CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

Hand-out No. 1 THE STUDY OF CHANGE Time Frame: 4 hours

Learning Objectives
 Discuss some fundamental definition of the basic concepts in chemistry such as the classification, states and
different properties of matter and the system of units
 Explain the concept of mass, volume and density and how to use density in identifying substances
 Review the metric SI and the English unit systems that will be used throughout the course

Content Outline
1. Introduction to Chemistry
2. Matter: Classification, States, Changes, Physical, and Chemical Properties
3. Measurements

INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY

Chemistry is the study of matter and its properties, the changes that matter undergoes, and the energy
associated with those changes. Chemistry is often divided into the following branches:

Table 1.1 Some Branches of Chemistry

Branch
Organic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Physical chemistry
Analytical chemistry
Biochemistry
Environmental chemistry
Industrial chemistry
Polymer chemistry
Thermochemistry
Area of Emphasis
most carbon-containing chemicals
in general, matter that does not contain
carbon
the behaviour and changes of matter
and the related energy changes
components and composition of
substances
matter and processes of living
organisms
matter and the environment
chemical processes in industry
polymers and plastics
heat involved in chemical processes
Examples of Emphasis
pharmaceuticals, plastics
minerals, metals and nonmetals,
semiconductors
reaction rates, reaction mechanisms
food nutrients, quality control
metabolism, fermentation
pollution, biochemical cycles
paints, coatings
textiles, coatings, plastics
heat of reaction

MATTER: CLASSIFICATION, STATES, CHANGES, PHYSICAL, AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Matter is defined as anything that has mass and occupies space. The mass of an object measures how
much matter is in the object. Mass is directly proportional to weight at any given place in the universe. If we leave
the surface of the Earth, our mass remains the same, but our weight changes.
Energy is the capacity to do work. We cannot hold a sound or a beam of light in our hands; they are not
forms of matter but forms of energy.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. This
statement is known as the law of conservation of energy.

EXAMPLE 1.1
What desired energy conversion is exhibited by
a. use of a flashlight and
b. an automobile consuming gasoline?

SOLUTION
a. Chemical energy is converted to electrical energy, which is converted to light.
b. Chemical energy is converted to kinetic energy.

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

Classification of Matter
1. Elements are the simplest form of matter and cannot be broken down chemically into simpler, stable
substances. Elements can combine in only two fundamentally different ways: by physical changes to
form mixtures or by chemical changes to produce compounds.
2. A compound is a chemical combination of elements that has its own set of properties and a definite
composition.
3. Two or more substances—elements, compounds, or both—can combine physically to produce a
mixture. A mixture can be separated into its components by physical means. Mixtures are physical
combinations of substances that have properties related to those of their components but that do not
have definite compositions. They can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous mixtures.
 In heterogeneous mixtures, two or more different types of matter can be seen to be present
with the naked eye or a good optical microscope.
 Homogeneous mixtures, also called solutions, look alike throughout, even under a
microscope.

States of Matter
Matter occurs commonly in three physical forms called states: solid, liquid, and gas. Each of the three
common states of matter can be distinguished by the way it fills a container as shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 The Physical States of Matter (Silberberg, 2007, p. 4)

 A solid is a form of matter that has its own definite shape and volume.
 A liquid is a form of matter that flows, has constant volume, and takes the shape of its container.
 A gas is a form of matter that not only flows to conform to the shape of its container but also fills the
entire volume of its container
*NOTE: The word vapor refers to the gaseous state of a substance that is a solid or a liquid at room temperature.

Changes in Matter
Matter can undergo physical and chemical changes.
 Physical change occurs when a substance change its form without altering its composition. Examples
are cutting a sheet of paper and breaking a glass.
 Chemical change (also chemical reaction) occurs when one substance is transformed into one or
more different substances. The new substances formed in the reaction have different compositions and
different properties from the substances present before the reaction occurred. Examples are formation
of rust and burning of wood.

Physical Properties of Matter

A physical property is a characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing the
sample’s composition. It can be further described as being one of two types:
 Extensive properties which depend on the quantity of the substance present. Examples are mass,
length and volume.
 Intensive properties do not depend on how much substance is present. Examples are color, taste, and
odor.

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

Chemical Properties of Matter

A chemical property is a characteristic of a substance that may be observed when it participates in a
chemical reaction. Examples of chemical properties include flammability, toxicity, chemical stability, and heat of
combustion.

