Inorganic and Organic Chemistry

Chapter 2: STANDARDS FOR MEASUREMENT

CHAPTER OUTLINE:
2.1 Significant Figures
 Rules for Determining Significant Figures
 Rules in Rounding off Numbers
2.2 Scientific Notation
2.3 The Metric System and International System
2.4 Mass and Weight
2.5 Measurement of Length
2.6 Measurement of Volume
2.7 Measurement of Temperature

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

 To be able to demonstrate the understanding of mathematical concepts in chemistry.

 Express measurements into its appropriate significant figures.
 Express quantities in scientific notation.
 Using dimensional analysis, convert measures of length, volume, mass and temperature
from one unit to another.
 To be able to familiarize the common laboratory equipment.

2.1 SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

We are usually dealing with three kinds of numbers, these are counted, defined and measured
numbers. When items are expressed in exact whole number this are considered COUNTED NUMBERS. For
example, we are counting the number of BSMLS students of First Year, the number is always exact whole
number, never a fraction. Meanwhile, DEFINED relations also involve exact whole number but are NOT
ALWAYS exact whole numbers. By definition there are exactly 12 inches per foot. This number comes
from definition, not measurement. MEASURED NUMBERS on the other hand, come from reading
measuring device; they are never exact like the height of a person.

NOTE: All digits that are part of a measurement are called SIGNIFICANT FIGURES, or Significant digits.

RULES IN SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

1. All non-zero digits are significant.

Example: 945.36 meter (has 5 significant numbers)
4.27 centimeter (has 3 significant figures)

2. All zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit are not significant; they are actually
decimal place holders to show the position of the decimal point.
Example: 0.0069 mg has two significant figures

NOTE: 0.0069 g and 6.7 mg are two ways of expressing the same measurement
they both have 2 significant figures.

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Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
3. Zeros between nonzero digits are always significant.
Example: 34002 grams (5 significant figures)
Whereas, 0.00004001 meter (4 significant figures)

4. Zeros that follow the nonzero digits and are on the right of the decimal point are
significant digits.
Example: 151.0 grams (4 significant figures)
0.67890 meter has 5 significant figures (The zero on the left of the
decimal is NOT significant but the zero on the right is significant)

5. Trailing zeros are ambiguous, they may or may not be significant. These are zeros
to the right of nonzero digits in numbers that contain no decimal point.
Example: 25000 m has 5 significant figures if it is measured to the nearest 1m,
or 2 significant figures if it is measured to the nearest 1000m.

NOTE: The ambiguity comes from the fact that zeros may be part of the
measurement or they may be placeholders. This ambiguity may be resolved by
expressing the numbers into scientific notation.

Thus: 2.5 x 104 m has two significant figures.

2.50 x 104m has three significant figures.
2.500 x 104m has four significant figures.
2.5000 x 104m has five significant figures.

RULES IN ROUNDING OFF NUMBERS

RULE 1: When the first digit after those you want to retain is 4 or less, that digit and all others to
its right are dropped. The last digit retained is not changed.

RULE 2: When the first digit after those you want to retain is 5 or greater, that digit and all others
to the right are dropped and the last digit retained is increased by one.

2.2 SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

Very large and very small numbers are often used in chemistry and can be simplified and
conveniently written using a power of 10. Writing a number as a power of 10 is called SCIENTIFIC
NOTATION. The use of scientific notation is very indispensable especially in writing very large number
such the distance of the Earth and the moon, or very small number like the length of an
Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli).
To write a certain number into a scientific notation, move the decimal point in the original
number so that it is located after the nonzero digit. This new number is multiplied by 10 raised to the
proper power (exponent). The power of 10 is equal to the number of places that the decimal point has
been moved.

NOTE: If the decimal is moved to the left, the power of 10 will be a positive number. But if the decimal
moves to the right, the power of 10 will be negative.

2468 = 2.468 x 103

number scientific notation of

the number

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Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
2.3 THE METRIC SYSTEM AND INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

The metric system, or International System (SI, from Systeme International) is a decimal system of
units for measurement of mass, length, time and other physical quantities. To express quantities that are
larger or smaller than the standard units, prefixes are added to the names of the units. These prefixes
represent multiples of 10, making the metric system a decimal system of measurement.

