CHEM 6A Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Formula Atlantic, Scientific Notation, Significant Figures

• School: UCSD
• Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Course: CHEM 6A
• Professor: Holly Dembinski

Document Summary

Chemistry: study of matter and its changes, known as a central science, related to biology and physics. Scientiic methods: no single scientiic method, iterative process, nature of science. Law of conservation of mass: mass remains constant during a chemical reaction, nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed , proposed by a french scientist lavoisier. English conversions: constants are measured with uncertainty m/ s, ex: speed of light: c=2. 998 10. 8: a more accurate prediction could be made. Uncertainty in measurements: depends on measuring device, last digit is the uncertain digit. Signiicant figures: because measurements are never exact, we need to include, magnitude of the measurement. 4: ex: 8 10, ex: 8. 0 10, ex: 8. 00 10. 4 m -> # of sig figs: 1 m -> # of sig figs: 2 m -> # of sig figs: 3. Calculations in scientiic notation: sig figs are those in the coeicient, usually, #s in scientiic notation will be multiplied or divided.