on your goals for college. Considering the pre-med track in college? We have advice for how to start preparing for pre-med in high school here, along with this rundown of the 7 books you should read as a pre-med student. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Definition and Examples of the Plain Style in English

Definition and Examples of the Plain Style in English In rhetoric, the term plain style refers to speech or writing that is simple, direct, and straightforward. Also known as the  low style, the scientific style, the simple style, and the Senecan style. In contrast to the grand style, the plain style does not rely heavily on figurative language. The plain style is commonly associated with the matter-of-fact delivery of information, as in most  technical writing. According to Richard Lanham, the three central values of the plain style are Clarity, Brevity, and Sincerity, the C-B-S theory of prose (Analyzing Prose, 2003). That said, literary critic Hugh Kenner has characterized plain prose, the plain style as the most disorienting form of discourse yet invented (The Politics of the Plain, 1985). Observations and Examples I am glad you think my style plain . I never, in any one page or paragraph, aimed at making it anything else, or giving it any other merit- and I wish people would leave off talking about its beauty. If it has any, it is only pardonable at being unintentional. The greatest possible merit of style is, of course, to make the words absolutely disappear into the thought.(Nathaniel Hawthorne, letter to an editor, 1851) The only way to write plainly, as a worker should, would be to write like [George] Orwell. But the plain style is a middle-class accomplishment, got by arduous and educated rhetorical effects.(Frank Kermode, History and Value. Oxford University Press, 1988)The plain style . . . is completely unadorned. It is straightforward and void of any figures of speech. It is the style of much contemporary newspaper prose. Cicero thought it was best suited for teaching, and indeed, the plain style is the idiom of the best schoolbooks of our age.(Kenneth Cmiel, Democratic Eloquence: The Fight Over Popular Speech in Nineteenth-Century America. University of California Press, 1990) The Power of the Plain Style In political language, plainness is powerful. Of the people, by the people, for the people. Ask not what your country can do for you. I have a dream. This is especially so for language designed to be heard, like speeches and debate exchanges, rather than read from a page. People absorb and retain information in smaller increments through the ear than through the eye. Thus the classic intonations of every major religion have the simple, repetitive cadence also found in the best political speeches. In the beginning. And it was good. Let us pray.†(James Fallows, Who Will Win? The Atlantic, October, 2016) Cicero on the Plain Style Just as some women are said to be handsomer when unadorned- this very lack of ornament becomes them- so the plain style gives pleasure when unembellished. . . . All noticeable ornament, pearls as it were, will be excluded; not even curling irons will be used. All cosmetics, artificial white and red, will be rejected. Only elegance and neatness will remain. The language will be pure Latin, plain and clear; propriety will always be the chief aim.(Cicero, De Oratore) The Rise of the Plain Style in English At the beginning of the 17th century, the Senecan plain style enjoyed a significant and widespread boost in prestige: this came from playwrights like [Ben] Jonson, low-church divines (who equated ornate persuasion with deceit), and, above all, scientists. Francis Bacon was particularly effective in associating Senecan plainness with the aims of empiricism and inductive method: the new science demanded a prose in which as few words as possible interfered with the presentation of object reality.(David Rosen, Power, Plain English, and the Rise of Modern Poetry, Yale University Press, 2006)The Royal Societys Prescription for a Plain StyleIt will suffice my present purpose to point out what has been done by the Royal Society towards the correcting of its excesses in Natural Philosophy . . ..They have, therefore, been most rigorous in putting in execution the only Remedy that can be found for this extravagance, and that has been a constant Resolution to reject all the amplifications, digre ssions, and swellings of style: to return back to the primitive purity, and shortness, when men delivered so many things almost in an equal number of words. They have exacted from all their members, a close, naked, natural way of speaking; positive expressions, clear senses, a native easiness; bringing all things as near the Mathematical plainness as they can: and preferring the language of Artizans, Countrymen, and Merchants, before that, of Wits, or Scholars.(Thomas Sprat, The History of the Royal Society, 1667) Example of the Plain Style: Jonathan Swift [B]ecause it is idle to propose remedies before we are assured of the disease, or to be in fear till we are convinced of the danger, I shall first show in general that the nation is extremely corrupted in religion and morals; and then I will offer a short scheme for the reformation of both.As to the first, I know it is reckoned but a form of speech when divines complain of the wickedness of the age; however, I believe, upon a fair comparison with other times and countries, it would be found an undoubted truth.For, first, to deliver nothing but plain matter of fact, without exaggeration or satire, I suppose it will be granted that hardly one in a hundred among our people of quality or gentry appears to act by any principle of religion; that great numbers of them do entirely discard it, and are ready to own their disbelief of all revelation in ordinary discourse. Nor is the case much better among the vulgar, especially in great towns, where the profaneness and ignorance of handicraftsm en, small traders, servants, and the like, are to a degree very hard to be imagined greater. Then it is observed abroad that no race of mortals have so little sense of religion as the English soldiers; to confirm which, I have been often told by great officers of the army that in the whole compass of their acquaintance they could not recollect three of their profession who seemed to regard or believe one syllable of the gospel: and the same at least may be affirmed of the fleet. The consequences of all which upon the actions of men are equally manifest. They never go about as in former times to hide or palliate their vices, but expose them freely to view like any other common occurrences of life, without the least reproach from the world or themselves. . . .(Jonathan Swift, A Project for the Advancement of Religion and the Reformation of Manners, 1709) Example of the Plain Style: George Orwell Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers. I will come back to this presently, and I hope that by that time the meaning of what I have said here will have become clearer.(George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, 1946) Hugh Kenner on the Disorienting Plain Style of Swift and Orwell Plain prose, the plain style, is the most disorienting form of discourse yet invented by man. Swift in the 18th century, George Orwell in the 20th are two of its very few masters. And both were political writers- theres a connection. . . .Plain style is a populist style and one that suited writers like Swift, Mencken, and Orwell. Homely diction is its hallmark, also one-two-three syntax, the show of candor and the artifice of seeming to be grounded outside language in what is called fact- the domain where a condemned man can be observed as he silently avoids a puddle [in Orwells A Hanging] and your prose will report the observation and no one will doubt it. Such prose simulates the words anyone who was there and awake might later have spoken spontaneously. On a written page, . . . the spontaneous can only be a contrivance. . . .The plain style feigns a candid observer. Such is its great advantage for persuading. From behind its mask of calm candor, the writer with political intention s can appeal, in seeming disinterest, to people whose pride is their no-nonsense connoisseurship of fact. And such is the trickiness of language that he may find he must deceive them to enlighten them. . . .What the masters of the plain style demonstrate is how futile is anyones hope of subduing humanity to an austere ideal. Straightness will prove crooked, the gain will be short-term, vision will be fabrication and simplicity an intricate contrivance. Likewise, no probity, no sincerity, can ever subdue the inner contradictions of speaking plainly.(Hugh Kenner, The Politics of the Plain. The New York Times, September 15, 1985)

