Session 2 – Section 2.1-2.
11 Review and Lab 1
Pre-Class Learning Guide
Vocabulary/Terminology
Explain each of the following vocabulary terms in 1-2 full, coherent sentences. Do not just copy the
definition out of the book. Consider including pictures or diagrams to increase the clarity of your
explanation if necessary. You may type your explanations or hand write them.
Significant
Accuracy Precision Exact number
digits/figures
Conversion factor
Conceptual Understanding
Describe how a balance (scale) could be precise, but not accurate (give an illustrative example):
If I tell you that I have 4 L of water, is that different from me telling you that I have 3.12 L of water? How
so?
Numerical Understanding
There are four key rules for determining significant figures:
1. All nonzero digits are significant, and all zeroes between nonzeroes (sandwiched zeroes) are
significant.
2. If a decimal point is present, zeroes to the right of the last nonzero digit are significant.
3. Zeroes to the left of the nonzero numbers are never significant.
4. If there is no decimal point present, zeroes to the right of the last nonzero digit may or may not
be significant. We use scientific notation to clarify if needed.
Using the rules for significant figures, determine how many significant figures the following numbers
have and cite the rule number(s) that apply:
1
0.0023 0.4324 1.2345 33.00 0.12034 44 24.02
SI prefixes can be thought of in two ways – consider the prefix “milli-”. We see in the table in the
textbook (Table 2.2) that milli- means 10-3, or 1/1000. This tells us:
1 mg = 10-3 g
or 1 mg = 1/1000 g
The two above equations are identical. Or, if we multiply both sides by 1000,
1000 mg = 1 g
So we can think about the prefix “milli-” as meaning either that a milligram is one-one thousandth of a
gram, or as meaning that there are one thousand milligrams in a gram. Both are true!
Use this information and Table 2.2 to fill in the following:
_________ cm = 1/_______ m, or _______ cm = _______ m
Dimensional analysis is a powerful tool for solving problems by tracking the units. The key idea is that
we can always multiply any number by 1. We will make use of conversion factors, which equal 1, to
change from one unit to another. From above, we know that 1000 mg = 1 g. Or we could divide both
sides by 1 g to get
1000 mg 1 g
= =1
1g 1g
Since our numerator and denominator are equal, the result of the division is just one. We could have
instead divided both sides by 1000 mg and instead gotten
1g
1=
1000 𝑚𝑚g
We call these fractions that are equal to 1 conversion factors. We see that both 1000mg/1g and
1g/1000mg equal 1, which shows us that we can flip a conversion factor and still have it equal to 1. So
now, since we can multiply any number by 1, we can multiply numbers by conversion factors to change
their units. We do this by checking which units cancel out, leaving behind the units we want. For
example, to convert 0.00534 g to milligrams:
1000 mg
0.00534 g ∗ = 5.34 mg
1g
We have grams in the numerator (0.00534 g) and grams in the denominator (1 g), so the units of grams
cancel out. We have units of milligrams in the numerator, so that is the unit that is left behind (and it’s
the unit we wanted to solve for!)
2
Not only can we multiply by 1, but we can multiply by 1 as many times as we want, allowing us to do
even more conversions. For example, to convert from 1.0 miles per hour to meters per second,
1.0 miles 1,609.3 m 1 hour 1 minute 𝑚𝑚
∗ ∗ ∗ = 0.45
hour 1 mile 60 minutes 60 seconds 𝑠𝑠
Use what you have learned to try conversions below, being sure to show all your work. The first couple
are set up for you.
8,463 milligrams to grams 12.3 cm to inches
8,463 mg ∗ =
⬚
0.245 meters to centimeters 1.48 miles/hr to m/s
0.245 m ∗ =
⬚
0.245 cm2 to m2 2.5 hours to seconds
Precision of Laboratory Measurements Worksheet
1. You measured 100.0 mL of water using a graduated cylinder, the mass of the water is 99.435 g,
the density at the temperature of the measurement is 0.997885 g/mL.
a. The “actual volume” (calculated volume using V = mass/density) is:
A. 99.6 mL B. 99.65 mL C. 99.646 mL D. 99.6458 mL
b. Calculate the percent error of your measured volume:
A. 0.4% B. 0.35% C. 0.351% D. 0.3512%
2. You measured 44.58 mL of water using a buret, the mass of the water is 44.423 g, the density at
the temperature of the measurement is 0.997885 g/mL.
a. The “actual volume” (calculated volume using V = mass/density) is:
A. 44.5 mL B. 44.52 mL C. 44.517 mL D. 44.5172 mL
b. Calculate the percent error of your measured volume:
A. 0.1% B. 0.14% C. 0.142% D. 0.1415%