something retarded

While studying Chemistry at the prestigious Bishan Library a few days ago with the honorable company of Lawis, James, Jie Hao, Mark, David and Cheng Jian Wei Matthew, we (Lawis, James, Cheng Jian Wei and I only, actually) encountered a fatal question posed to our already overloaded brains by *who else?* Cheng Jian Wei Matthew.

It was a question which required extremely Higher Order Thinking (HOT) and it is truly reflective of the world-class education which our beloved Raffles Institution has bestowed upon us lowly mortals.

Without further ado, allow me to unveil the question...

Matthew: Eh, teach me salts preparation leh...
Alvan: Okay, what do you want to know?
Matthew: Salts preparation, how to make soluble salts and insoluble salts?
Alvan: Okay, come I teach you... *recites the methods (titration, precipitation, excess reactants)
Matthew: Huh? Can go slower?
Alvan: Okay... *reduces speed by a factor of 2*
Matthew: Oi! What talking you? Why have titration and excess...?
Alvan: ... *reduces speed by a factor of 3*
Matthew: Wait!!! Why must have excess?
Alvan: .................................. *reduces speed by a factor of 4*
Matthew: Oh...... Okay okay I get it already...

WAIT! That's not all!!!

Alvan: Okay now let's try a few examples...
Lawis: I give some salts for you to try out
Matthew: No wait! I come up with the question myself!
Lawis & Alvan: Okay then faster
Matthew: *thinks for about 2 minutes*
Alvan: OI WHAT YOU DOING?
Matthew: Wait, I'm thinking...
Alvan: What?
Matthew: Can you help me think of an acid with a Sodium ion in it?
Everyone: ............................................................................................................

AHAHAHAHAHA