1

Republic of the Philippines

PHILIPPINE STATE COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS
Piccio Garden, Villamor, Pasay City

LEARNING MODULE 1

Subject : GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1 (CHEM 111)

Department : General Education Department, Institute of Liberal Arts and Science

INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learn and understand the concepts of chemistry in relation to the Air Transportation profession.
Apply their knowledge of general chemistry in analyzing the properties of different substances, and
their reactions.
Identify key chemistry concepts related to the specific field of Air Transportation.

TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

Ability to define and describe Chemistry and its scope
Ability to define the Scientific method
Apply Scientific method in solving problem
Able to classify Matter in various ways
Apply the SI standard Unit of Measurement

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module the students should be able to:
Define and explain Chemistry and its scope
Define the scientific method.
Differentiate Law and Theory.
Classify matter
Identify the SI unit used for measuring the different quantities.

HONESTY CLAUSE
“The College takes a strict view of cheating in any form, deceptive fabrication, plagiarism and violation
of intellectual property and copyright laws. Any student who is found to have engaged in such misconduct
will be subject to disciplinary action by the College.”

________________________
Name and Signature

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC PAGE TIME ALLOTMENT
Introduction to Chemistry 2 30 minutes
Scientific method 3 60 minutes
Exercise 1.1 5 60 minutes
Law vs Theory 7 45 minutes
Exercise 1.2 7 15 minutes
Classification of matter 9 30 minutes
Measurement 9 30 minutes

INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
➢ The branch of Science that deals with the study of matter, its composition, properties and changes it
undergoes.

BRANCHES OF CHEMISTRY

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
➢ Chemistry that detects & identifies if a substance is present in a sample (qualitative analysis) and how
much is there (quantitative analysis).
Example: Inspection of the presence of cocaine in white powder.

BIOCHEMISTRY
➢ Chemistry that deals with the chemical processes that occur within living organisms.
Example: Photosynthesis, KREB Cycle, Digestion, Respiration etc.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
➢ Chemistry that deals with the formation, synthesis and properties of compounds that Do not contain
carbon-hydrogen bonds
Example: Water

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
➢ is the study of compounds that contain the elements carbon and hydrogen.
Example: Food

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
➢ Chemistry that relies on a lot of physics and math to study the changes in energy that happen to matter.
➢ Physical changes due to chemical reaction
Example: Stoichiometry

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
3

SCIENTIFIC METHOD
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
➢ The scientific method is a series of steps followed by scientists to answer scientific queries and provide
explanations about various observations around the natural world.

The key main steps are:

1. Identifying the problem
2. Formulating a hypothesis
3. Designing and performing of an experiment
4. Gathering and analyzing data and results
5. Drawing a conclusion

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

➢ It is the process of diagnosing the situation or observation to identify the problem or the focus of the
investigation.

A scientific problem must be:

a. Answerable – It can be investigated and answers maybe concluded.
b. Testable – It can be investigated through an experiment.
c. Falsifiable – It is possible to make a hypothesis and it can be accepted or rejected.
d. Specific – It must be detailed with all the variables included to narrow down the area of study.

Example:
Good Problem:
Which types of fertilizer will have the best effect on the growth of tomato plants?

Bad Problem:
What is the importance of using different types of fertilizer?

FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS
➢ A hypothesis is a tentative, testable answer to a scientific question.
➢ It can also be falsified, replicated or repeated in a different experiment.

Hypothesis must be:

a. Tentative – not yet certain, it can be subjected to experimentation.
b. Testable – a statement that can be tested to be proved as either right or wrong
c. Educated guess – it should be based on prior knowledge, research or observation. It is when we apply
the skills of inferring and predicting.

For a Good Hypothesis,

What Makes a Good Hypothesis? You Should Answer "Yes"
to all

Is the hypothesis based on information from reference materials about the

Yes / No
topic?

Can at least one clear prediction be made from the hypothesis? Yes / No

Are predictions resulting from the hypothesis testable in an experiment? Yes / No

Does the prediction have both an independent variable and a dependent

Yes / No
variable?

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
4

TYPES OF HYPOTHESIS

A. Simple – a simple hypothesis describes a cause and effect relationship. It almost always follows an if, then
relationship.
Example: If you put organic fertilizer in the tomato plants, then it will have the highest increase in plant growth.

