CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Matter & Measurement

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CONTENTS 1.1 Introduction
1.2 Classification of Matter
1.3 Properties of Matter
1.4 Units of Measurement
1.5 Uncertainty in Measurement
1.6 Dimensional Analysis

LEARNING  Able to differentiate between the three states of matter.

OUTCOMES  Able to distinguish between elements, compounds and mixtures.
 Able to distinguish between physical and chemical properties.
 Able to use and convert different units of measurement.

1.1  Chemistry is the study of properties of materials and changes they

Introduction undergo.
 Central role in science and technology.
 Has a high impact on our daily living, e.g. health and medicine, energy and
environment, materials and technology and food and agriculture.
 Able to contribute to problem solving analysis.

1.2 o Matter
Classification of Physical material - anything that has mass and occupies space.
Matter
o Classifications of Matters
Matter can be classified according to its:
- Physical state (solid, liquid or gas)
- Composition (element, compound or mixture)
1.2.1
State of Matter  Gas
(Physical State) - no fixed volume/shape
- easy to compress/expand
- molecules are far apart
- move at high speed
- often collide

 Liquid
- volume independent of container
- slightly compressible
- molecules closer than gas
- move rapidly but can slide over each other

 Solid
- defined volume & shape
- incompressible
- molecules packed closely in definite arrangement/rigid
shape

1.2.2
Composition o Pure Substance
Matter with fixed composition and distinct properties, E.g H2O , NaCl

(i) Elements
- simplest form of matter
- cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by chemical means
i.e only one kind of element
- can exist as atoms or molecules
- 114 elements identified
- Each given a unique name organized in a Periodic Table
 (ii) Compounds
- substance composed of atoms of two or more elements in fixed proportions
- can be separated only by chemical means
- exist as molecules (H2O, CO2)
- properties are different from the elemental properties

o Mixture
Combination of two or more substances, in which each substance retains its
own chemical identity.

(i) A Homogeneous mixture:

- components uniformly mixed
(one phase)
e.g. air
- also called solutions (gaseous, liquid, solid solutions)

(ii) A Heterogeneous mixture:

- Components are not distributed uniformly
(more than one phase)
e.g: sand & rocks, sugar & sand

 Separating Mixtures (by physical means):

basic techniques: filtration, floatation, crystallization, distillation, extraction
and chromatography.

1.3
Properties of Properties of matter can be grouped into two categories:
Matter
 Physical properties: measured and observed without changing the
composition or identity of a substance.
e.g. color, odor, density, melting point, boiling point.

 Chemical properties: describe how substances react or change to form

different substances.
e.g. hydrogen burning in oxygen.
 Properties of substance can be divided into two additional categories:
 Intensive properties
- Do not depend on the amount of the sample present.
- e.g. temperature, melting point, density.

 Extensive properties
- Depends on quantity present.
- e.g. mass, volume.

1.3.1
Changes in matter can involve either chemical or physical changes.
Physical and
Chemical Changes  Physical change: substance changes physical appearance but not
composition.
e.g. changes of state:
liquid gas solid liquid

 Chemical change: substance transform into a chemically different

substance i.e. identify changes.
e.g. decomposition of water.

1.4
Units of o SI Units
Measurement - 1960: All scientific units use Système International d’Unités (SI Units).
- Seven base units:

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Abbreviation

Mass Kilogram Kg
Length Meter m
Time Second s (sec)
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous intensity Candela cd
Amount of substance Mole mol

1.4.1
Length and Mass  SI base unit of length : meter (m)
1 m = 1.0936 yards
 Mass: A measure of the amount of material in an object.
SI base unit of mass : kilogram (kg)
1 kg = 2.2 pounds
1.4.2
 Temperature is a measure of hotness or coldness of an object
Temperature
 3 temperature scales are currently in use:

 Scientific studies commonly used Celsius and Kelvin scales.

o Kelvin (SI Unit)

- Based on properties of gases
- 0 K is the lowest temperature that can be attained theoretically
(absolute zero)
- 0 K = -273.15C

o Temperature conversions
- K = 0C + 273.15
- C = K - 273.15
9
F  C   32
5
5
C   F  32 
9
1.4.3
 SI unit of volume = (unit of length)3 = m3
Volume  Generally, chemists work with much smaller volumes:

- cm3, mL or cc
- 1 cm3 = 1 mL = 1  10-6 m3
1000 cm3 = 1 L
*Note: liter (L) is not an SI unit
1 dm3 = 1  10-3 m3
1.4.4
 Widely used to characterize substances.
Density  Defined as mass divided by volume, d = mass (m)
volume (V)
 Unit: g/cm 3

 Varies with temperature because volume changes with temperature.

