Problem Set #1 for Chem 115 (BS Chem)

1. Indicate whether the following processes involve a chemical change or a physical change.

a. The melting of an ice cube on a hot griddle.

b. The discharge of a dry cell battery as it runs down.

c. The formation of carbon on adding sulfuric acid to table sugar.

d. The cooling of skin as rubbing alcohol evaporates from it.

e. The rising of bread dough.

2. a. If there are 5280 feet in one mile, 0.6214 mile in one kilometer, and 12 inches in one foot,

how many inches are there in 10 km?

b. Calculate the area in square meters of a swimming pool 150 feet long and 45.0 feet wide.

(1 foot = 0.3048 meter exactly).

3. Calculate the volume in cubic centimeters of a piece of aluminum wire with a diameter of 3.00 mm

and a length of 6.25 m. Assume the shape of the wire is cylinder.

4. How many milliliters are in a 12.0 oz can of soda? (Assuming the density of soda is 1 g/mL)

5. An empty bottle has a mass of 100 grams. When the bottle is filled with pure water (density 1.00

g/mL), the mass of the full bottle is 250 grams. When filled with an unknown liquid, the mass of

the full bottle is 320 grams. What is the density of the unknown liquid?

6. The development of new materials exhibit superconductivity at temperatures that can be

maintained with liquid nitrogen. The boiling point of liquid nitrogen is 77.0 K. What is the boiling

point in Fahrenheit?

7. Express the answers to the following calculations in scientific notation:

(a) 0.0095 + (8.5 x10-3)

(b) 653 ÷ (5.75 x 10-8)

(c) 850,000 – (9.0 x 105)

(d) (3.6 x10-4) x (3.6 x 106)

8. How many significant figures are there in each of the following? (a) 0.006 L, (b) 0.0605 dm, (c) 60.5 mg,
(d) 605.5 cm2, (e) 960 x1023 g, (f ) 6 kg, (g) 60 m.

9. Carry out the following operations as if they were calculations of experimental results, and express
each answer in the correct units with the correct number of significant figures:

(a) 7.310 km ÷ 5.70 km

(b) (3.26 x 10-3 mg) – (7.88 x 10-5 mg)

(c) (4.02 x 106 dm) + (7.74 x 107 dm)

(d) (7.8 m – 0.34 m)/(1.15 s + 0.82 s)

10. Three apprentice tailors (X, Y, and Z) are assigned the task of measuring the seam of a pair of trousers.
Each one makes three measurements. The results in inches are X (31.5, 31.6, 31.4); Y (32.8, 32.3, 32,7); Z
(31.9, 32.2, 32.1). The true length is 32.0 in. Comment on the precision and the accuracy of each tailor’s
measurements.