How to study for the Regents

For all those taking the regents tomorrow or the next, (or any time!) here are some easy, helpful study tips that will help you ace your regents.

1. Find yourself  a clear, concise, engaging Regents review. You’ll love the Regents Boosters Living Environment app!

2. Find yourself a comfortable, quiet place to study for the regents.

study for the regents

studying for the regents

 

3. Take 10 minute breaks as needed. During each break, take a drink and do 10 jumping jacks. This will help you think better.

4. Make sure you understand each reference table. If you don’t already own a reference table, you can download and print one here. Get to know Reffy (the reference table) well. He’s a good friend. He’ll give you many answers on your regents!

5. Practice regents questions. The more questions you practice, the more you’ll be familiar with the style, the more answers you’ll know on the regents. Also, here’s a secret you may not know. The regents often repeats similar questions from previous regents. You can find previous regents here.

6. Make yourself  mini goals. Reward yourself after you finish each unit. (Yes, bring on the chocolate and coke! You deserve it!)

7. If you ever get overwhelmed while you study for the regents (na, that never happens :), stop and breathe deeply. To learn how to deep breathe, watch this youtube. Tell yourself, I will study well, try my best, and do well on my regents. By feeding yourself positive messages, you can actually score higher on your regents than if you’re constantly convincing yourself you’ll fail.

 

Good luck! We’re sure you’ll do great!

Love,

Mr. Boosters

Mr. Boosters

Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry, Earth Science, Global, Living Environment, Studying Tips

Study Distraction: Do Calories Increase with Surface Area?

We all know what happens when we’re studying hard, we eat! Eating gives us strength to keep on going or it just distracts us from overusing our brains. Now after that fourth bag of candy, you start wondering…is there more sugar in a sugar cube or in a pile of sugar?

Actually maybe you’ll only have this question if you’re studying for the NYS Chemistry Regents.

Because, as you may know by now, there are five factors that affect the Rate of Reaction: Nature of the reactions, Surface area, Temperature, Concentration and Catalyst. The one we’re going to talk about today is…How the Surface Area Affects the Rate of Reaction:

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So we see that a pile of sugar has more surface area because there is a larger exposed area. Therefore, more surface area causes an increased rate of reaction. This means that regardless of what shape the sugar is in, you’ll be gaining the same amount of calories (check the accuracy of this with your nutritionist) but the way it gets broken down in your body can change! A decrease in surface area will cause a decrease in the rate of reaction.

Now let’s practice a Sample NYS Regents Question:

Fe(s) + 2HCl(aq) –> FeCl2(aq) + H2(g)

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The question is, what causes this reaction to occur more quickly when powdered iron is used instead of a single piece of iron of the same mass?

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Answer: The same way powdered sugar has more surface area, so does powdered iron. Because powder has more surface area than a single piece.

The difference is, I don’t think you’ll ever ever eat powdered iron while studying!

– Happy Studying!!

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Posted in Chemistry, Studying Tips

Listen to the Radio(isotopes)…

Here are four important Regents Boosters Chemistry flashcards for an important and complicated Nuclear Chemistry topic – radioisotopes and their half-life and decay mode.

These cards discuss the NYS Regents reference table (Table N) and a real Regents question:

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Chemistry - 2

Chemistry - 3

Chemistry - 4

 

Happy Studying!

Let us know if you have questions in the comments below and we’ll answer, as soon as possible!

 

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Posted in Chemistry, Studying Tips

It’s the seesaw of life, and it’s called homeostasis

Yes, we did just make a science-y reference to The Lion King. That’s because there’s a certain balance in the world and it’s constantly moving up and down, in and out, and around in a circle. Which is how we were able to connect this all to homeostasis, the topic we’re getting to.

Homeostasis is as important as a seesaw, and as important as the circle of life. It symbolizes the balance in our bodies, in our environment and in the entire world. It’s the checks-and-balances system of science and matter.

So now, what does homeostasis actually mean? Homeostasis is the body’s form of Dynamic Equilibrium, which means that each organism keeps the conditions inside itself constant EVEN while the environment is changing.

We’ll even give you a hint so as much as you try you’ll never, ever, ever forget what it means: Homeostasis (stay) – conditions stay the same.

Let’s explore how homeostasis plays a role in the human body (even though it applies to all organisms). For example, normal body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C). However, on a hot day, when the temperature outside is 101°F, your body doesn’t become 101°F. How can that be? It’s because your body will start sweating which helps us cool down, in order to maintain normal body temperature. On the flip side, if it’s 32°F outside, you won’t freeze. Again, how can that be? It’s because your body is notified (by your brain) to start shivering, which will warm you up, in order to maintain the normal body temperature.

In these examples, your body is actively engaging in homeostasis; keeping its temperature constant even though the outside weather changes. Unfortunately, when the body cannot regulate homeostasis, often the person will get sick.

This leads into the next part of homeostasis of the body, which would be the body’s defense system, the immune system. This system maintains equilibrium in our bodies by fighting foreign bodies that may be harmful for us. This is in addition to other systems of the body that also help regulate homeostasis, including the nervous system, the endocrine system and the excretory system.

But that’s for next time! So check back for even more amazing Living Environment topics.

We just wanted to finish off with two actual homeostasis NYS Regents Living Environment questions:

1. (Multiple Choice) During a race, the body temperature of a runner increases. The runner responds by perspiring, which lowers body temperature. This process is an example of:

A. Maintenance of homeostasis
B. An antigen-antibody reaction
C. An acquired characteristic
D. Environmental factors affecting phenotype

2. (Multiple Choice) Homeostasis in living things is regulated by the action of:
A. The nervous system, only
B. The endocrine system, only
C. Both the nervous and endocrine systems
D. Neither the nervous nor the endocrine system

Answers: 1-A, 2-C

– Study well!

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Posted in Living Environment, Studying Tips