Revolutionary Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Revolutionary Era - Essay Example The user interface of the website is quite friendly and data has been arranged under multiple headings linked to separate pages. For instance, the correlation of slavery to the constitution leading to a revolutionary war is presented in detail on a separate page. The Laughter Genealogy website contains historical material including maps, photos and articles about early North America. This website is a great source of information for researchers seeking genealogy, books and military resources. However, the complexity of website makes it hard to find an article of interest. The information ranges from recent news articles to earlier American history explorations. Little effort has been made to keep the menus simple and relevant. Additionally, the recency and authenticity of the presented information is also questionable with a number of errors corrected by audience from time to time. However, as a reference and research center, it contains various valuable historical images not availab le in many other resources. Both of these websites are providing history scholars with a very comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of American history. However, they still cannot be regarded as complete resources on American history. The controversial questions raised and discussed in Digital History website articles should be researched deeply and presented thoroughly to avoid bias and confusions among scholars.

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homeland Security - Essay Example The essay "Homeland Security" talks about the illegal border crossings and human smuggling that are considered as imminent threats to homeland security. Within the context of the United States, the foretold issues are most important because they are interconnected with a global spread of terrorism. The problem of illegal border crossing and human smuggling are interconnected because the illegal immigrants seek the help of the human smugglers to enter the U.S. Zhang, makes clear that â€Å"In recent years human smugglers have focused their efforts on recruiting willing U.S. citizens to provide transportation services in the border area†. Besides, illegal border crossings mainly occur through the Mexican and Canadian borders. Most of the states in U.S. face the problem illegal immigration but the problem in severe in California, New York, and Illinois. The restrictions on immigration imposed by the federal government resulted in large scale illegal border crossings. The Southern border of the U.S. is used by the Mexicans for border crossing. The same route is used for human smuggling from different parts of the world. Illegal border crossings and human smuggling are controlled by powerful gangs for a profitable business. The flow of the illegal immigrants into the US is in terconnected with the phenomena of transnational population relocation. The problems surrounding the illegal alien in the US require a global view and suggest more diverse strategies than the history of immigration Law enforcement.

Railroad history Essay Example for Free

Railroad history Essay The reasons why Villard failed to build a profitable railroad was that he never bothered to study much about railroads so he made many mistakes such as, he rushed to the wilderness to collect his subsidies he thought that by building the rail on an area with a beautiful view he would attract tourism in the area and so they would pay handsomely to tour, so he chose to build in the northwest because of its beauty. This increased the cost of building the railroad because he had to increase the bends, the steepness and the length of the railroad to be able to take in the rocky Mountain View. Villard also did create in areas around the hot springs in broad water county, Montana and at Bozeman costly health spas. This and more expensive buildings and structures made Villard go broke because the tourist opted to visit else where. Though the federal aid and foreign investors had given Villard some space for mistakes he made way too many. He was so eager to rush to the coast that he built when the cost of materials and construction in whole was very stiff. High cost amounts to high rates and this hindered the tourists from traveling through the NP. Railroad acted as an alternative mode of transport which farmers used to travel from rural areas to the urban market whenever they had need, they also used the railroad to transport their produce thus interacting with people from other parts of the country. As the railroad changed people’s experiences, it also changed the time concepts. If a person wanted to travel from point A to point B it became more faster than pre railroad days where one had to use horses on bad road, board a steamboat, Railroads decreased the cost of distance and increased the value of time.

My Fifth Year Of Highschool :: essays research papers

With dim lights hanging over green felt-covered tables on one side of the room and loud, blinking arcade games on the other, and music blaring from a jukebox, there was no way I was ever going to leave the university. Only a dollar twenty-five to play pool here for an hour! And when it wasn’t my turn, I could go and play pinball! Every day, hundreds of students hung around the arcade, shouting, laughing and looking to challenge someone to a game of pool or a shot at beating you on an arcade game. Yes, I came away from there many times with a bigger ego. I never left after being defeated-you just had to find someone else and beat him or her. I lost a lot of money in that gloomy basement amidst the cracking of pool balls and the beeping of video games. But I took something out of it too. In a way, all the money I lost was paying for what I know now: an arcade should not substitute for college, even if the arcade is in the basement of the student union. As a freshman at the University of Arizona, I at first found myself awed by the power of college: The flocks of people-students and professors alike-mingling on the mall, in the buildings, and in the Student Union. And in the early weeks of my first semester, I quickly found my favorite place on campus: the arcade. Billiards, table tennis, video games, and music. All the trademarks of a college student’s recreation area. It was in these first few weeks that my impression was made about the university. When friends or relatives would ask me questions such as â€Å"How’s college?† or â€Å"What’s school like?† I would tell them what I really thought. I would say, â€Å"It’s like high school, but with a lot more people, a bigger campus, and a lot of time in between your classes.† And that is the plain truth. My class work did not offer much of a challenge-it was more or less the same stuff I’d been seeing for years. The professors weren’t that big of a deal-they were much like high school teachers, but you got to call them by their first name. And the number one best thing about going to college? I didn’t always have to go! That’s right: attendance in some of my classes wasn’t even mandatory.

