CHEM 120A Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Molecular Mass, Kinetic Energy, Thermal Energy
4 Sep 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
To define an object, we use its properties and describe it: properties: qualities or attributes, referents: comparative properties in familiar objects. However, problem is subjective and may not accurately portray an object: to counter this, we use objective measurement. The process of comparing a property to a well-defined and agreed upon unit of measurement. Data can be qualifiable or quantifiable: qualifiable: uses subjective observations to measure data, quantifiable: measurable and empirical. Direct proportionality: as one variable increases, its following variable will also increase. Inverse proportionality: as one variable increases, its following variable will decrease. Proportionality constants: both variables are equal when one variable contains a constant. Numerical constants: ordinary numbers that do not change: ex: pi. Leading zeros (zeroes that are not preceded by non-zero digits) are. Trailing zeroes (the zeroes of a number whose final digits are non-zero digits) are not significant unless there is a decimal: example:
