Unit 1 – Introduction to Chemistry

Time Frame 2 weeks

Competencies
C1. Identify chemistry processes in daily life.
C2. Appreciate the achievements of Filipino and foreign scientists in the development of
chemistry and related technology.
C3. Demonstrate understanding of mathematical concepts in chemistry.

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS – SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN SCIENTIFIC

CALCULATIONS

Time Frame 2 sessions

I. Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, the students must know how to use significant figures in
scientific calculations. They must be able to:
1.Observe and record data;
2.Explain why we use significant figures;
3.Identify the number of significant digits in a given measurement;
4.Round off calculations to the proper number of significant digits; and
5.Appreciate the importance of setting properties in life.

II. Subject Matter

A. Topic: Definition, rules, and applications of significant figures
B. References
1.Department of Education, Culture and Sports. (1991). Science and
Technology III. Quezon City: Book Media Press, pp. 16-20.
2.Brown, Theodore l., LeMay, H. Eugene Jr., and Bursten, Bruse E.,
Chemistry the Central Science, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000, pp. 12-
24.
3.Hill John W., and Kolb, Doris K., Chemistry for Changing Times, 7th
Edition, London: Prentice Hall International, pp.20-23.
4.Mapa, Amelia R., et al. “Science and Technology”.

C. Materials
Ruler
Graduated cylinder (substitute: baby feeding bottle or medicine cup)
Calculator
Liquid A: 2 gram of baking soda dissolved in 20 ml of water
 Liquid B: ½ teaspoon of detergent dissolved in 20 mL of vinegar

III. Learning tasks

A. Recall and Motivation
1.A graduated cylinder (or baby feeding bottle) with water is placed on the
teacher’s table. Ask for volunteers to write the volume reading on the
board. Ask the students to recall the proper procedure for taking volume
readings of liquids in a graduated cylinder. (for all liquids except mercury,
their volume should be read at the lower meniscus. For mercury, the
volume read at its upper meniscus.)
2. How sure are we of the numbers on the graduated cylinder or baby
feeding bottle? (The value of half of the smallest graduation is usually the
accuracy of the container.)
3. Can we talk of decimal places when reading the volume of the liquid?
B. Lesson Proper
1. Activity: “The White Foam” ( SAS 1-03a)
a. Put equal amounts of Liquids A and B I two separate beakers
(or glass jars).
b. Ask the students to carefully pour the contents of beaker A into
a 100-mL graduated cylinder (or a 250-mL feeding bottle),
followed by the contents of beaker B.
c. Measure the volume covered by the rising froth or foam, by
noting the starting volume and ending volume of the foam.
d. Also measure the height of the foam.
2. Discussion/ Concept Formation
a. The graduated cylinder or feeding bottle is a container that
measures volume. The unit is in millilitre (mL). What volume
did the students get?
b. The height of the foam is measured with a ruler in centimetre
(cm). What height did the students get?
c. Ask the following questions:
i. Which of the digits are certain? Uncertain?
ii. The last digit, which is estimated, is still included in the
counting of significant figures. The digit before it is certain.
iii. What are the significant figures or digits? Significant digits
are those that are known or certain digits plus one uncertain
digit.
d. Use Flash cards with different measurements written on them.
Ask the students to determine the number of significant digits
 present by applying the rules to follow in determining the
number of significant figures.
i. Rule 1: All nonzero digits are significant.
Ex. 12,235= 5 significant digits
ii. Rule 2a: Zeros are significant when found between 2
nonzero digits.
Ex. 250. 6= 4 significant digits
iii. Rule 2b: Zeros are significant when found after a decimal
point.
Ex. 5.00= 3 significant digits
iv. Rule 2b: Zeros are significant when found after a nonzero
digit in a decimal number.
Ex. 5.030 = significant digits
v. Rule 3a: Zeros are not significant when used as a place
indicator….
Ex. 0.003 = 1 significant digit
vi. Rule 3b: Zeros are not significant when used to call
attention to a decimal point….
Ex. 0.003 = 1 significant digit
vii. Rule 4: Zeros at the end of a number without a decimal
point may or may not be significant. We remove the
ambiguity by using scientific notation.
Ex. 30,000 = 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 significant digits;
3 x 104 = 1 significant digit
3.0 x 104 = 2 significant digits
3.00 x 104 = 3 significant digits
3.000 x 104 = 4significant digits
3.0000 x 104 = 5 significant digits

YOU MAY END SESSION 1 AT THIS POINT

3. Activity: “How Significant is my Measurement?” (SAS 1-03b)

By partners, students are instructed by the teacher to measure objects like
books, notebooks, and erasers using a centimetre-ruler. They should
compute for the volume of each of the objects that they measured.

Ex. What are the length, width and thickness of the book in figure 2? Find
its volume. How many significant figures would be reflected in the
volume of the book? Why?
4. Discussion/ Concept Formation
 a. Depending on the ruler used, the students can determine up to
how many decimal places they should read. Most centimetre
rulers have 1-mm marks, and they can estimate to 0.5 mm.
Thus, their readings should go to 2 decimal places.
b. The teacher then discusses the rules in determining the number
of significant digits mathematical calculations.
i. Rule 1: I addition and subtraction, round-off the answer so
that It has the same number of decimal places as the quantity
with the least number of decimal places.
ii. Rule 2: in multiplication and division, round-off the answer so
that it has the same number of significant digits as the quantity
with the fewest number of significant digits.
c. Give several exercises applying the different rules for mastery.
C. Generalization
Fixing the concepts may be done through concepts strips or through
simulation games like “Loop the World” or “Letter Maze”. Letters or
terms are juggled and students are asked rearranging the letters or terms to
for a word or phrase. After they’ve successfully done this, they will then
define the word or phrase.
Ex. Letter Maze: one adjective per line referring to digits
E R A T I C N
S D M A T I T E E
S T I G I A F I N C N

Answer
- Certain- refers to known digits in a measurement
- Estimated- refers to the uncertain digit
- Significant digits- refers to the known digits plus the estimated

D. Valuing/ Application
1.How reliable are our measurements? What factors affect their reliability?
2.How careful are we in our measurements in daily life? Is it part of our
culture to be careful in measurements?
3.What are some disadvantages of unreliable measurements?

E. Assessment
1.How many significant figures are in the following measurements?
a. 10 km
b. 10.0 g
c. 20.00 L
 d. 1296 cm
e. 25,000 L
f. 0.01 mm
g. 0.15 mg
h. 27,060 m2
i. 15,000 m
j. 0.000650 kg
2.How many significant digits would the answers have?
a. 25.6 g + 3.5 g + 0.2 g1
b. 6.42 cm – 8.5 cm
c. (8.6 m) (3.27 m)
d. (0.03 s)( 1.637 s)
e. 25.56 cm2 ÷ 0.05 cm