CHEMISTRY IS LARGELY A QUANTITATIVE SCIENCE • Theories and ideas are tested by measurement• Measurements are usually quantitative – have numbers• Science is built on a foundation of mathematics.
In recording measurements, it is necessary to understand 1. SIGNIFICANCE of numbers 2. importance of UNITS.
Learning Objectives about Units
1. Understand importance of units in measurement
2. Identify common “metric” units3. Apply common metric prefixes4. Use simple unit conversions5. Recognize the scales of temperature 6. Perform conversions between
temperature scales
Systems of measurements
English System - what the United States uses today derived from the 'Kings" feet (Old England). Also known as the United States Customary System (USCS)Units
1 foot (“big feet") 1 inch (knuckle) 1 yard (King Henry I - nose to thumb)
System Internationale (S.I.): the “new”
The creation of the decimal Metric System at the time of the French Revolution and the creation of two platinum standards representing the meter and the kilogram was the first step in the development of the present International System of Units.Science has adopted the S.I. When we say “metric” we mean S.I.
Know one’s units
Not only inexperienced chemistry students can be confused by unitsWhoops!
Prefixes
Remember these: case is important – compare M and m
mega- (M) 1,000,000 106
kilo- (k) 1,000 103
deci- (d) 1/10 10-1
centi- (c) 1/100 10-2
milli- (m) 1/1,000 10-3
micro- () 1/1,000,000 10-6
nano- (n) 1/1,000,000,000 10-9
The seven fundamental units of measurementPhysical property Name of unit SymbolLength meter mMass kilogram kgTime second sElectrical current ampere A
Temperature Kelvin KLuminous intensity candela Cd
Amount of substance mole mol
Length: meter (m)
Length is a fundamental unit. In the metric system, the meter is a the standard unit for measuring length. It is a little longer than a yard. The standard unit of metric length is kept in Paris. It is equal to 39.37 inches. Since the meter is equal to 100 centimeters (cm), then 1 inch is equal to 2.54 cm. Comparisons:
centimeter - width of your fingernail kilometer - 0.60 miles millimeter - thickness of a dime
Mass: kilogram (kg)Mass is a fundamental unit; it is a measure of the quantity of matter present. Although we typically use the words mass and weight interchangeably in normal conversation, mass and weight actually have different meanings. Weight includes the effect of gravity on mass. In a space capsule, your weight would be zero (absence of gravity) but your mass would be the same value as it was on earth. The standard unit of mass is the kilogram (kg). Conversions factors:
1 pound = 454 g2.2 pounds (lb) = 1 kilogram (kg)1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg) or 1 mg = 0.001 g1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g) or 1 g = 0.001 kg
Volume – volume is a derived unit (using length units). It is a measure of space. In simple terms, it is a measure of three (3) length units in three dimensions (breadth, length and width). The standard unit of measurement is the meter cubed (m3) or the centimeter cubed (cm3).In chemistry, volume is typically measured for a liquid. The standard unit of measurement for a liquid is the liter (L). The liter is similar to a quart in the English system. Conversion factors:
1 liter (L) = 1.06 quarts (qt)1 quart (qt) = 0.946 liters (L)1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (ml) or1 milliliter (ml) = 0.001 liter (L)1 milliliter (ml) = 20 drops At room temperature, 1 milliliter (ml) of water = 1 cm3. (or 1 CC)
Temperature A fundamental unit. There are three(3) temperature scales
BPH20 FPH2O Difference (1) Fahrenheit (F) 212° 32° 180°(2) Celsius (centigrade) (C) 100° 0° 100°(3) Kelvin (K) 373 273 100
Conversion:Kelvin to Celsius (K -> C) C = K - 273 Celsius to Kelvin (C -> K) K = C + 273 Celsius to Fahrenheit (C -> F)
i multiply C x 9/5 ii Add C x 9/5 + 32
Fahrenheit to Celsius (F -> C) i add F - 32 ii multiply (F - 32) x 5/9
Derived units
Derived units can be resolved into combinations of fundamental unitsArea and volume involve only the units of lengthMost involve combinations of different units
Dimensions
It is important to keep track of the dimensions in derived units.All the more when making conversions:
1 cm = 10 mm1 cm2 = 100 mm2
1 cm3 = 1,000 mm3
Conversion factors
Making conversions between different units is very importantAlways keep track of the unitsMake use of unit factors
There are 1000 mg in 1 g (conversion factor)1000 mg/1 g = 1; 1 g/1000 mg = 1 (unit factors)There are two unit factors for any conversion
Unit factors at work
How many grams are there in 2680 mg of sucrose?
We know there are 1 000 mg in 1 g1 g/1000 mg = 1 (unit factor)
? g = amount in mg x unit factor? g = 2680 mg x 1 g/1000 mg = 2.680 g
Unit factor has value of 1 – no change in valueApplication of unit factor causes old units to cancelNever forget to show units of any measurement – unless it is a unit-less quantity
Handy conversions
Density
Mass divided by volumeUnits are:
g/cm3(solid)g/mL (liquid)g/m3 (gas)
Density and temperature
In most cases, the density of a substance decreases with temperature. (Why is that?)Water provides a critical exception to the rule