CHEM 211 - GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Scientific Measurement

Chemistry is an experimental and a quantitative science. The development of its

principles is based on carefully designed experiments carried out under controlled conditions.

At the heart of any quantitative experiment in our surroundings and in laboratories is

the performance of operations called measurements. Measurements are made nearly
everyday, not only in the laboratory but in every establishment and even at home.

This lesson will take you to the world of scientific measurements. Read this lesson
and learn to appreciate its importance.

METRIC – The Universal Language of Scientific Measurement

- Measurement is the process of comparing a known quantity like a measuring

device to an unknown quantity or the things or objects to be measured. It is the
process of determining how many times a certain quantity is contained in a
standard measuring device.
- The scientific system of measurement is called the metric system. The metric
system is often referred to as the International System of Units, or SI.
- Scientists throughout the world use the metric system of measurement. The two
subdivisions of the metric system are the mks (meter-kilogram-second) and cgs
(centimeter-gram-second). It is based on units of ten. SI consists of three classes
of units that form coherent set base units, derived units and supplementary units.
- There are seven basic or fundamental units considered in the SI.

Fundamental Quantities are quantities that can be measured directly using measuring devices.

Basic Types of Physical Quantities

1. Mass (m) is a basic property of matter. It is the measure of the amount of matter it
contains. The standard unit of mass is the kilogram, kg. One kilogram (kg) is the
mass of 1 liter (L) of water at 4C and a pressure of 1 atmosphere (atm). The mass
of an object remains the same even if the position of the object is changed with
reference to the earth’s center. It is measured using the triple beam balance or the
equal arm balance.
2. Length (l) is a distance between two distinct points. It is measured by using a metric
ruler. Width (w) is also a length, and height (h), is the vertical distance. The basic
unit is the meter (m).
3. Time (t) is the regular interval between two successive points. The standard unit of
time is the second. The second was originally defined in terms of the motion of the
earth, but it was revised and instead compared to vibrations of cesium atoms.
4. Temperature (T) is the measure of the hotness or coldness of an object. It is
technically defined as the measure of the average kinetic energy of a body. Kelvin
(K) is used as the basic unit.
5. Electric current (I) is the measure of the flow of electrons or charges. An ammeter
is used to measure current expressed as Ampere (A).
6. Luminous intensity (E) is the amount of illumination received by an object. The
unit of measure used to describe this is candela (cd).
7. Amount of substance (n) is the number of moles. The basic unit is the mole or mol.

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The different units of measurements are used in our day-to-day activities. When you go
the gas station to fill up your gas tank, the unit of measurement used is liter. In the sari- sari
store or supermarket, the units used for mass are grams and kilograms. For volume, milliliters
or liters are used. On road markers, the distances are measured in kilometers.

The most common measurements you will be using in the laboratory are those of length,
mass, volume and temperature.

The Common Metric Units

Length Mass
1 meter, m = 100 centimeters, cm 1 kilogram, kg = 1 000 grams, g
1 meter, m = 1000 millimeters, mm 1 gram, g = 1000 milligrams, mg
1 meter, m = 1000 000 micrometers, µm 1000 kilograms, kg = 1 metric ton
1000 meters, m = 1 kilometer, km
Volume Temperature
1 Liter, L = 1000 milliliters, mL C = 5/9(F – 32) or
1 Liter, L = 1000 cubic centimeter, cc C = (F – 32)/ 1.8
F = 9/5(C) +32 or
F = 1.8(C) +32
Kelvin, K = C + 273

The Table of Prefixes

Prefix Symbol Powers of Ten Example
Deci D 0.1 =10-1 decimeter, dm
Centi C 0.01 =10-2 centimeter, cm
Milli M 0.001 =10-3 milligram, mg
Micro µ 0.000001 =10-6 microgram, µg
Nano n 0.000000001 =10-9 nanometer, nm
1
Deka da 10 = 10 dekagram, dag
Hecto h 102 = 100 hectometer, hm
Kilo k 103 = 1 000 kilogram, kg
Mega M 106 = 1 000 000 Megagram, Mg
9
Giga G 10 = 1 000 000 000 Gigameter, Gm

Metric – English Equivalents

Metric English
1 Liter, L 1.06 quartz, qt.
250 milliliter, mL 1 cup, c
1 kilogram, kg 2.2 pounds, lb.
28.3 grams, g 1 ounce, oz.
3.79 Liters, L 1 gallon, gal.

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 CHEM 211 - GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Study the examples.

Problem 1: Convert 75 millimeters (mm) to its corresponding length in…

a. meters
b. centimeters
c. kilometers
solution for for mm to m
1𝑚 75𝑚
75𝑚𝑚 = = = 0.075𝑚
1000𝑚𝑚 1000
solution for for mm to m
100𝑐𝑚
0.075𝑚 = = 0.75𝑥100𝑐𝑚 = 7.5𝑐𝑚
1𝑚
solution for for cm to km
1𝑚 1𝑘𝑚 7.5𝑘𝑚
7.5𝑐𝑚 = 𝑥 = = 0.000075𝑘𝑚
100𝑐𝑚 1000𝑚 100,000

Problem 2: Change 430 milligrams to grams

From the Table of Prefixes, milli = 10-3

Change the powers of ten to a prefix. 430 x 10-3 grams
By the use of scientific notation, it would be 4.30 x 102 x 10-3
The final answer is 4.30 x 10-1

Problem 3: 5 gallons of mineral is equivalent to how many liters?

