Measurements

and Calculations

CHM1025
 Qualitative observations are descriptions of what you
observe
Measurements are quantitative observations
What is a We make them by comparing something against a
scale
Measurement? They include both a number and a scale unit.
Example: The mass of the person is 125 lbs.
The number is meaningless without the unit! Don’t make
this mistake!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015,
Blackpool, UK breaks Guinness
World Records for largest
inflatable beach ball
The Blackpool beach ball is
measuring a staggering 18___ in
diameter; the orange and white
beach ball was custom-made,
weighing in at 400___ and it sets
the new world record for the
Largest inflatable beach ball,
according to the World Record
Academy:
www.worldrecordacademy.com/.
 4

Wednesday, January 14,

2015, Blackpool, UK
breaks Guinness World
Records for largest
inflatable beach ball
The Blackpool beach ball is
measuring a staggering 18m
in diameter; the orange and
white beach ball was
custom-made, weighing in
at 400kg and it sets the new
world record for the Largest
inflatable beach ball,
according to the World
Record Academy:
www.worldrecordacademy.c
om/
.
 5

Measurement

Quantitative observation.
Has 2 parts – number and
unit.
Number tells comparison.
Unit tells scale.
 6
Technique used to express very
large or very small numbers.
Scientific Expresses a number as a

Notation product of a number between 1

and 10 and the appropriate
power of 10.
 7
Any number can be
represented as a product
of a number between 1
and 10 and the
appropriate power of 10
Using (either positive or
negative).
Scientific
The power of 10 depends
Notation on the number of places
the decimal point is
moved and in which
direction.
 8

The number of places

the decimal point is
moved determines
Using the power of 10.
Scientific The direction of the
Notation move determines
whether the power of
10 is positive or
negative.
 9

If the decimal point is

moved to the left, the
power of 10 is positive.

Using Scientific 345 = 3.45 × 102

Notation If the decimal point is

moved to the right, the
power of 10 is negative.

0.0671 = 6.71 × 10–2

 Concept Check

Which of the following correctly expresses

7,882 in scientific notation?

a) 7.882 × 104
b) 788.2 × 103
c) 7.882 × 103
d) 7.882 × 10–3
 Concept Check

Which of the following correctly expresses

0.0000496 in scientific notation?

a) 4.96 × 10–5
b) 4.96 × 10–6
c) 4.96 × 10–7 * See Measurements and Calculations
Worksheet on Canvas
d) 496 × 107
Nature of
Measurement
Quantitative observation consisting of
two parts:
• Number
• Unit
Examples
• 20 grams
• 6.63 × 10–34 joule·seconds
The Fundamental SI Units

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Abbreviation

Mass kilogram kg
Length meter m
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electric current ampere A
Amount of substance mole mol
Prefixes are used to change the size of
Thethe unit.
Commonly Used Prefixes in the Metric
System
Fundamental SI unit of length is the
Themeter
Metric System for Measuring Length

picometer pm 0.000000000001 m or
-12
Volume

Measure of the amount of

3-D space occupied by a
substance.
SI unit = cubic meter (m3)
Commonly measure solid
volume in cm3.
1 mL = 1 cm3
1 L = 1 dm3
Mass

Measure of the amount of

matter present in an object.
SI unit = kilogram (kg)
1 kg = 2.2046 lbs
1 lb = 453.59 g
 Know the
following
equalities to
Equalities: convert between
the metric and
1 in = 2.54 cm
English systems:
(exactly)
1 cm3 = 1 mL
I L = 1.06 qt
1 kg = 2.20 lbs
Toolbox 2
 Uncertainty in
Measurement mL
Speedometers
4

30 30
20 40 20 40 mL
10 50 4
10 50
Ludicrous Ludicrous
3
km/h km/h

± ±
3

Graduated Cylinders
Toolbox 1
A digit that must be estimated is
called uncertain.
A measurement always has some
degree of uncertainty.
Record the certain digits and the first
uncertain digit (the estimated
number).
 The length of the pin occurs
Measurement of
at about 2.85 cm.
Length Using a Certain digits: 2.85
Ruler Uncertain digit: 2.85
 Precision vs. Accuracy

The precision of a measured Accuracy is

number is
the extent of the agreement between the difference between the value of a
repeated measurements of its value. measured number and its expected or
If repeated measurements are close in correct value.
value, then the number is precise, but not The number is accurate if it is close to its
necessarily accurate. true value (much like hitting a bulls-eye on
a dart board).
 Precision and Accuracy

Precision = Reproducibility Accuracy = correctness

 Precision, Accuracy, and Error
Precision refers to how close the measurements in a series are to each other.

Accuracy refers to how close each measurement is to the actual value.

Random error produces values that are both higher and lower than the actual
value. (Might improve as we get better at making measurements)

Systematic error produces values that are either all higher or all lower than
the actual value. This error is part of the experimental system. (We might be
able to fix it!)
Rules for
Counting
Significant
Figures

1. Nonzero integers
always count as
significant figures.
 3456 has 4 sig figs
(significant figures).
 26

Rules for Counting

Significant Figures
2. Zeros
There are three classes of zeros.
• Leading zeros are zeros that
precede all the nonzero
digits. These never count as
significant figures.
 0.048 has 2 sig figs.
 27

Rules for Counting Significant Figures

• Captive zeros are zeros that

fall between nonzero digits.
These always count as
significant figures.
 16.07 has 4 sig figs.
Rules for Counting Significant Figures

• Trailing zeros are zeros at the

right end of the number. They
are significant only if the
number contains a decimal
point.
 9.300 has 4 sig figs.
 150 has 2 sig figs.
Rules for Counting Significant
Figures
3. Exact numbers have an unlimited number
of significant figures.
 1 inch = 2.54 cm, exactly.
 9 pencils (obtained by counting).

