Ch.1 - Chemical Tools: Experimentation & Measurement

McMurry8th EditionChemistryISBN: 9781292336145Not the one you use?Change textbook

McMurry 8th Edition

Ch.1 - Chemical Tools: Experimentation & Measurement

Problem 29

Chapter 1, Problem 29

How many milliliters of water does the graduated cylinder in (a) contain, and how tall in centimeters is the paper clip in (b)? How many significant figures do you have in each answer?

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Step 1: Observe the water level in the graduated cylinder (a). The meniscus is at the 70 mL mark.

Step 2: Record the volume of water in the graduated cylinder as 70 mL.

Step 3: Observe the height of the paper clip in image (b) using the ruler. The top of the paper clip aligns with the 6 cm mark.

Step 4: Record the height of the paper clip as 6 cm.

Step 5: Determine the number of significant figures for each measurement. For the graduated cylinder, the measurement is 70 mL, which has 2 significant figures. For the paper clip, the measurement is 6 cm, which has 1 significant figure.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Volume Measurement

Volume measurement is the quantification of the three-dimensional space occupied by a substance, typically expressed in milliliters (mL) or liters (L). In the context of the graduated cylinder, the water level indicates the volume, which can be read directly from the scale marked on the cylinder. Accurate reading requires observing the meniscus, the curve formed by the liquid's surface.

Height Measurement

Height measurement refers to determining the vertical extent of an object, often expressed in centimeters (cm) or meters (m). In this case, the height of the paper clip can be measured using a ruler, ensuring that the measurement is taken from the base to the top of the object. Proper alignment and reading at eye level help avoid parallax errors.

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision, including all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion. When reporting measurements, it is crucial to express the result with the correct number of significant figures to reflect the precision of the measuring instrument used, which is essential for scientific accuracy.

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Textbook Question

Aerogels are transparent, low-density materials that are nearly 99.8% empty space and excellent insulators against hot and cold. The density of a silica-based aerogel is 3.0 mg/cm3. What is the density in units of g/m3? (LO 1.17) (a) 3.0 * 10-3 g/m3(b) 3.0 * 101 g/m3 (c) 3.0 g/m3(d) 3.0 * 103 g/m3

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Textbook Question

Which block in each of the following drawings of a balance is more dense, red or green? Explain.

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Textbook Question

What is the temperature reading on the fol-lowing Celsius thermometer? How many sig-nificant figures do you have in your answer?

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Textbook Question

Assume that you have two graduated cylinders, one with a capacity of 5 mL (a) and the other with a capacity of 50 mL (b). Draw a line in each, showing how much liquid you would add if you needed to measure 2.64 mL of water. Which cylinder will give the more accurate measurement? Explain.

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Textbook Question

The following cylinder contains three liquids that do not mix with one another: water (density = 1.0 g/mL), vegetable oil (density = 0.93 g/mL), and mercury (density = 13.5 g/mL). Which liquid is which?

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Textbook Question

The following statements pertain to the development of the theory of combustion by the French chemist Lavoisier in the eighteenth century. Match the statement with the appro-priate step (observation, hypothesis, experiment designed to test hypothesis) in the scientific method (a) A metal is burned in a closed container, and the change in mass of the solid and volume of the gas is measured.

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