Learning Exercises 1

1. What is science?
Science is a body of knowledge about the natural world based on facts discovered through
experimentation and observation. It's also a branch of science that studies the natural world.

2. What is Chemistry?
Chemistry is the study of matter, which is defined as everything with mass and occupies space,
as well as the changes that matter may go through when exposed to various settings and
situations. Chemistry aims to understand not only the properties of matter, such as the mass or
composition of a chemical element, but also how and why matter changes — whether
something transforms after combining with another substance, freezes after being left in a
freezer for two weeks, or changes colors after being exposed to too much sunlight.

3. Differentiate pure chemistry from applied chemistry.

Pure chemistry is a type of inquiry that focuses only on determining the characteristics of
existent stuff.
Applied chemistry refers to the application of scientific chemical knowledge to a human
problem. Chemical medications, for example, are an example of applied chemistry.

4. Enumerate and describe the five branches of chemistry.

Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry concerned with the study of biological molecules.
Analytical chemistry is the science of determining the identity and quantity of elements in a
mixture.
Physical chemistry is the science that investigates the underlying physical laws that govern the
behavior of atoms, molecules, and other chemical systems.
Inorganic chemistry is commonly thought of as those areas within chemistry that do not deal
with carbon.
Biochemistry is the study of the chemical principles underlying basic biological systems.
5. Express the following numbers in scientific notation.
a. 25 = 2.5 ×101
b. 64,572.23 = 6.457223 ×10 4
c. 0.00546 = 5.46 ×10−3
d. 23,000,000 = 2.3 ×107
e. 1,000 = 1 ×103

6. Tell the number of significant figures in the following:

a. 0.004450 = 3 significant figures = 4450
b. 4.50 x 10-5 = 2 significant figures = 45
c., 3.205 = 4 significant figures = 3205
d. 678 = 3 significant figures = 678
e. 1.0 x 102 = 1 significant figure = 1
7. Perform the required operations and apply the rules on significant figures in
calculations.
1. 120.89 + 34.009 = 154.90
2. 9.12 x 2.4 = 21.9
3. 45.889 + 22.00 = 67.89
4. 345.0 x 2.1 = 724.5
5. 2.5 (15.325 + 7.86) = 58.0