Exact numbers are not compared

against a scale. Exact numbers can be
determined
– by counting
• Exactly 7 pennies in a pile
– by definition
• 1 ounce is exactly 1/16th of 1 pound
Rules for Rounding Off

1. If the digit to be removed is less than 5, the preceding

digit stays the same.
 5.64 rounds to 5.6 (if final result to 2 sig figs)
Rules for Rounding Off

2. If the digit to be removed is equal to or greater than 5, the preceding

digit is increased by 1.
 5.68 rounds to 5.7 (if final result to 2 sig figs)
 3.861 rounds to 3.9 (if final result to 2 sig figs)
⃰ It is stated that the common practice of rounding numbers is
flawed. ALEKS sometimes uses the “Five Rounding Rule”: when the digit being
dropped is 5, the preceding digit is increased if it is odd and kept the same if it is
even. If 5 is always rounded up, then the error introduced by rounding
will accumulate. For example, 3.65 rounds to 3.6 but 3.75 rounds to 3.8.
Rules for Rounding Off

3. In a series of calculations, carry the extra digits through to the

final result and then round off. This means that you should
carry all the digits that show on your calculator until you arrive
at the final number (the answer) and then round off, using the
procedures in Rules 1 & 2.
Significant Figures
in Mathematical
Operations

1. For multiplication or division, the

number of significant figures in
the result is the same as that in
the measurement with the
smallest number of significant
figures.
1.342 × 5.5 = 7.381  7.4
Significant Figures
in Mathematical
Operations
2. For addition or subtraction, the
limiting term is the one with the
smallest number of decimal places.

Your answer cannot be MORE precise than the least

precise measurement.
Significant Figures
With
addition/subtracti
on, you can gain
sig figs…
Addition/Subtraction: Mixed Operations:

Or lose
sig figs!
Without calculating,
determine the correct number
of significant figures in each
answer.
1) 17.1 + 0.77 + 241
2) 47.2 – 9
3) 1.27 x 3.1416
4) 0.072/4.36
5) The cost of 2 tickets to a
concert at $27.50 per
ticket
Problem Solving and Dimensional
Analysis

Use when converting a given result from one system of units to another.
1. To convert from one unit to another, use the equivalence statement that
relates the two units.
2. Choose the appropriate conversion factor by looking at the direction of the
required change (make sure the unwanted units cancel).
3. Multiply the quantity to be converted by the conversion factor to give the
quantity with the desired units.
4. Check that you have the correct number of sig figs.
5. Does my answer make sense?
Example #1
A golfer putted a golf ball 6.8 ft across a green. How many inches does this represent?

To convert from one unit to another, use the equivalence statement that relates
the two units.

1 ft = 12 in

The two unit factors are:

39
Example #1
A golfer putted a golf ball 6.8 ft across a green. How many inches does this represent?

Choose the appropriate conversion factor by looking at the

direction of the required change (make sure the unwanted units
cancel).
Example #1
A golfer putted a golf ball 6.8 ft across a green. How many inches does this represent?

Multiply the quantity to be converted by the conversion factor to

give the quantity with the desired units.

Correct sig figs? Does my answer make sense?

Example #2
An iron sample has a mass of 4.50 lb. What is the mass of this sample in grams?
(1 kg = 2.2046 lbs; 1 kg = 1000 g)

1 𝑘𝑔 1000 𝑔
4.50 𝑙𝑏𝑠 ∗ ∗ =2041.18660982 𝑔
2.2046 𝑙𝑏𝑠 1 𝑘𝑔
3
2040 𝑜𝑟 2.04 ∗ 10 𝑔
Three Systems for Measuring
Temperature

Fahrenheit
Celsius
Kelvin
The Three
44

Major
Temperature
Scales
Converting Between Temperature
Scales
 Exercise

The normal body temperature for a dog is approximately

102oF. What is this equivalent to on the Kelvin temperature
scale?

a) 373 K

b) 312 K

c) 289 K

d) 202 K
 Mass of substance per unit volume of
Density the substance.
Common units are g/cm3 or g/mL.
Measuring the Volume of a
Solid Object by Water
Displacement
Example #1
A certain mineral has a mass of 17.8 g and a volume of 2.35 cm3. What is the density of this
mineral?
Example #2

What is the mass of a 49.6 mL sample of a liquid, which has a density of 0.85 g/mL?
 Exercise

If an object has a mass of 243.8 g and occupies a

volume of 0.125 L, what is the density of this
object in g/cm3?

a) 0.513
b) 1.95
c) 30.5
d) 1950
 Concept Check

Copper has a density of 8.96 g/cm3. If 75.0 g of

copper is added to 50.0 mL of water in a
graduated cylinder, to what volume reading will
the water level in the cylinder rise?

a) 8.4 mL
b) 41.6 mL
c) 58.4 mL
d) 83.7 mL
Isopropyl alcohol has a density of
0.785 g/mL. What volume should be
measured to obtain 20.0 g of the
liquid?

A student needs 150 cm3 of salt for an

experiment. The density of salt is 2.16
g/cm3. How many 1 lb boxes of salt
should he buy at the grocery store?