Applying+Past+Knowledge+to+New+Situations

Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
This quarter we also learned how to write balanced molecular, ionic, and net ionic equations. Learning to write the balanced molecular and ionic equations was not complicated as I had past experience in doing so. Once again, I felt very comfortable with these two concepts. Although, I had never learned how to write balanced net ionic equations, and coincidentally, I happened to miss the class in which we were taught how.

I got worksheets that contained practice problems and solubility rules and had no idea what to do with either. I was able to balance the molecular equation, but I didn't know what to do after that step. The concept appeared to be more complicated than it was, but when I went to see Mrs. Knowles for help it turned out to be very simple. Writing a balanced net ionic equation was simply balancing a molecular equation, breaking it down to a balanced ionic equation, and then canceling out what remained the same on both sides of the equation. This concept was easy for me to grasp as the only truly difficult part was to balance the equations in the beginning, something that I had already learned to do. Applying my past knowledge to the new situation enabled me to learn quickly and on my own.