General Chemistry I_CHM 101

Chapter 1: Problem Solving

Examples
Chapter 1 in Chemistry by Chang
28 August 2024
Example 1.1

Gold is a precious metal that is chemically unreactive.

It is used mainly in jewelry, dentistry, and electronic devices.

A piece of gold ingot with a mass of 301 g has a volume of

15.6 cm3. Calculate the density of gold.
Example 1.1(2)

Solution We are given the mass and volume and asked to

calculate the density. Therefore, from Equation (1.1), we write

𝑚
𝑑=
𝑉
301 g
=
15.6 cm3

= 19.3 gΤcm3
Example 1.2
The density of mercury, the only metal that is a liquid at room
temperature, is 13.6 g/mL. Calculate the mass of 5.50 mL of the
liquid.
Example 1.2 (2)

Solution We are given the density and volume of a liquid and

asked to calculate the mass of the liquid.
We rearrange Equation (1.1) to give

𝑚 =𝑑×𝑉
g
= 13.6 × 5.50 mL
mL
= 74.8 g
Example 1.3

(a) Solder is an alloy made of tin and lead that is used in

electronic circuits. A certain solder has a melting point of
224℃. What is its melting point in degrees Fahrenheit?

(b) Helium has the lowest boiling point of all the elements at
2452℉. Convert this temperature to degrees Celsius.

(c) Mercury, the only metal that exists as a liquid at room

temperature, melts at 238.9℃. Convert its melting point to
kelvins.
Example 1.3 (2)
Solution These three parts require that we carry out temperature conversions, so we
need Equations (1.2), (1.3), and (1.4). Keep in mind that the lowest temperature on
the Kelvin scale is zero (0 K); therefore, it can never be negative.

a) This conversion is carried out by writing

9℉
× 224℃ + 32℉ = 435℉
5℃
b) Here we have
5℃
−452℉ − 32℉ × = −269℃
9℉
c) The melting point of mercury in kelvins is given by
1K
−38.9℃ + 273.15℃ × = 234.3 K
1℃
Example 1.4
Determine the number of significant figures in the following measurements:

(a) 478 cm

(b) 6.01 g

(c) 0.825 m

(d) 0.043 kg

(e)1.310 × 1022 atoms

(f) 7000 mL
Example 1.4 (2)
Solution
(a) 478 cm -- Three, because each digit is a nonzero digit.
(b) 6.01 g -- Three, because zeros between nonzero digits are significant.
(c) 0.825 m -- Three, because zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit do not count
as significant figures.
(d) 0.043 kg -- Two. Same reason as in (c).
(e) 1.310 × 1022 atoms -- Four, because the number is greater than one so all the
zeros written to the right of the decimal point count as significant figures.
Example 1.4 (3)

(f) 7000 mL -- This is an ambiguous case. The number of

significant figures may be four (7.000 × 103 ), three (7.00 ×
103 ), two (7.0 × 103 ), or one (7 × 103 ).

This example illustrates why scientific notation must be

used to show the proper number of significant figures.
Example 1.5
Carry out the following arithmetic operations to the correct number of significant
figures:

a) 11,254.1 g + 0.1983 g
b) 66.59 L − 3.113 L
c) 8.16 m × 5.1355
d) 0.0154 kg ÷ 88.3 mL
e) 2.64 × 103 cm + 3.27 × 102 cm
Example 1.5 (2)
Solution In addition and subtraction, the number of decimal places in the answer is
determined by the number having the lowest number of decimal places. In
multiplication and division, the significant number of the answer is determined by the
number having the smallest number of significant figures.

a) 11,254.1 g
+ 0.1983 g
11,254.2983 g ⟵ round off to 11,254.3 g

b) 66.59 L
−3.113 L
63.477 L ⟵ round off to 63.48 L
Example 1.5 (3)
c) 8.16 m × 5.1355 = 41.90568 m ← round off 41.9 m

0.0154 kg
d) 88.3 mL
= 0.000174405436 kgΤmL ← round off to

0.000174 kgΤmL
or 1.74 × 10−4 kgΤmL

e) First we change 3.27 × 102 cm to 0.327 × 103 cm and then carry out the addition
2.64 cm + 0.327 cm × 103 . Following the procedure in (a), we find the answer is
2.97 × 103 cm.
Example 1.6
A person’s average daily intake of glucose (a form of sugar) is 0.0833 pound (lb).
What is this mass in milligrams (mg)?
(1 lb = 453.6 g. )
Example 1.6 (2)
Strategy The problem can be stated as

? mg = 0.0833 lb

The relationship between pounds and grams is given in the problem. This relationship
will enable conversion from pounds to grams.