Table 2.1 Names, symbols and numerical values of the prefixes

QUANTITY NAME OF UNIT ABBREVIATION

Length meter m
Mass kilogram kg
Temperature kelvin K
Time second s
Amount of substance mole mol
Electric current ampere A
Luminous intensity candela cd
Table 2.2 International System’s Standard Units of Measurement

2.4 MASS AND WEIGHT

Although we often use mass and weight interchangeably in our everyday lives, they have quite
difference in chemistry. In science we define the MASS of a body as the amount of matter in the body.
The mass of an object is a fixed and unvarying quantity that is independent of the object’s location.

FORMULA: Mass = volume × density

SI UNIT: Kilogram (kg)

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Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
Scientists define the WEIGHT of an object as the measure of the earth’s gravitational attraction
for that object. Weight is measured by an object known as scale, which measure force against a spring.
Unlike mass, weight greatly varies in relation to the position of an object on Earth.

FORMULA: Weight = mass × acceleration due to gravity

SI UNIT: Newton (N)

2.5 MEASUREMENT OF LENGTH

Reference standards of measurements have undergone continuous improvements in precision.

The standard unit in the metric system of length is meter (m).

A meter is 39.37 inches, a little longer than 1 yard. One meter is equivalent to 10 decimeters,
100 centimeters or 1000 millimeters (refer to the table below). A kilometer is equivalent to 1000 meters.
The nanometer (10-9 m) is used extensively in expressing the wavelength of light, as well as atomic
dimensions.

Common length relationships:

1 mile = 1.609
1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 cm = 10 mm = 0.01 m

Example: The distance between Vigan City and Manila City is 2445 miles. What is this distance in
kilometers?

First, set up the conversion so that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want kilometers
to be the remaining unit.

Distance in km = (distance in mi) x (1.609 km/1 mi)

Distance in km = (2445) x (1.609 km/1 mi)
Distance in km = 3934 km

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Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
2.6 MEASUREMENT OF VOLUME

The amount of space occupied by matter is known as VOLUME. The SI unit of volume is cubic
meter (m3). However, the liter (L) and milliliter (mL) are the standard unit of volume used in most
chemical laboratories. A liter is usually defined as 1 cubic decimeter (1 kg) of water at 4 degree Celsius.

The most common instruments or equipment for measuring liquids are the graduated cylinder,
volumetric flask, buret, and pipette. These pieces are usually made of glass and are available in various
sizes.

Volume (m3) = Length x Width x Height

Example: How many cubic centimeters are in cube that is 11.1 inches on a side?

NOTE: First, change inches to centimeters; conversion factor is 2.54 cm / inches.

(11.1 in.) (2.54 cm / 1 in.) = 28.2 cm on a side

Next is to determine the volume:

(28.2 cm) (28.2 cm) (28.2 cm) = 22, 426 cm3 (2.24 x 104 cm3)

2.7 MEASUREMENT OF TEMPERATURE

Temperature is a measure of the amount of heat energy possessed by an object . Because

temperature is a relative measurement, scales based on reference points must be used to accurately
measure temperature. There are three main scales commonly used in the world today to measure
temperature: the Fahrenheit (°F) scale, the Celsius (°C) scale, and the Kelvin (K) scale.

Celsius to Fahrenheit ° F = 9/5 (°C) + 32

Fahrenheit to Celsius ° C = 5/9 (°F- 32)
Celsius to Kelvin K = ° C + 273

For example, say the temperature outside is 18 °C and you want to know what this would equal in
Fahrenheit. Here’s how your equation would look once you plug in 18 for °C:

° F = (1.8) (18) + 32
= (32.4) + 32
= 64.4 °F

Here’s another example if you want to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: say you’re feeling ill and your body
temperature is 101.3 °F. To find out what’s the equivalent in Celsius, simply plug 101.3 into the °F part in
the second equation written above:

°C = (101.3 - 32) / 1.8

= (69.3) / 1.8
= 38.5 °C

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