Measurement and Uncertainties -

Types of uncertainty

Systematic Error

● Biases measurements in the same direction

● Due to both the observer and the instrument being used
● Decreases accuracy of the measurement

Random Uncertainties

● Repeated measurements of the same quantity show a spread of values, some

too large, some too small.
● Not biased in any direction
● Decreases precision of the measurement

Accuracy and precision

● A measurement is accurate if the systematic error is small.

● It is precise if the random uncertainty is small

Determinants of uncertainty

● Random errors in the measurements

1. Reaction time of the experimenter
2. Slight variation of external conditions
3. Electrical noise in the instruments
 ● Precision of the instrument
1. Graduations on an analogue instrument
2. Smallest value of a digital instrument

Calculating Uncertainties
Propagation of Uncertainties
Stoichiometry -

Definitions

● A chemical element is a single pure substance, made of only one type of atom.
● A compound is a chemical combination of different elements, containing a fixed
ratio of atoms.
○ Different physical properties
○ Different chemical properties
● A mixture is composed of two or more substances in which no chemical
combination has occurred.
● Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a
substance.
● Relative atomic mass, Ar, is the weighted average of the isotopes of one atom of
an element relative to 1⁄12 of an atom of carbon-12.
● Relative formula mass, Mr, is the sum of the weighted average of the masses of
the atoms in a formula unit relative to one-twelfth of an atom of carbon-12.
● The molar mass of a substance, M, is its relative atomic mass, Ar, or its relative
formula mass, Mr, expressed in grams. It has the unit g mol−1.
● One mole is the mass of substance that contains as many particles as there are
atoms in 12 g of carbon-12.
Theory

Boiling:

● Boiling occurs at a specific temperature, which is determined by when the vapour

pressure (pressure of the boiling gas) reaches the external pressure.
● Therefore, as external pressure increases, more energy is needed to boil a liquid.
Pressure cooker:

● A pressure cooker is a sealed container in which a higher pressure can be

generated.
● This raises the boiling point of water and so cooking time decreases.
● Conversely, at high altitude, where the atmospheric pressure is lower, the boiling
point of water is reduced so it takes much longer to cook food.

Freeze drying:

● Freeze-drying is an effective process for the preservation of food and some

pharmaceuticals.
● Depends on the sublimation of ice.
● The substance to be preserved is first frozen, and the water inside the substance
turns to ice.
● Then it is warmed gently at very low pressure which causes the ice to change
directly to water vapour[sublimation].
● The process is slow but has the significant advantage that the composition of the
material, and so its flavour, are largely conserved.
● The freeze-dried product is stored in a moisture-free package that excludes
oxygen, and can be reconstituted by the addition of water.

Dew point:

● It is the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity)

below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.
● At night as the temperature is lowered, the rate of condensation increases.
● As the air temperature drops below its saturation point, known as the dew point,
the familiar condensed water called dew forms.
● The temperature of the dew point depends on the atmospheric pressure and the
water content of the air – that is, the relative humidity.
● A relative humidity of 100% indicates that the air is maximally saturated with
water and the dew point is equal to the current temperature.
Refrigerators:

● The process of refrigeration is usually based on energy changes during the

evaporation and condensation cycle under changing pressure of a volatile liquid
known as the refrigerant.
● At low pressure the liquid vaporizes and absorbs heat, causing cooling of the
surroundings.
Atomic Structure -

Definitions

● Element: a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by a

chemical reaction.
● Compound: a substance made by chemically combining two or more elements. It
has different properties from its constituent elements.
● Mass number: the number of protons plus the number of neutrons in an atom.
Give the total number of nucleons, and often referred to as nucleon number.
● Isotopes: atoms of the same element with different mass numbers.
● Ions: when an atom loses or gains an electron, an ion is formed. Positive ions are
known as cations and negative ions are known as anions.
● Relative atomic mass(A_r) : average mass of an atom of an element, taking into
account all the isotopes and their relative abundance, compared to one atom of
carbon-12.
● Wavelength(lambda λ): the distance between two successive crests or troughs.
○ Measured in meters(m).
● Frequency(ν): the number of waves produced in one second.
○ Measured in Hertz(Hz).
● Ground state: when an electron is in its lowest energy level.
● Absorption spectrum: an electron absorbs light photons and jumps to an excited
state of higher energy.
○ This spectrum would be black lines, representing absorbed colors, on a
coloured background.
● Emission spectrum: an electron emits light photons as it jumps down to a state of
lower energy.
○ This spectrum would consist of coloured lines, representing emitted
colors, on a black background.
● Ionization energy: the energy needed to remove an electron from the ground
state of each atom in a mole of gaseous atoms, ions, or molecules.
Periodicity -

Trends in physical properties

Effective nuclear charge

● The nuclear charge of an atom is given by its atomic number.

○ For example, O has a nuclear charge of +8.
● The outer electrons of the atom do not experience the full attraction of the
nuclear charge because they are shielded from the nucleus because of the
repulsion by the inner electrons and so the effective nuclear charge is lesser than
the nuclear charge.
Trends in chemical properties

Metals

● Reactivity refers to how easily metals donate electrons.

● For metals, reactivity increases down a group.
● Metallic character decreases while moving across a period.
● The first group elements donate 1 electron from the S orbital, consequently, less
energy is required.
Bonding -
Chemical Energetics -
Chemical Kinetics -