B. Empirical - This form of hypothesis is used when a theory is being put to the test, using observation and
experiment. It's no longer just an idea or notion. It's going through some trial and error, and may include
the changing of independent variables.
Example: Tomato plants that grow in soil with synthetic fertilizer grow faster than tomato plants that grow in soil
with organic and mix of organic and synthetic fertilizer.

C. Null – predicts that there is no relationship between the dependent and independent variable in the
experiment. The variables do not affect each other.
Example: The type of fertilizer has no significant

D. Alternative – predicts that there is a relationship between the dependent and independent variable in
the experiment. The variables affect each other.
Example: The type of fertilizer has a significant effect

DESIGNING AND PERFORMING OF AN EXPERIMENT

➢ Your experiment tests whether your prediction is accurate and thus your hypothesis is supported or not.
It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. You conduct a fair test by making sure that you
change only one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.
➢ You should also repeat your experiments several times to make sure that the first results weren't just an
accident.

GATHERING AND ANALYZING DATA AND RESULTS

➢ Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if they
support your hypothesis or not.
➢ Scientists often find that their predictions were not accurate and their hypothesis was not supported, and
in such cases they will communicate the results of their experiment and then go back and construct a
new hypothesis and prediction based on the information they learned during their experiment. This starts
much of the process of the scientific method over again. Even if they find that their hypothesis was
supported, they may want to test it again in a new way.

DRAWING A CONCLUSION
➢ A conclusion is a written summary of all the findings acquired on the course of the investigation.
➢ It is where the statement of the problem is addressed and which of the formulated hypothesis is accepted
or rejected based on the result of investigation

GUIDELINES IN MAKING A CONCLUSION

1. Introduce the experiment in your conclusion
2. Restate your hypothesis
3. Restate your procedures
4. Discuss Findings
5. Decide on the hypothesis
6. Wrapping-up

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
5
Time Allotment
60 MINUTES
EXERCISE 1.1 Scientific Method
PART I: Refer to the situation below, Encircle the letter of the correct answer.
Caroline observed that sugar dissolved faster in hot water than in cold water. She wanted to perform an
experiment that would investigate on her observation. She prepared three set-ups and one control. The first
set-up was made up of 100 mL of cold water with a temperature of 5℃, the second set-up was made up of
100 mL tap water with a temperature of 15℃ and the third set-up was made up of 100 mL hot water with a
temperature of 100℃. She run the experiment in three trials varying the amount of solute (15 grams, 30 grams
and 60 grams) of sugar on each beaker and stirred it at the same rate. She used the stopwatch to record the
time it took for the sugar to be completely dissolved in each set-up. She recorded her observations and the
following data were acquired:

Table 1
The Effect of Temperature in the Solubility Rate of Sugar

Rate of Solubility (mins)

Temperature (°C)
15 grams 30 grams 60 grams
Cold Water (5°C) 6 12 24
Tap Water (15°C) 4 8 12
Hot Water (100°C) 1 2 3

1. Which of the following is the identified statement of the problem?

A. How does weight affect the rate of solubility of sugar?
B. How does time affect the rate of solubility of sugar?
C. How does size affect the rate of solubility of sugar?
D. How does temperature affect the rate of solubility of sugar?

2. Which is a valid hypothesis?

A. The rate of solubility of substances depends on temperature and pressure, thus temperature will have
an effect on how much sugar will be dissolved in a solution.
B. The rate of solubility of substances depends on temperature and pressure, thus temperature will have
an effect on how fast or slow sugar will be dissolved in a solution.
C. The rate of solubility of substances depends on temperature and pressure, thus temperature will have
an effect on the size of the sugar that will be dissolved in a solution.
D. The rate of solubility of substances depends on temperature and pressure, thus pressure will have an
effect on how fast or slow sugar will be dissolved in a solution.

3. Which of the following is correct about Caroline’s methodology?

A. There are thee prepared set-ups that vary on grams of sugar.
B. There are three prepared set-ups that vary on temperature.
C. There are three trials that vary on time.
D. There are three trials that vary on temperature.

4. Which is the dependent variable?

A. Weight of sugar
B. Rate of Solubility (Time)
C. Temperature
D. Volume of water

5. Does Caroline’s methodology address her statement of the problem?

A. Yes, because she was able to measure the rate (time) of solubility in varying temperatures.
B. Yes, because she was able to measure the rate (time) of solubility in varying grams of sugar.
C. No, because she was not able to measure the rate (time) of solubility in varying temperatures.
D. No, because she was not able to measure the rate (time) of solubility in varying grams of sugar.