MEASUREMENTS
The metric system and its more modern counterpart SI (for Systeme International d’ Unites) are
systems of units designed to make calculations as easy as possible. As Table 1.2 shows, the SI system is based
on a set of seven fundamental units, or base units, each of which is identified with a physical quantity. All other
units, called derived units, are combinations of these seven base units.

Table 1.2 SI Base Units

Physical Quantity Unit
Unit Name
(Dimension) Abbreviation
Mass kilogram kg
Length meter m
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electric current ampere A
Amount of substance mole mol
Luminous intensity candela cd

For quantities that are much smaller or much larger than the base unit, we use decimal prefixes and
exponential (scientific) notation. Table 1.3 shows the most important prefixes.

Table 1.3 Common Decimal Prefixes Used with SI Units

Prefix Exponential
Prefix Word
Symbol Notation
tera T trillion
giga G billion
mega M million
kilo k thousand
deka da ten
- - one
deci d tenth
centi c hundredth
milli m thousandth
micro millionth
nano n billionth
pico p trillionth
femto f quadrillionth

Because there are still who use some English units, we must know how to convert these units into SI or metric
system. Some conversions between metric and English system units are presented in Table 1.4.

Table 1.4 Metric – English Conversions

Length Mass Volume
1m = 3.28 ft 1 kg = 2.205 lb 1 m3 = 1000 L
2.54 cm = 1 in 1 metric ton = 1000 kg 1L = 1000 mL
1 yd = 3 ft = 2204.5 lb 1 mL = 1 cc
1.609 km = 1 mile = 1 cm3
= 5280 ft 3.785 L = 1 US gal

Every measurement results in a number and a unit. Factor label method is a method in which a
quantity is multiplied by a factor equal or equivalent to 1. The units included in the factor are the labels.

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

To use the factor label method, first put down the given quantity, then multiply by a conversion factor (a
rate or ratio) that will change the units given to the units desired for the answer. The factor may be a known
constant or a value given in the problem.

EXAMPLE 1.2
In the United States, troy weight is used to measure gold and silver and avoirdupois weight is used for most other
things. Given that
1 troy pound=12 troy ounces
1 avoirdupois pound=16 avoirdupois ounces
and that ounces in the two systems are almost the same weight, calculate the number of a. troy ounces in 2.50 troy
pounds b. the number of avoirdupois ounces in 2.50 avoirdupois pounds.

SOLUTION
2 troy oz
2.5 troy lb = 𝟑𝟎 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐨𝐳
troy lb

6 avoirdupois oz
2.5 avoirdupois lb = 𝟒𝟎 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐳
avoirdupois lb

A factor can be raised to a power if the units to be converted require that. Remember that when a ratio
in parentheses is raised to a power, all the numbers and all the units within the parentheses must be raised to
that power.

EXAMPLE 1.3
How many square feet (ft2) are in 12.0 square yards (yd 2)?

SOLUTION
3 ft 3 ft
2 yd = 2 yd
yd yd

9ft
2 yd = 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝐟𝐭 𝟐
yd

A ratio may be changed to an equivalent ratio with different units by applying the factor label method.

EXAMPLE 1.4
Change 75 mph to feet per second.

SOLUTION
mi 528 ft hr 𝐟𝐭
75 = 𝟏𝟏𝟎
hr mi 36 s 𝐬

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

EXAMPLE 1.5
A unit cell is a small portion of a crystalline solid that, when repeated very many times, builds up an entire sample. A
unit cell of a certain solid is cubic, with edge length 2. m. How many unit cells does it take to occupy 1.00
cm3?

SOLUTION
To solve this particular problem, we need to determine first the volume of the unit cell in cm3. It can be done by

unit cell = 𝑎 = 2. m = 8. m

cm 4 cm
8. m = 8.
m

The number of unit cell can be obtained by dividing the volume given by the volume of the unit cell

. cm
Number of unit cells = 4 cm
= 𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬
8.

Density
Density is defined as mass per unit volume:
mass
ensity =
volume
In symbols,
m
=

The dimensions of density involve a mass unit divided by a volume unit, such as grams per milliliter
(g/mL) or grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm 3).
The density to remember is the density of liquid water, about 1.00 g/mL = 1.00 g/cm3.

EXAMPLE 1.6
Calculate the mass of 41.0 mL of mercury (density = 13.6 g/mL).

SOLUTION
To get the mass of mercury, we use the formula of density.
m
𝜌=
Rearranging we have
g
m = 𝜌 = 3.6 4 . mL = 𝟓𝟓𝟕. 𝟔 𝐠
mL

Substances expand when heated, and the resulting change in volume causes some change in density.
Within reasonable temperature ranges, the density of a substance is relatively constant.

*NOTE: An object will float if its density is less than the density of the liquid.

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

EXAMPLE 1.7
A 7. cm 3. cm 2.5 cm rectangular metal bar has a mass of 593 g. Will the bar float in water or in mercury
(𝜌=13.6 g/mL)?

SOLUTION
To solve this particular problem, we need to determine first the density of the rectangular metal bar

mmetal bar 593 g g g

𝜌metal bar = = = .3 = .3
metal bar 7. 3. 2.5 cm cm mL

Comparing the density of the rectangular metal bar and water, we have

g 𝐠
𝜌metal bar = .3 > 𝜌water = 𝟏. 𝟎
mL 𝐦𝐋

Therefore, the bar will not float in water since its density is greater than the density of water.

Comparing the density of the rectangular metal bar and mercury, we have

g 𝐠
𝜌metal bar = .3 < 𝜌mercury = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟔
mL 𝐦𝐋

Therefore, the bar will float in mercury since its density is lesser than the density of water.

Temperature Scales
 Fahrenheit scale, on which the temperature of freezing water is defined as 32°F, and the temperature
of water boiling under normal conditions is defined as 212°F.
 Celsius scale, the metric scale for temperature, which was formerly called the centigrade scale. On the
Celsius scale, the temperature of freezing water is defined as 0°C and the temperature of water boiling
under normal conditions is defined as 100°C.
 Kelvin scale for measuring temperatures is important for work with gases and in other advanced work.
On the Kelvin scale, the temperature of freezing water is 273 K, and the temperature of water boiling
under normal conditions is 373 K.
To convert from degrees Fahrenheit (tF) to degrees Celsius (t), or vice versa, we use the following
equations:

5
= 32
9
9
= 32
5

To convert from degrees Celsius to kelvins (T), we use the following equation:

= 273

EXERCISES:

1. Calculate the cost of a rug required to cover a living room floor that is 15.3 ft wide and 18.3 ft long if the
price is $29.00 per yd2.

2. Calculate the length of each edge of a cube that has a volume of 2.57 cm 3.

3. Calculate the number of liters in 7. 5 m 3.

4. Calculate the mass of water that occupies 9.10 L.

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CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 1: The Study of Change

5. Calculate the density of an object that has a volume of 7.05 L and a mass of 52.6 kg.

6. Calculate the mass of mercury (density = 13.6 g/mL) that fills a rectangular box 23.0 cm by 3.06 cm by
1.551 cm.

7. How many grains of sand, each with a volume of 1.0 mm 3, could be held in a volume approximately
4
equal to that of the Earth? (The Earth’s radius is 6.4 km. For a sphere, = r )

8. The volume of an irregularly shaped solid can be determined from the volume of water it displaces. A
graduated cylinder contains 19.9 mL of water. When a small piece of galena, an ore of lead, is added, it
sinks and the volume increases to 24.5 mL. What is the volume of the piece of galena in cm 3 and in L?

9. A child has a body temperature of 38.7°C. (a) If normal body temperature is 98.6°F, does the child have
a fever? (b) What is the child's temperature in kelvins?

NOTE: All Examples and Exercise Problems used in this module is taken from
the textbook Fundamentals of Chemistry by David E. Goldberg.

References:

Silberberg, Martin S. (2007). Principles of General Chemistry. 1st Edition

Goldberg, David E. (2007). Fundamentals of Chemistry. 5th Edition
Buthelezi, T., Dingrando, L., Hainen, N. (2008). Chemistry: Matter and Change

Rubric No. 1 Assessing and Grading of Ability to Perform Mathematical Computations

Level 100% 70% 40% 0%
Criteria* Does not meet
Exceeds expectations Meets expectations Needs improvement
expectations
The task is worked out The task is worked out The task is worked An insignificant
to completion, the steps to completion and out partially and the amount of the task is
shown are steps shown are steps shown are done, and/or the
Mathematical mathematically error- mathematically error- correct and could steps shown are
Content free, and the result is free; the result is potentially lead to a mathematically
(70%) correct and expressed correct but still correct result if wrong, unrelated or
in its required form. requires one or two worked through. inappropriate.
steps to bring it to its
required form.
Timeliness The output is submitted The output is The output is The output is
(30%) on time. submitted a day after submitted two days submitted eight days
the set deadline. to a week after the after the set deadline.
set deadline.

NOTE: Please do not distribute or reproduce any parts of the module without any permission from the
subject instructor. If you have questions and clarification, please contact me thru FB Messenger,
Google Classroom or thru text.

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