3.79𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
5 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑠 = = 18.95𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
1 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛

Problem 4: 2 x 109 bytes = 2 Gigabytes or 20 Gb

Problem 5: The normal body temperature is 37C. What is its equivalent in F and K?
Formula:
5 𝐅 – 32
if C is unknown 𝐂 = (𝐅 – 32) or 𝐂 =
9 1.8

9
if F is unknown 𝐅 = ( · 𝐂) + 32 or 𝐅 = (1. 8 · 𝐂) + 32
5

if Kelvin is unknown 𝐊 = 𝐂 + 273

Solution

F = (1.8 · C) + 32 = (1.8 · 37C) + 32 = 66.6 + 32 = 98. 6𝐅

K = C + 273 = 37C + 273 = 376𝐊

Another problem for temperature: if 98F is equal to C

F – 32 98F – 32 66
C = = = = 36. 67𝐂
1.8 1.8 1.8

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Problem 6: The density of water in the cgs is 1 g/cm3. What is its density in mks?
1𝑔 (100𝑐𝑚)3 1𝑘𝑔 1𝑔 (102𝑐𝑚)3 1𝑘𝑔
𝑥 𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑥 3
𝑐𝑚3 1𝑚3 1000𝑔 𝑐𝑚3 1𝑚3 10 𝑔
1𝑔 106𝑐𝑚3 1𝑘𝑔
= 𝑥 1𝑚3 𝑥 103𝑔
𝑐𝑚3

106𝑘𝑔
=
103𝑚3
10 𝒌𝒈
3 𝒌𝒈
= 𝒐𝒓 1000
𝒎3 𝒎3

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 CHEM 211 - GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF MATTER

Matter is the substance of which all material is made. That means objects which have
mass. Energy is used in science to describe how much potential a physical system has to
change. In physics, energy is a property of matter.

PROPERTIES, CHANGES AND CLASSIFICATION OF MATTER

MATTER:
Matter is term used to describe anything that has mass and takes up space. Examples
are bricks, desk, pencil and air that have mass and take up space.
STATES OF MATTER:
 Solid - particles are tightly compact
- Particles vibrate without the ability to move freely
- Fixed shape and volume
 Liquid - particles are tightly compact, but able to move around close to
each other
- fairly fixed, but shapes vary with container
 Gas - particles can easily spread out or move close together
- particles move freely and with a lot of energy
- both volume and shape are variable
 Plasma - particles are broken apart
- particles move freely and with extremely high energy
- both volume and shape are variable.
 Bose-Einstein Condensate (new state) - exist extremely cold temperature
- articles are super unexcited
- particles lock or “clump” together so firmly that they move as a
single unit
- definite shape and volume

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Physical Properties are characteristics of a material that can be observed or measured without
changing the composition of a substances. Such change occurs as to: color, hardness, density,
texture, shape, size and phase.

Chemical Properties are properties that relate to the ability of a substance to react with other
substances, or to transform from one substance to another. The chemical properties of a
substance relate to its chemical composition and the way the atoms in the molecules are
chemically bonded together.

Examples:
 Iron will rust
 Methane in natural gas will react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water and
heat energy.
 Baking soda will react with vinegar to produce carbon dioxide and water.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES OF MATTER

Physical Change is a change in a form of substance without a change in its identity. A

substance may change in phase (solid, liquid or gas), or it may change in some other physical

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 CHEM 211 - GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
property. But its chemical composition does not change.
Examples:
 Boiling of water (liquid water, ice and steam are just a liquid, solid and gas forms
H2O.
 Freezing of water to form ice
 Chewing of food
 Sharpening of a pencil
 Crystallization of sugar from a sugar solution
 Melting of Gold

Chemical Change is a change of identity or chemical makeup of a substance. A change that

involves a rearrangement of the way atoms are bonded is a chemical change.
Examples:
 Digestion of food
 Combustibility- the ability to react with oxygen. (e.g. burning a candle or a match,
burning of fuel)
 Electrolysis of water (breaking up of water into hydrogen and oxygen)
 Reactivity-the ability to be changed chemically because of a reaction with another
chemical substance such as the development of gas (e.g. from the reaction of vinegar
and baking soda)
 Formation of a precipitate (e.g. silver nitrate and salt water, or cooling a solution of
sodium nitrate and water.
 Change in color (e.g. burning toast, or reactions of bleaching agent to colored cloth,
or cooking of an egg.
 Oxidation (or rusting) of steel wool in water.

SUBSTANCES (PURE SUBSTANCES) AND MIXTURES

Matter can be subdivided into two categories:
 Substances
 Mixtures

Pure Substances are homogeneous and is made of one particular kind of matter. They
are either classified as an element or a compound. Gold, silver, calcium, a glass of water and
sugar are examples of pure substances.
A Mixture is a physical combination of two or more substances that are not chemically
combined with each other and can be separated by physical means. The substances in a mixture
retain their individual properties.

The following are some of the properties and characteristics of mixtures:

1. Components: retain its properties and combining them
Examples: 1. Salt + water = salt water mixture
(The salty taste identifies the salt as one of the components of the mixtures)
2. Chemical system: both homogeneous and heterogeneous
a. Homogenous Mixture – one phase uniform in appearance
Example: Sugar + water = sugar water mixture
b. Heterogeneous Mixture – two or more observable phases
Example: Oil + water = oil and water mixture
3. Boiling Point: vary in a mixture
The boiling point of mixture differs while the boiling point of a substance is fixed.

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 CHEM 211 - GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Example: Pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
4. Can be separated by a physical process
These are some ways you can separate mixtures:
 Filtration- complete separation of solid from liquid particles
Example: Calamansi Juice extract
 Magnetic Division – uses a magnet to separate the mixtures substance
Example: Iron filling and Sand
 Decantation- used when all insoluble solid components of the mixture settledown.
Example: rice grain + water
 Distillation – involves the process of evaporation and condensation.
Example: Alcohol in water (as heat applied, alcohols evaporated first while water
remain

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