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
6

6. Which of the following is TRUE about the data in the table?

A. Sugar dissolves fastest in hot water.
B. Sugar dissolves fastest in cold water.
C. Sugar dissolves fastest in the tap water.
D. Sugar dissolves at the same rate in varying temperature.

7. If you will construct a graph using Caroline’s data result, which of the following will you use and why?
A. Line graph because it shows the relationship between the variables.
B. Histogram because it shows the frequency distribution in every class interval.
C. Pie chart because it shows the percentage distribution of the variables.
D. Bar graph because it shows the relationship of the non-continuous data.

PART II: Refer to the situation below.

Grayson wants to see how much different loads will affect the extension on a spring. He got the following
materials from the science laboratory. He has a spring, 5 masses of 100 g each, and a ruler. He hanged the
mass to the spring balance increasing the load at 100 g at a time, and measured the extension of the spring
at each time. His results are given below.
Load 1: 0 g, extension: 0 mm
Load 2: 100 g, extension: 4 mm
Load 3: 200 g, extension: 9 mm
Load 4: 300 g, extension: 14 mm
Load 5: 400 g, extension: 19 mm
Load 6: 500 g, extension: 23 mm

1. Complete the table below based on the given data. (2 POINTS)

Load no. Extension (mm)

0 0

400 19

2. Draw a graph that will best represent the relationship of the variables in the data table above (5POINTS)

3. Draw a conclusion from the table and graph above. (5POINTS)

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
7

LAW VS THEORY
Many people think that if scientists find evidence that supports a hypothesis, the hypothesis is upgraded to a
theory and if the theory if found to be correct, it is upgraded to a law. That is not how it works at all, though. In
fact, facts, theories and laws — as well as hypotheses — are separate parts of the scientific method. Though they
may evolve, they aren't upgraded to something else. "Hypotheses, theories and laws are rather like apples,
oranges and kumquats: one cannot grow into another, no matter how much fertilizer and water are offered,"
according to the University of California. A hypothesis is a limited explanation of a phenomenon; a scientific
theory is an in-depth explanation of the observed phenomenon. A law is a statement about an observed
phenomenon or a unifying concept, according to Kennesaw State University. "There are four major concepts in
science: facts, hypotheses, laws, and theories," Coppinger told Live Science.

Though scientific laws and theories are supported by a large body of empirical data, accepted by the majority
of scientists within that area of scientific study and help to unify it, they are not the same thing.
"Laws are descriptions — often mathematical descriptions — of natural phenomenon; for example, Newton's Law
of Gravity or Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment. These laws simply describe the observation. Not how or
why they work, said Coppinger. Coppinger pointed out that the Law of Gravity was discovered by Isaac
Newton in the 17th century. This law mathematically describes how two different bodies in the universe interact
with each other. However, Newton's law doesn't explain what gravity is, or how it works. It wasn't until three
centuries later, when Albert Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity, that scientists began to understand what
gravity is, and how it works.

"Newton's law is useful to scientists in that astrophysicists can use this centuries-old law to land robots on Mars. But
it doesn't explain how gravity works, or what it is. Similarly, Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment describes
how different traits are passed from parent to offspring, not how or why it happens," Coppinger said. Another
example of the difference between a theory and a law would be the case of Gregor Mendel. Mendel
discovered that two different genetic traits would appear independently of each other in different offspring. "Yet
Mendel knew nothing of DNA or chromosomes. It wasn't until a century later that scientists discovered DNA and
chromosomes — the biochemical explanation of Mendel's laws. It was only then that scientists, such as T.H.
Morgan working with fruit flies, explained the Law of Independent Assortment using the theory of chromosomal
inheritance. Still today, this is the universally accepted explanation (theory) for Mendel's Law," Coppinger said.

