SCIENTIFIC MEASUREMENT

- Uy, Ricardo Jr. F.

A. Determine the number of significant figures in the following measurements and express
them in proper scientific notation: (10)
Significant Figures Scientific Notation
1. 20 students = 1 2 × 101
2. 0.004 50 m = 3 4.50 × 10-3
3. 510 J = 2 5.1 × 102
4. 281. 70 x 10-4 nm = 5 2.8170 × 102
5. 0.0000763 x 109 μm = 3 7.63 × 10-5
6. 3.8200 x 102 L = 5 3.8200 × 102
7. 0. 8720 cm = 4 8.720 × 10-1
8. 27 x 103 kg = 2 2.7 × 104
9. 0.00179 in = 3 1.79 × 10-3
10. 9605000 km = 4 9.605 × 106

B. Convert the following numbers from scientific notation to standard notation and round off
to three significant figures. (10)
Standard Notation Round off to 3 Significant figures

1. 9.4359 x 10-7 = 0.00000094359 0.000000944

2. 8.318861x 10 4
= 83188.61 83200
3. 610.74 x 109 = 610740000000 611000000000
4. 3.11425 x 102 = 311.425 311
5. 2.5087x 10-1 = 0.25087 0.251
6. 4.025 x 10-9 = 0.000000004025 0.00000000403
7. 6.668782 x 10 3
= 6668.782 6670
8. 1.54 x 10-3 = 0.00154 0.00154
9. 0.2249 x 10 5
= 22490 22500
10. 20500 x 10-6 = 0.0205 0.0205

C. Perform the following operations and express your final answer to the correct
number of significant figures: (12)
ANSWER # of SF
1. 942.75 + 61.4 1004.2 5
2. (4.198) (1219 - 40.2) 4949 4
3. 65 × 10-5 (0. 325 x1012) (237.00) 5.0 × 1010 2
 4. 0.9582 x 102 - 3.4 x 10-1 420 2
0.23
5. (773.67 -12565. x10-2) + 211.7 x10-3 648.23 5

6. (44.945 + 23.77) (1.8 x 103) (225) 4500 2

(15.300)(403.68)
D. Convert the following into the desired units. Show your solutions and observe the
correct number of significant figures in your final answer. (25)

1. 33.8 m to cm

1000 cm
33.8 m X = 3380 cm
1m

FINAL answer: 3380 cm.

2. 765 L to cubic feet

1cubic foot
765 L X = 27.0157 cubic feet
28.3168 L

FINAL answer: 27.0 cubic feet

3. 546.5 lb to kg

1 kg
546.5 lb X = 247.890 kg
2.2046 lb

FINAL answer: 247.9 kg

4. 2600 cm3 to L

1L
2600 cm3 X = 2.6 L
1000 cm3

FINAL answer: 3 L

5. 859 km/h to m/s

1000 m 1h
859 km/h X X = 238.61 m/s
1 km 3600 s

FINAL answer: 240 m/s

6. How many can 305 mg tablets be produced from 2.50 kg of ibuprofen?

We first have to convert to the same units. Let's use grams.
 The prefix k- (kilo) means 1000, so
2.50 kg = 2.50 x 1000g = 2500g
The prefix m- (milli) means 1/1000, so
305 mg = (305/1000)g = 0.305g
Now divide:
2500g / 0.305g = 8196.7213

FINAL answer: 8,200 Tablets

7. One baked potato provides an average of 31.0 mg of vitamin C. If 5.0 lb of potatoes

has 15 potatoes, how many milligrams of vitamin C are provided per pound of
potatoes?

If 5 pounds of potatoes are equal to 15 potatoes, then a pound of potatoes is

equal to: 15/5 = 3 potatoes.
So, the total vitamin C in a pound of potatoes is equal to:
= (31mg / potato) x (3 potatoes / lb)
=93 mg/lb

FINAL answer: 90 mg/lb

8. The Chemistry Teacher requires 250 milligrams of a chemical for an experiment. S/he
has 30 grams of the chemical. How many times can he experiment?

STEP 1:
Conversion factor: 1/1000
1) grams = milligrams / 1000
2) grams = 250 / 1000
3) grams = 0.250
STEP 2:
Since there are 30g of chemical and it only needs a 0.250g of the
chemical to run an experiment therefore:
= 30 grams / 0.250g
= 120

FINAL answer: The teacher can do the experiments 120 Times

9. Calculate the volume in liters of 52.567 pounds of ethanol at 20 °C? (Dethanol =0.789
g/mL at 20 °C)

STEP 1:
Conversion factor: 1 pound is 454g
1) grams = pounds x 454
2) grams = 5
2.5i67 x 454
3) grams = 23865.41800
STEP 2:
Since the density and mass of a substance are known, the volume
may be determined by dividing the mass by the density (volume =
mass/density), therefore:
V = 23.86541800 grams / (0.789g/mL)
 V = 30.2476780735107731305449936628643800 mL
V = 30.2 mL
1L
30.2 mL X = 0.0302 L.
1000 mL

Final Answer = 0.03 L

10. Butter melts at 31°C. What is this temperature in °F? in K?

Celsius to Fahrenheit = (C x 9/5) + 32

= (31°C x 9/5) + 32
= (55.8) + 32
= 87.8
FINAL answer: 88 °F

Celsius to Kelvin = °C + 273.15

= 31°C + 273.15
= 304.15
FINAL answer: 304 Kelvin
 References

Burdge, J. & Driessen, M. (2017). Introductory Chemistry: An Atoms First

Approach. New York, NY 10121: McGraw-Hill.

McMurry, J., Fay, R. & Fantini, J. (2012). Chemistry. 6 th Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall.