Measurement

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Chemistry 430 POGIL : Measurement

Measurements, and subsequently calculations, allow the determination of some of the properties of a substance. E.g. Mass and
density.

Part 1: SI Base Units and Prefixes


Units tell us what scale is being used for measurement. Some common units and prefixes are given below.

Units Common Prefixes

Base Quantity Name of Unit Symbol Prefix Symbol


Meaning
6
Mass Kilogram kg Mega M 10
3
Length Meter m Kilo k 10
-1
Time Second s Deci d 10
-2
Amount of Substance Mole mol Centi c 10
-3
Temperature Kelvin K Milli m 10


-6
Micro 10
-9
Nano n 10
Dimensional Analysis

One unit can be converted to another by using a conversion factor. Some helpful examples are shown below, with
conversion factors in parenthesis:

Convert 155g/cm3 to kg/L (1 kg = 1000g and 1000 cm3 = 1 L)

Note that in each case, the correct choice is the one that allows the cancellation of the unwanted units. This method of converting
between units is called the factor-labeling method or dimensional analysis.

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Temperature
o o
There are three scales of temperature that you may come across in your study of chemistry. They are Celsius ( C), Fahrenheit ( F)
and Kelvin (K). The following conversion factors will be useful.

Temperature Conversion
Celsius to Kelvin K = C + 273.15

Celsius to Fahrenheit F = 1.8C + 32

Conceptual Task 1a:

Use dimensional analysis to convert between each unit. Unit conversions are shown in parenthesis.

1. How many cm are in 233 m? (1 m = 100 cm)

2. How many Joules are in 125 Calories? (1 Calorie = 4184 Joules)

3. How many bytes of data are in a 2.3 Mb file? (Hint: Refer to the prefixes!)

3 3
4. Gold has a density of 18.0 g/cm . What is the density of Gold in kg/cm ?

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5. For each conversion below, first predict whether the answer will be larger or smaller, including a brief justification. Then, solve
the conversion problem.

a. Molybdenite is a breakthrough material that can be manufactured as thin as 0.65 nm. Represent this thickness is centimeters.

Answer will be [larger] [smaller] than 0.65 because:

Solution:

b. Chemists will often use the Average Atomic Mass, found on the Periodic Table of the Elements, to determine the number of
atoms of a particular element present in a given mass of that element. For example, Carbon has an AAM of 12.011 grams. This tells
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a chemist that it takes 12.011 grams of Carbon to equal 6.02 x 10 atoms of that element. Chemists use a distinct unit to represent
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this large number of atoms, the mole. 1 mole of any element is equal to 6.02 x 10 atoms of that element. Imagine that a chemist
has a beaker containing 24 grams of Carbon. How many moles of Carbon are in the beaker?

Answer will be [larger] [smaller] than 12.011 because:

Solution:

6. Use the fictitious conversion factors below to perform the requested unit conversions using dimensional analysis:

1 sack = 7 bips; 4 tolls = 3 smacks; 12 tolls = 1 lardo; 5 smacks = 1 bip; 8 lardos = 7 fleas

a. Calculate the number of smacks in 1.00 lardo.

b. Calculate the number of lardos in 1.00 bip.

c. How many sacks are in 1.00 smack?

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7. Mr. Cook is going on a trip to the Amazon with 38 lucky students. Upon arrival, they find that their guides have abandoned them,
leaving them for dead. To survive, Mr. Cook knows that he and each of his students need at least 1200 calories a day. Having a vast
knowledge of bugs (he did watch the Lion King before), he knows that on average, each 5g bug that he consumes will provide 7
calories of energy. How many kilograms of bugs must Mr. Cook and his students catch daily in order to survive?

Part 2: How we deal with Quantitative Measurement


Scientific Notation
Measurements and calculations in chemistry often require the use of very large or very small numbers. In order to make handling
them easier such numbers can be expressed using scientific notation. All numbers expressed in this manner are represented by a
number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

The number of places the decimal point has moved determines the power of 10. If the decimal point has moved to the left then the
power is positive, to the right, negative.

Conceptual Task 1b:


8. Write each number given below in scientific notation.

a. 0.0025 meters

3
b. 10000.00 cm

c. 0.00000000407 mL

d. 3370000000 kg

9. Write each number below in regular notation.


-5
a. 1.6 x 10

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b. 6.02 x 10 atoms

-8
c. 6.5 x 10 m

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Significant Figures

When reading the scale on a piece of laboratory equipment such as a measuring cylinder or a burette, there is always a degree of
uncertainty in the recorded measurement. The reading will often fall between two divisions on the scale and an estimate must be
made in order to record the final digit. This estimated final digit is said to be uncertain and is reflected in the recording of the
numbers by using +/-. All those digits that can be recorded with certainty are said to be certain. The certain and the uncertain
numbers taken together are called significant figures.

Determining the number of significant figures present in a number

 Any non-zero integers are always counted as significant figures.


 Leading zeros are those that precede all of the non-zero digits and are never counted as significant figures.
 Captive zeros are those that fall between non-zero digits and are always counted as significant figures.
 Trailing zeros are those at the end of a number and are only significant if the number is written with a decimal
point.
 Exact numbers have an unlimited number of significant figures. (Exact numbers are those which are as a result of
counting e.g. 3 apples, or by definition e.g. 1kg = 2.205lb).

x
In scientific notation the 10 part of the number is never counted as significant.

Determining the correct number of significant figures to be shown as the result of a calculation

 When multiplying or dividing. Limit the answer to the same number of significant figures that appear in the original
data with the fewest number of significant figures.
 When adding or subtracting. Limit the answer to the same number of decimal places that appear in the original
data with the fewest number of decimal places.

i.e. don’t record a greater degree of significant figures or decimal places in the calculated answer than the weakest data will allow.

Conceptual Task 1c:

10. Determine the number of significant figures in each number shown below.
a. 100
b. 128
c. 0.00200
d. 1.002
e. 500.0
f. 25000
g. 0.00043308
-8
h. 1.2 x 10
10
i. 1.00 x 10
23
j. 6.02 x 10

11. Obtain a meterstick from Mr. Cook. Measure the length of your foot in centimeters to the appropriate number of significant
figures. Below, justify your measurement, including how you determined the proper number of significant figures for your answer.

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12. In the lab, there are two pieces of glassware filled with varying amounts of colored water. Record the volume in each piece of
glassware to the proper number of significant figures, including an appropriate unit label. Justify each measurement briefly.

a. Graduated Cylinder (Large)

b. Buret

c. Volumetric Flask (HINT: You may need to research this one online!)

d. Graduated Cylinder (Small)

e. Determine the combined volume of all four pieces of equipment in L. Justify the number of significant figures in your
final answer.

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Accuracy and Precision
There is a distinction that should be made between accuracy and precision when referring to measurements. Accuracy will tell you
how close the measured value is to the true value of the quantity. Precision refers to how close two or more measurements of the
same quantity are to one another.

Conceptual Task 1d:

13. Consider the three sets of data below that have been recorded after measuring a piece of wire that was exactly 6.000 cm long.

SET X SET Y SET Z

5.864 cm 6.002 cm 5.872 cm

5.878 cm 6.004 cm 5.868 cm

5.871 cm 6.003 cm 5.870 cm


Average

i) Which set of data is the most accurate?

ii) Which set of data is the most precise?

iii) Which set of data is more precise, set X or set Z?

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