Labour market research

Within the health, sector nurses constitute the largest proportion and it is important to appreciate the work that nurses do. They care for patients in private clinics, hospitals and at homes. Besides the bedside care they provide to patients nurses educate the public on disease prevention, health issues, home based care, and even give mental and emotional support for terminally ill patients. These services provided may seem simplistic but in their absence, the effects are devastatingly profound. In this paper I choose to research on the nursing labor market in Texas and seek to determine how nursing wages are calculated, factors that influence the supply and demand of nurse’s position, how a nurses pay is determined and possibly recommended some actions that could increase the supply of nurses in Texas.According to the Texas centered for nursing work force studies (TCNWS) the number of registered nurses in Texas stands at about 146,000-plus who work on either part time or ful l time basis in health care settings.   This constitutes the largest proportion of the work force in the state.   Of the 146,000 registered nurses, 66% are employed in inpatient and outpatient hospitals.   The remaining 34% are either self-employed or work in home based care, nursing schools, military institutions or school institutionsAlthough RN profession is the largest in Texas there has been concerns raised over the unprecedented shortage of nurses and it seems the gap between supply and demand will continue to rise. Stabilizing strategies should be implemented to bridge this gap.Factors determining supply and demand of nurse’s positionAn increase in the number of aging population has increased the demand of health care facilities and per person nursing services.   Between 1990 and 2005, the number of people aged 65 years increased from 23% to 30.5 percent; this is according to a TCNW report. (2006)Secondly is an increase in the population in Texas owing to incre ased births and immigrants, aliens and migrants from other states.   In the 1990s, the population was 17 million people. Today it stands at approximately 23.5 million and it is projected that by 2015 the population should stand or teach 28 million.   Consequently, demand for nursing services has increased.Thirdly, retired and aging nurses.   In the past, the number of people who chose nursing profession as a career was few. Today most people choose to join lucrative professions such as law and doctors.   As such, there occurred a shortage in nurses.   The current nurses are aged and demand for replacements is high as they look to retirement. .   So, how does a shortage in nurses occur? Few nurses entering the nursing profession as compared to aging nurses exiting the profession.   Difficulty to attract and retain nurses by employers.   Few nurses qualified to provide acute services, advanced practice research and unwillingness to relocate to rural areasThe scenario a t the national level is similar to that in Texas.   The increasing senior population, more immigrants, retirement of baby boomers and few qualified nurses increase demand for nursesRecommendations to increase supply of nurses The shortage of RN will continue to prevail and increase unless drastic measures are taken. The solutions to the shortage of nurses are varied depending on the causes of the shortage. Some hospitals have already implemented strategies to address these shortage   These include increasing the number of full time employees in nursing programs and also to increase enrolments into nursing programs and the number of students who graduate from them.   This would replace the aged, retired or dead nurses.Image is everything and if hospitals want to retain and attract new nurses, they have to rebuild the image.   For example better pay packages and incentives, attractive overtime pay, flexible working times, better working conditions, motivation program, recruiti ng aged nurses, mentorship and role modeling etc. implementation of loan forgiveness programs, which lure nurses to less attractive areas like rural areasDetermining of Nurses PayA fair and equitable salary and wages rate should be satisfactory to both employee and employers considerations should be guided by the slogan ‘fair days pay for a fair day’s work’ That is, a salary that is commensurate to input and can sufficiently provide for basic needs, and cater for future ambitions, is that constitutes fair pay. The labor market as other markets is sensitive to forces of demand and supply.These forces among other factors determine price (wage rate) and quantity (number of people in the market). In Texas nurses, salaries are high given that it is a rural area. Most nurses are unwilling to relocate to Texas. This has led to higher salaries in order to woo more people to the profession. The level of experience is important in determining salary scale. A highly experie nced nurse earns more than an inexperienced one. In addition, external factors beyond an organization also have a hand in contributing to setting prices.They include the cost of living, value of the job, economic conditions, presence of unions, laws etc. (Delaney 2006) some hospitals consider the regional pay differentials and pay according to the cost of living in the area. Legislative requirements dictate the minimum level of pay also determine salary rate. Unions have strong bargaining power and influence employers’ decision on amount of salary in a unionized labor market such as nursing. Overall salary determination is a complex issue and the determining factors vary across states.ReferenceDelaney, B (2000) Human Resources: Importance of External Factors in WageDetermination. Retrieved on August, 24, 2007 www.hr.com/†¦/pay_strategies/base_pay/importance_of_external_factors_in_wage_determination_eng.htmlThe Supply of and Demand for Registered Nurses and Nurse Graduate s in Texas: Report to the Texas Legislature Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. Electronic Publication No. E25-12513, p.1) available at http://www.dhs.state.tx.us/chs/cnws/sb132rep.pdf   accessed on August, 24, 2007