Chapter 1 – Chemical

Tools: Experimentation
and Measurement

General Chemistry
CHY 123 Fall 2019
Dr. Jan Matejovic
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 Learning Objectives
• Describe the process of scientific inquiry
• Recognize and use the seven basic Système international (SI) units
of measure
• Recognize and use metric prefixes associated with units of measure
• Interconvert numbers into and out of scientific notation
• Recognize equipment used in the lab to measure mass,
temperature and volume
• Understand the difference between accuracy and precision
• Determine the number of significant figures in a measured quantity
• State the results of a calculation involving measured quantities to
the correct number of significant figures
• Use unit analysis (dimensional analysis) to solve mathematical
problems involving interconversion of units 2
 Chemistry – An Experimental Science
• Chemistry is a science based on systematic
inquiry (The Scientific Method)
1. Observation:

Gold Iron

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 Chemistry – An Experimental Science
2. Questioning:

Gold Iron

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 Chemistry – An Experimental Science
3. Planning an investigation

4. Performing the investigation several times

5. Careful recording of observations

6. Analyzing data

7. Interpreting results: hypothesis

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 Chemistry – An Experimental Science
• Successful application of a hypothesis in new
situations results in that hypothesis becoming
a theory
• Most of what we “know” in science is a theory
and not actually a law of nature
• Theories are our best
explanation at the time
• A natural law is a
measurable relationship
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 SI – International System of Units
• SI units are used internationally to
communicate results of measured quantities
• There are seven fundamental SI units

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 Prefixes to SI Units
• To deal with very large or very small
quantities, SI units are modified with prefixes
• For example, a hydrogen atom is
approximately 0.000 000 120 m wide
– More convenient to write: 120 nm (nanometre)
• Alternatively, we can use scientific
notation…but more on that later.

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 Prefixes to SI Units

• Distance to the sun is 150 000 000 000m

• What would be a more convenient unit??
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 Scientific Notation
• Another method of expressing very large or
very small quantities in a convenient format
• Format is:
a x 10n
where a is any real number equal or greater
than 1 but less than 10 (ie., 1 ≤ a <10) and
n is an integer (either positive or negative)

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Converting Numbers to Scientific Notation

• Move the decimal in a number to the

appropriate number of places to the left or
right, so that a is in the desired range
(1 ≤ a <10)
• If decimal was moved n places to the left,
multiply a by 10n
• If the decimal was moved n places to the right,
multiply a by 10-n

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 Scientific Notation Example 1
• Convert 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
into scientific notation
• Move “decimal point” to the left…
602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

• “Decimal” was moved 23 places to the left:

6.02 x 1023 Look
familiar?

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 Scientific Notation Example 2
• Convert 0.000 000 120 m (the size of that
hydrogen atom) into scientific notation
• Move decimal point to the right…
0.000 000 120 m

• Decimal was moved 7 places to the right:

1.20 x 10-7 m
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Converting from Scientific Notation
• Move the decimal point in a by the number of
places indicated by the exponent, n
• Move the decimal to left if the exponent is
negative
• Move the decimal to the right if the exponent
is positive
• Add trailing or leading zeros as necessary

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 Scientific Notation Example 3
• Convert 1.44 x 10-6 into decimal notation
• Move decimal point six places to the left…
1.44

• Add leading zeros (YES, EVEN 1 TO THE LEFT

OF THE DECIMAL POINT!!!!)
0.000 001 44
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 Scientific Notation Example 4
• Convert 6.09 x 104 into decimal notation
• Move decimal point four places to the right…
6.09

• Add trailing zeros

60900

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 Scientific Notation Practice
• Convert between the two notations:
Decimal Notation Scientific Notation

3.721 x 109
0.000 000 000 113
406 500 000
2.56 x 10-7
0.000 030
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 Measuring Mass
• In the lab, we measure mass on a balance
• Mass is the measure of a quantity of matter
• (Weight is the force on an object as a result of
gravity)
• Mass and weight are not interchangeable terms!
• While the SI unit
of mass is kg,
we often use
the gram, g

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 Measuring Length
• SI unit is meter (m)
• Commonly too large for use in Chemistry
– More commonly used are: centimeter (cm)
millimeter(mm) micrometer (µm), nanometer
(nm), …and Ångstroms
– Can you convert these distances to meters?

