Sample Problem 1.
1 Units of Measurement
State the type of measurement indicated by the unit in each of the following:
a. 25 g b. 0.85L c. 36 m d. 17 °C
Solution
a. A gram (g) is a unit of mass.
b. A liter (L) is a unit of volume.
c. A meter (m) is a unit of length.
d. A degree Celsius (°C) is a unit of temperature.
Study Check 1.1
What type of measurement is indicated by the unit in 45 s?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.2 Scientific Notation
Write each of the following in scientific notation:
a. 45 000 m b. 0.0092 g c. 143 mL
Solution
a. To write a coefficient greater than 1 but less than 10, move the decimal point four
places to the left to give
b. To write a coefficient greater than 1 but less than 10, move the decimal point three
places to the right to give
c. To write a coefficient greater than 1 but less than 10, move the decimal point two
places to the left to give
Study Check 1.2
Write the following measurements in scientific notation:
a. 425 000 m b. 0.000 000 8 g
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.3 Rounding Off
Round off each of the following calculator displays to three significant figures:
a. 35.7823 m b. 0.002 625 L
c. d. 1.2836 kg
Solution
a. 35.8 m b. 0.002 63 L
c. d. 1.28 kg
Study Check 1.3
Round off each of the numbers in Sample Problem 1.3 to two significant figures.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.4 Addition and Subtraction
Perform each of the following calculations and give the answers with the correct number of decimal places:
a. 27.8 cm + 0.235 cm b. 153.247 g 14.82 g
Solution
a. 28.0 cm b. 138.43 g
Study Check 1.4
Perform each of the following calculations and give the answers with the correct number of decimal places:
a. 82.45 mg + 1.245 mg + 0.000 56 mg b. 4.259 L 3.8 L
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.5 Prefixes
The storage capacity for a hard disk drive (HDD) is specified using prefixes: megabyte (MB), gigabyte (GB), or
terabyte (TB). Indicate the storage capacity in bytes of each of the following hard disk drives. Suggest a reason for
describing a HDD storage capacity in gigabytes or terabytes.
a. 5 MB b. 2 GB
Solution
a. The prefix mega (M) in MB is equal to 1 000 000 or Thus, 5 MB is equal to
5 000 000 bytes.
b. The prefix giga 1G2 in GB is equal to 1 000 000 000 or Thus, 2 GB is equal to
2 000 000 000 bytes.
Expressing HDD capacity in gigabytes or terabytes gives a more reasonable number to work with than a number
with many zeros or a large power of 10.
Study Check 1.5
A hard drive has a storage capacity of 1.5 TB. How many bytes are stored?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.6 Writing Metric Relationships
Complete the following list of metric equalities:
a. 1 L = ______dL b. 1 km =_______m c. = ______mL
Solution
a. 10 dL b. 1000 m c. 1 mL
Study Check 1.6
Complete the following metric equalities:
a. 1 kg = ______ g b. 1 mL =______ L
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.7 Conversion Factors Stated in a Problem
Write the equality and its corresponding conversion factors, and identify each number as exact or give its significant
figures for each of the following statements:
a. There are 325 mg of aspirin in 1 tablet.
b. One kilogram of bananas costs $1.25 at the grocery store.
c. The EPA has set the maximum level for mercury in tuna at 0.5 ppm.
Solution
a. There are 325 mg of aspirin in 1 tablet.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.7 Conversion Factors Stated in a Problem
Continued
b. One kilogram of bananas costs $1.25 at the grocery store.
c. The EPA has set the maximum level for mercury in tuna at 0.5 ppm.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.7 Conversion Factors Stated in a Problem
Continued
Study Check 1.7
Write the equality and its corresponding conversion factors, and identify each number as exact or give its
significant figures for each of the following statements:
a. A cyclist in the Tour de France bicycle race reaches a top speed of 62.2 km/h.
b. The permissible level of arsenic in water is 10 ppb.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.8 Problem Solving Using Conversion Factors
In radiological imaging such as PET or CT scans, dosages of pharmaceuticals are based on body mass. If a person
weighs 164 lb, what is that body mass in kilograms?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write a plan to convert the given unit to the needed unit. In our problem analysis, we see that the
given unit is in the U.S. system of measurement and the needed unit is in the metric system. Therefore, we use
the conversion factor that relates the U.S. unit lb to the metric unit kg.
pounds kilograms
Step 3 State the equalities and conversion factors.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.8 Problem Solving Using Conversion Factors
Continued
Step 4 Set up the problem to cancel units and calculate the answer. Write the given, 164 lb, and the conversion
factor with the unit lb in the denominator (bottom number), which cancels the unit lb of the given unit.
Look at how the units cancel. The unit lb cancels out and the needed unit kg is the one that remains. This is
a helpful way to check that a problem is set up properly.
The calculator display gives a numerical answer, which is rounded off to give a final answer with the proper
number of significant figures (SFs).
When the value of 74.5 is combined with the unit, kg, the final answer of 74.5 kg is obtained. With few
exceptions, answers to numerical problems contain a number and a unit.
Study Check 1.8
If 1890 mL of orange juice is prepared from orange juice concentrate, how many liters of orange juice is that?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.9 Problem Solving Using Two Conversion Factors
Synthroid is a synthetic thyroid hormone that is used as a replacement or supplemental therapy for diminished
thyroid function. A dosage of 0.200 mg is prescribed. One tablet contains 50 of Synthroid. How many tablets are
required to provide the prescribed dosage?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write a plan to convert the given unit to the needed unit.
Step 3 State the equalities and conversion factors.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.9 Problem Solving Using Two Conversion Factors
Continued
Step 4 Set up the problem to cancel units and calculate the answer.
Using a sequence of two or more conversion factors is an efficient way to set up and solve problems,
especially if you are using a calculator. Once you have the problem set up, the calculations can be done
without writing out the intermediate values. This process is worth practicing until you understand unit
cancellation and the mathematical calculations.
Study Check 1.9
One medium bran muffin contains 4.2 g of fiber. How many ounces (oz) of fiber are obtained by eating three
medium bran muffins?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.10 Using a Percent as a Conversion Factor
A person who exercises regularly has 16% body fat. If this person weighs 155 lb, what is the mass, in kilograms, of
body fat?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write a plan to convert the given unit to the needed unit.
Step 3 State the equalities and conversion factors.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.10 Using a Percent as a Conversion Factor
Continued
Step 4 Set up the problem to cancel units and calculate the answer.
= 11 kg of body fat
Study Check 1.10
Uncooked lean ground beef can contain up to 22% fat by mass. How many grams of fat are in 0.25 lb of the
ground beef?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.11 Calculating Density
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) contains large amounts of proteins and small amounts of cholesterol. If a
0.258-g sample of HDL has a volume of what is the density, in g/ , of the HDL sample?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write the density expression.
Step 3 Express mass in grams and volume in .
Mass of HDL sample = 0.258 g
Volume of HDL sample = 0.215
Study Check 1.11
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.11 Calculating Density
Continued
Step 4 Substitute mass and volume into the density expression and calculate the density.
Study Check 1.11
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) contains small amounts of proteins and large amounts of cholesterol. If a
0.380-g sample of LDL has a volume of 0.362 , what is the density of the LDL sample, in
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.12 Using Volume Displacement to Calculate Density
A lead weight used in the belt of a scuba diver has a mass of 226 g. When the lead weight is placed in a
graduated cylinder containing 200.0 mL of water, the water level rises to 220.0 mL. What is the density of
the lead weight (g/mL)?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write the density expression.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.12 Using Volume Displacement to Calculate Density
Continued
Step 3 Express mass in grams and volume in milliliters (mL).
Mass of lead weight = 226 g
The volume of the lead weight is equal to the volume of water displaced, which is calculated
as follows:
Step 4 Substitute mass and volume into the density expression and calculate the density. The density is
calculated by dividing the mass (g) by the volume (mL). Be sure to use the volume of water displaced and
not the original volume of water.
Study Check 1.12
A total of 0.500 lb of glass marbles is added to 425 mL of water. The water level rises to a volume of 528 mL.
What is the density (g/mL) of the glass marbles?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.13 Problem Solving Using Density
If the density of milk is 1.04 g/mL, how many grams of milk are in 0.50 qt of milk?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write a plan to calculate the needed quantity.
Step 3 Write equalities and their conversion factors, including density.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.13 Problem Solving Using Density
Continued
Step 4 Set up the problem to calculate the needed quantity.
Study Check 1.13
The density of maple syrup is 1.33 g/mL. A bottle of maple syrup contains 740 mL of syrup. What is the
mass of the syrup?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.14 Problem Solving with Specific Gravity
John took 2.0 teaspoons (tsp) of cough syrup. If the syrup has a specific gravity (sp gr) of 1.20, and there are
5.0 mL in 1 tsp, what was the mass, in grams, of the cough syrup?
Solution
Step 1 State the given and needed quantities.
Analyze the Problem
Step 2 Write a plan to calculate the needed quantity.
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake
Sample Problem 1.14 Problem Solving with Specific Gravity
Continued
Step 3 Write equalities and their conversion factors, including density. For problem solving, it is convenient
to convert the specific gravity value (1.20) to density.
Step 4 Set up the problem to calculate the needed quantity.
Study Check 1.14
An ebony carving has a mass of 275 g. If ebony has a specific gravity of 1.12, what is the volume, in milliliters,
of the carving?
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 4/e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Karen C. Timberlake