The difference between scientific laws and scientific facts is a bit harder to define, though the definition is
important. Facts are simple, basic observations that have been shown to be true. Laws are generalized
observations about a relationship between two or more things in the natural world. The law can be based on
facts and tested hypothesizes, according to NASA. For example, "There are five trees in my yard" is considered a
fact because it is a simple statement that can be proven. "The apples fall down from the tree in my back yard
and not up" is a law because it describes how two things in nature behave that has been observed in a certain
circumstance. If the circumstance changes, then the law would change. For example, in the vacuum of space,
the apple may float upward from the tree instead of downward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyN2RhbhiEU Time Allotment

60 MINUTES
EXERCISE 1.2 Law vs Theory
Using a Venn Diagram Site, the similarities and differences of Law and Theory

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
8

MATTER
PLASMA
Also exist in
Exist in three mains states other state as
BOSE-EISTEIN
namely CONDESATE OR BEC

melts into evaporate into

SOLID LIQUID GAS
freeze into condenses into

SUBLIMATE AS

DEPOSIT AS

Particulate Nature

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Which can be determine even without

changing the properties of the matter
Has different
Matter properties
including
Which can only be determine by
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
changing the properties of the matter

Where it is affected by amount of

EXTENSIVE PROPERTIES
matter present in the sample

can be INTENSIVE PROPERTIES Where it is not affected by amount of

classified as matter present in the sample

Composed
ELEMENTS of ATOMS

PURE-SUBSTANCES may be can be can be

combined separated by
chemically to chemicals
form means into

Composed
COMPOUNDS MOLECULES
of

can be separated by
physical means into
Example
HOMOGENOUS SOLUTION
is

MIXTURE may be

SUSPENSION
Can be
HETEROGENOUS classified
as
1 | Prepared
COLLOID by: Carl
Jao
9

CLASSIFICATION OF MATTER
Matter can be classified either as a pure-substance or mixture. A Pure Substance is characterized by unchanging
or specific composition. A Mixture is composed of different pure substance than are physically combined in
variable proportion

PURE SUBSTANCE: ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS

The two types of pure substances are elements and compounds. An element is simplest type of matter that is
composed of only one kind of atom. For example, Elements Carbon, Oxygen, and Copper are composed of
Carbon atoms, Oxygen atoms, and copper atoms respectively.

Elements are given specific one-letter or two letter symbols. Oxygen, carbon and hydrogen may be written as O,
C, and H, respectively. Iron, silicon, and chlorine are given the symbols Fe, Si, and Cl.

A compound is composed of two or more elements combined chemically in definite proportion. The symbols of
compounds include the element(s) that comprises it and the number of atoms of each element (written as
subscript).

Compound can be classified as either covalent or ionic bond depending on the nature of elements it comprises.
For now, it is enough to know that the particles in a compound is held together by forces of attraction called
chemical bonds.

Unlike elements, compounds can be decomposed into their constituent elements through chemical means. For
example, water (H2O) can be separated into hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) through electrolysis

MIXTURE: HOMOGENOUS AND HETEROGENOUS

Mixtures are made up of two or more substances that are only physically combined and can thus be separated
into their components through physical means. They can be either homogenous or heterogenous.

Homogenous mixtures, like saltwater and air exist in single phase. This means that the appearance, properties,
and composition are uniform throughout the sample. Solution is an example of homogenous mixture whereas the
two components are the solute and the solvent.

Mixture whose components are not evenly distributed in the sample and thus can be physically identified are
called heterogenous mixtures.

MEASUREMENTS
Measurements are commonly expressed using two systems of units – the International system and the English
system.

International system and English system

The metric system is more commonly used in science than the English system. The International system of Units (SI
Units), which evolved from the metric system, provides additional and more accurate units of measurement its
features includes decimalization and use of prefixes.

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao
10

Fundamental SI Units
Quantity Unit Symbol
Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of Matter Mole mol
Luminous Intensity Candela Cd

The International System has base units from which all other units in the system are derived. The standards for the
base units, except for the kilogram, are define by unchanging and reproducible physical occurrences. For
example, meter, the base unit for distances is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299 792
458 of a second. The standard for the kilogram is the platinum-iridium cylinder kept in the International Bureau of
Weights and Standards in Sevres, Frances

The English systems, which is still widely used in the United states, includes ounce (oz), pound (lb), inch (in), mile
(mi) and quart (qt).

Reference
• Materials (Textbooks, References, Journals, Onlines)
• General Chemistry 8th Edition by: HOLTZCLAW ROBINSON
• Chang, R. (2010) Chemistry, 10th Ed. McGraw Hill
• Bayquen, A. and Pena,G , Exploring Life through Science series, General Chemistry 1

1 | Prepared by: Carl

Jao