– 10 cm =

– 23 mm =

– 0.1 µm=

– 112 nm =
 Measuring Temperature
• Temperature is the measure of the average kinetic
energy of particles in a sample.
• In Chemistry we mostly use two scales:
Scale Units
Celcius °C
Kelvin K (mainly for Gas Laws)
• The Kelvin Scale is absolute meaning that at
0 K particles have no kinetic energy
• Kelvin (K) is the SI unit of choice!
• Absolute zero: 0k is -273.15 oC
– The coldest possible temperature
• The Fahrenheit scale (°F) is seldom used
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 Temperature Scales
• To convert between Celsius and Kelvin use:
K = °C + 273.15

Can you make the following conversions?

25 °C = ___________ K

-55 °C = ___________ K

310.15 K = ___________ °C

0 K = ___________ °C 21
 Volume
• Volume is the space occupied by an object
• The SI unit is m3, but in chemistry we most
often use mL or L
• 1 cm3 = 1 mL

• Notice that a litre

is
10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm
or 1 L = 1000 cm3

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 Measuring Volume
• In chemistry there are several pieces of
glassware we can use to measure volume

A pipette

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 Derived Units
• The fundamental SI units can be combined to
describe other measurements:

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 Density – A Derived Unit
• Density is “an intensive physical
property that relates the mass
of an object to its volume”
• Temperature-dependent
– Most substances change in
volume when heated or cooled

mass g
• density = for liquids, units are typically
volume mL
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 Sample Problem
• You need 1.55 g of ethyl alcohol (liquid)
• The density of ethanol at room temperature is 0.7893 g/mL)
• What volume (mL) is required?
 Accuracy and Precision
• The reliability of a measurement depends on
the quality of the equipment used to take the
measurement and the skill of the person
taking the measurement

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 Accuracy and Precision
• Accuracy refers to how close to the true value a given
measurement is
• Precision refers to how well a number of
independent measurements agree with each other

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Accuracy and Precision - Mass

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 Accuracy and Precision - Mass
• Consider massing a tennis ball on three different
balances (Actual mass is 54.44177 g)

• Which balance is the most accurate?

• Which is most precise?
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 Accuracy and Precision - Mass
Bathroom scale:
– Very Poor accuracy (because it is not even close to the real
value)
– Very Poor precision (because there is variability in the
values)
Lab Balance:
– Fair accuracy
– Poor Precision
poor accuracy good accuracy good accuracy
Analytical Balance: poor precision poor precision good precision
– Accurate
– Precise
 Precision and the Observer
• In the last example considering digital
balances, the last decimal place had some
uncertainty associated with it
• When reading an analogue instrument, we
estimate the last decimal place to 10% of the
smallest graduation….
• The number we come up with is significant,
but subject to uncertainty

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 Reading a Volume from a Burette
• Determine the volume reading to
10% of the smallest graduation
marking on this burette (1.0 mL)

• Generally, the last digit in a

reported measurement is
uncertain…estimated 33
 Significant Figures
• Significant figures are the total number of
digits in a measurement
• They determine the level of confidence we
can report a calculated result with
45.221 g 45.2210 g

0.00401 mL 0.0040100 mL

4 people in my car last Saturday 34

 Rules for Counting Sig. Figs.
Rules for counting significant figures (left-to-right): - All non-zero numbers are significant

1. Zeros in the middle of a number are like any other digit; they are always significant.
4.803 cm 4 significant figures
2. Zeros at the beginning of a number are not significant (placeholders).
0.006 61 g 3 significant figures (or 6.61 x 10-3 g)
3. Zeros at the end of a number and after the decimal point are always significant.
55.220 K 5 significant figures
4. Zeros at the end of a number and before the decimal point may or may not be
significant this depends on whether they are measured or counted!!

34,200 m 3 significant figures (???)

34,200. m 5 significant figures

240 people in this room infinite significant figures – a counted value!!

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Determine the Number of Sig. Figs.
Given Number Number of Significant Figures

0.000 01
0.000 010 00
4,600
4,600.0
8.090 x 10-19
8.30 x 1047
36, 347 student counted at Ryerson
in 2015
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 Sig Figs and Calculations
• When doing calculations, the number of sig figs in the
question determines how many are in the answer, not
the calculator. (Again there are RULES)
1. In multiplication or division, the answer cannot have
more sig figs than either of the original numbers
 Sig Figs and Calculations
• When doing calculations, the number of sig figs in the
question determines how many are in the answer, not
the calculator. (Again there are RULES)
2. In addition or subtraction the answer cannot have more
digits to the right of the decimal point than either of the
original numbers
 Rules for Rounding Off Numbers
Once you know how many sig figs are necessary in your
answer, you can round to achieve this

1. If the first digit you remove is less than 5, round down

by dropping it and all following numbers.
23.426337
2. If the first digit you remove is 6 or greater, round up by
adding 1 to the digit on the left.
0.0912755
3. If the first digit you remove is 5 and there are more
nonzero digits following, round up.
78510
4. If the digit you remove is a 5 with nothing following,
round down.
78500
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 Multistep Calculations
• Never delete numbers from your calculator
• Use all digits from one calculation to the next

• Round only at the very end of

all calculations to account for
significant figures
• Otherwise, “rounding error”
will result

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 Multistep Calculation Example
• An object having a mass of 4.002 g is dropped into a
graduated cylinder of water. Two people read the cylinder: the
first person reads the volume as 15.2 mL before the object is
dropped in; the other person reads 18.38 mL as the final
volume. What is the density of the object in g/mL?

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 Examples
Carry out the following calculations expressing
each result with the correct sig figs:
1. 24.567g + 0.4478g =

2. 4.6742g / 0.00 371L =

3. 0.378mL + 42.3mL – 1.5833mL =

4. 4.2984cm2 + 0.693cm x 3.597cm =

 Unit (Dimensional) Analysis and
Conversion Factors
• Dimensional analysis: A method that uses a
conversion factor to convert a quantity
expressed in one unit to an equivalent
quantity in a different unit
Equivalent quantity = Original quantity x Conversion factor

• Conversion factor: Expresses the relationship

between two different units
e.g., 1 min = 60 s 1 min 60 s
or
60 s 1 min
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 Unit Analysis
1. Determine which unit conversion factor(s) are needed.
2. Carry units through calculation.
3. If all units cancel except for the desired unit(s), then the
problem was solved correctly.
e.g. Convert 1.63 L into mL.

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 Example
A large sport utility vehicle might use gasoline at a rate of 16.0L per
100.0km. What does this correspond to in miles / gallon?
0.6214mi = 1.0km 1.0gal = 3.78L
 Now try this one
According to Forbes*, Taylor Swift pulled in $185 million US so far
in 2019. If she didn’t make any more money this year (yeah, right!!
New album is sick!), calculate how many Canadian dollars (CAD)
she earned every minute just for being alive in 2019!
Assume 1.33950 CAD = 1.00 USD (Sept. 2019) and 1 y = 365 days

$CAD
x =
min

* https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2019/07/10/taylor-swift-is-the-worlds-highest-paid-celebrity-with-185-million-in-2019/#2650b6336c9d
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 Summary of Today’s Lecture
• Scientifi Method
• SI Units
• Scientific Notation
• Measures and Units
• Accuracy and Precision
• Significant Figures
• Unit Analysis
Next class:
- More Chapter 2!
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 Suggested Problems from Chapter 1
• It is highly recommended that you do these
problems and then check your answers in the
back of the textbook or with a classmate
– If your answer does not seem correct, try to find
out why and then adjust your approach!
Chapter 1 questions (pages 28-32)
#28, 30, 38, 40, 44, 48, 50, 60 (Celsius only), 68, 72,
82a, 86, 88, 90, 92, 96

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