 Can be used as a conversion factor to change mass to volume and vice versa.
 Common units:
- g/mL for liquid, g/cm3 for solid, g/L for gas.

Separation Techniques
 Pop Quiz!!!
1) A weather forecaster predicts the temperature will reach 31 °C. What is this
temperature in K and °F?

2) Calculate the volume of 65.0 g of liquid methanol (wood alcohol) if its

density is 0.791 g/mL

1.5
Objectives
Uncertainty in
Measurement i. Determine the number of significant figures in a measured quantity.
ii. Express the result of a calculation with the proper number of significant figures.

Two types of numbers:

i. Exact numbers - those that have defined values or integers resulting
from counting numbers of objects. e.g. exactly 1000g in a kilogram,
exactly 2.54 in an inch.

ii. Inexact numbers - those that obtained from measurements and require
judgments. Uncertainties exist in their values.
Note: Uncertainties always exist in measured quantities.

1.5.1
 Precision - how well measured quantities agree with each other.
Precision and
Accuracy  Accuracy - how well measured quantities agree with the “true value”.
1.5.2
 Measured quantities (inexact) are generally reported in such a way that the
Significant
last digit is the first uncertain digit. (2.2405g)
Figures
 All certain digits and the first uncertain digit are referred to as significant
figures.

Rules:
i. Non-zero numbers are always significant.
e.g. 2.86: has 3 significant figures.
ii. Zeros between non-zero numbers are always significant.
e.g. 1205: has 4 significant figures.
iii. Zeros before the first non-zero digit are not significant.
e.g. 0.003: has 1 significant figure.
iv. Zeros at the end of a number after a decimal place are significant.
e.g. 0.0020: has 2 significant figures.

v. Zeros at the end of a number before a decimal place are ambiguous.

e.g. 100: has 1 significant number unless otherwise stated. If it is determined
from counting objects, it has 3 significant figures.
Method
- Scientific notation removes the ambiguity of knowing how many significant
figures a number possesses.
1.5.3
1.5.3.1 Addition (+) and Subtraction (-)
Significant Figures
in Calculations  Result must be reported to the least number of decimal places.
 E.g. 20.4 g - 3.322 g = 17.1 g
 Other Examples: The final answer should have the same uncertainty,
with the greatest uncertainty.

1.5.3.2 Multiplication () and Division ()

 Result must be to the least number of significant figures.
 E.g. 6.221 cm  5.2 cm = 32 cm2
 To round off the final calculated answer so that it has the same number of
significant figures as the least certain number.
 Other Example:
(i) 1.256  2.42 = 3.03952
The least certain/precise number is 2.42  3 significant figures(s.f.). 
The answer must be rounded to the 3 s.f.: 3.04

(ii) 16.231 ÷ 2.20750 = 7.352661

The least precise number is 16.231 (5 s.f.).
 Answer is 5 s.f. : 7.3527

(iii) (1.1)(2.62)(13.5278) ÷ 2.650 = 14.712121

The least precise number is 1.1 (2 s.f.).
 Answer must be rounded to 2 s.f. : 15
 1.5.3.3 Rules for Rounding Off Numbers
i. When the figures immediately following the last digit to be retained is less
than 5, the last digit unchanged.
e.g. 6.4362 to be rounded off to 4 significant figures: 6.436

ii. When the figure immediately following the last digit to be retained is greater
than 5, increase the last retained figure by 1.
e.g. 6.4366 to be rounded off to 4 significant figures: 6.437

iii. When the figure immediately following the last digit to be retained is 5, the
last figure to be retained is increased by 1, whether it is odd or even.
e.g. 2.145 becomes 2.15 if three significant figures are to be retained.

iv. When a calculation involves an intermediate answer, retain at least one

additional digit past the number of significant figures.

1.6
Dimensional Objective: To be able to convert different measurement units by using
Analysis dimensional analysis.
Dimensional Analysis is the algebraic process of changing from one system of
units to another.
 Conversion factors are used.
 A conversion factor is a fraction whose numerator and denominator are the
same quantity expressed in different units.
 Given units are being multiplied and divided to give the desired units.

 Desired unit = given unit  conversion factor

 conversion factor =

 In dimensional analysis, always ask 3 questions:

o What data are given?
o What quantity do we need?
o What conversion factors are available to take us from what are given to
what we need?
Example 1

Example 2

Example 3