A metric conversion is then needed to convert grams to milligrams ൫1 mg = 1 ×

10−3 g൯.

Arrange the appropriate conversion factors so that pounds and grams cancel and the
unit milligrams is obtained in your answer.
Example 1.6 (3)
Solution The sequence of conversions is
pounds → grams → milligrams

Using the following conversion factors

453.6 g 1 mg
and
1 lb 1×10−3 g

we obtain the answer in one step:

453.6 g 1 mg 4
? mg = 0.0833 lb × × −3
= 3.78 × 10 mg
1 lb 1 × 10 g
Example 1.6 (4)
Check As an estimate, we note that 1 lb is roughly 500 g and that 1 g = 1000 mg.
Therefore, 1 lb is roughly 5 × 105 mg.

Rounding off 0.0833 lb to 0.1 lb, we get 5 × 104 mg, which is close to the preceding
quantity.
Example 1.7

An average adult has 5.2 L of blood. What is the volume of

blood in m3 ?
Example 1.7 (2)
Strategy

The problem can be stated as

? m3 = 5.2 L

How many conversion factors are needed for this problem?

Recall that 1 L = 1000cm3 and 1 cm = 1 × 10−2 m.

Example 1.7 (3)
Solution We need two conversion factors here: one to convert liters to cm3 and one
to convert centimeters to meters:

1000cm3 1×10−2 m
and
1L l cm

Because the second conversion factor deals with length (cm and m) and we want
volume here, it must therefore be cubed to give
3
1 × 10−2 m 1 × 10−2 m 1 × 10−2 m 1 × 10−2 m
× × =
1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm

This means that 1 cm3 = 1 × 10−6 m3 .

Example 1.7 (4)

Now we can write

3
3
1000cm3 1× −2
10 m
? m = 5.2 L × × = 5.2 × 10−3 m3
1L 1 cm

Check From the preceding conversion factors you can show

that 1 L = 1 × 10−3 m3 . Therefore, 5 L of blood would be equal
to 5 × 10−3 m3 , which is close to the answer.
Example 1.8
Liquid nitrogen is obtained from
liquefied air and is used to prepare
frozen goods and in low-temperature
research.

The density of the liquid at its boiling

point −196℃ or 77 K is 0.808 gΤcm3 .
Convert the density to units of kg/m3.

liquid nitrogen
Example 1.8 (2)

Strategy The problem can be stated as

? kgΤm3 = 0.808 gΤcm3

Two separate conversions are required for this problem:

g ⟶ kg and cm3 ⟶ m3

Recall that 1 kg = 1000 g and 1 cm = 1 × 10−2 m.

Example 1.8 (3)
Solution In Example 1.7 we saw that 1 cm3 = 1 × 10−6 m3 . The conversion factors
are

1 kg 1 cm3
and
1000 g 1 × 10−6 m3

Finally

0.808 g 1 kg 1 cm 3
? kgൗm3 = × × = 808 kg Τm3
1 cm3 1000 g 1 × 10−6 m3

Check Because 1 m3 = 1 × 106 cm3 , we would expect much more mass in 1 m3 than
in 1 cm3 . Therefore, the answer is reasonable.
Example 1.9

A modern pencil “lead” is actually composed primarily of

graphite, a form of carbon.

Estimate the mass of the graphite core in a standard No. 2

pencil before it is sharpened.
Example 1.9 (2)
Strategy Assume that the pencil lead can be approximated as a cylinder.

Measurement of a typical unsharpened pencil gives a length of about 18 cm

(subtracting the length of the eraser head) and a diameter of roughly 2 mm for the
lead.

The volume of a cylinder V is given by

𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑙

where r is the radius and l is the length.

Assuming that the lead is pure graphite, you can calculate the mass of the lead from
the volume using the density of graphite given in Table 1.4.
Example 1.9 (3)
Solution
Converting the diameter of the lead to units of cm gives
1 cm
2 mm × = 0.2 cm
10 mm

which, along with the length of the lead, gives

2
0.2 cm
𝑉=𝜋 × 18 cm
2
= 0.57 cm3
Example 1.9 (4)
Rearranging Equation (1.1) gives
𝑚 =𝑑×𝑉
g
= 2.2 3 × 0.57 cm3
cm

=1g

Check Rounding off the values used to calculate the volume of the lead gives 3 ×
0.1 cm 2 × 20 cm = 0.6 cm3 .

Multiplying that volume by roughly 2 gΤcm3 gives around 1 g, which agrees with the
value just calculated.