Measurements

in Chemistry

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 Measurements in Chemistry

This part will discuss:

● Units and Conversion Factors

● Measurement and handling of Numbers

“Scientist believe in
things, not in persons”

—Marie Curie

NEXT!
 Table of Contents

Measurement and
Units and Conversion Factors
Handling Numbers

Many Thanks!
 Table of
Contents

Units and
Conversion Factors

Measurement and
Handling of Numbers

Exercises

Thanks!
 What Happened?
In 1998, NASA launched a Mars climate
orbiter. As the orbiter left the earth, little
did the engineers know that they have
made a fatal mistake when calibrating the
units of measurement on the machine. The
team used English units instead of Metric
system, which is commonly used for that
type of operation.

from: Infographics Show: Most Expensive Mistakes in History

 What is the result?
The spacecraft team managing the orbiter
were using different units to the flight
team, and everything mixed up. The engine
of the orbiter fired when it was 100 km
closer to Mars than planned and 25 km
below design level to function at. The
engine failed to fire as it got to mars and
continued to its atmosphere, leaving a
crater.

from: Infographics Show: Most Expensive Mistakes in History

 What is the result?

Total Damage: $193,000,000.00

from: Infographics Show: Most Expensive Mistakes in History

Units

Definite magnitude of a quantity, adopted by a

Convention or Law, used as measurement for
the same kind of quantity.
Units

SI (Systeme
Internationale)/ English System
Metric System
The international standard Set of units of
for measurement. measurement used by
England and US.
 SI Units

1. 2. 3.

Consists of 7 Majority of industries Many manufacturers implement

Fundamental Units moved from local to SI metric transition when new
that define 22 units, shortly after 1975 projects are brought online.
Derived Units. Metric Conversion Law.
English/Imperial Units

1. 2.
The traditional system The British Imperial System
of weights and evolved from the thousands
measures used of Roman, Celtic, Anglo-
officially in Great Saxon, and customary local
Britain from 1824 until units employed in the Middle
1965. Ages.
7 FUNDAMENTAL UNITS (SI BASE UNITS)

Length – meter (m)

Time – second (s)

Amount of substance – mole (mol)

Electric Current – Ampere (A)
Luminous intensity – candela (cd)
Temperature - Kelvin (K)

Mass – kilogram (kg)

 EXAMPLES

1.
kg lbm
Convert 1000 to
m3 ft3

3
1000 kg 2.2046 lbm 1m

m3 1 kg 3.2808 ft 3

𝐥𝐛
= 𝟔𝟐. 𝟒𝟑
𝐟𝐭 𝟑
 EXAMPLES

2.
Convert 0.001 Pa − s to centipoise cP

0.001 Pa − s 1000 cP

1 Pa − s

= 𝟏 𝐜𝐏
T1 = 18 deg C
T2 = 25 deg C

T2 – T1 (deg C) = 7

T1 = (1.8*18) + 32 deg F = 64.4 deg F

T2 = (1.8*25) + 32 deg F = 77 deg F

T2 – T1 (deg F) = 12.6
12.6/7 = 1.8
 EXAMPLES

3.
J BTU
Convert 4.1858 to
g−K lb−R

4.1858 J BTU 453.59 g 1.8 K

g−K 1055 J 1 lb R

𝐁𝐓𝐔
= 𝟑. 𝟐𝟒
𝐥𝐛 − 𝐑
 EXAMPLES

4.
Convert 1 BTU to cal. Use the conversion factors in the previous example.
 EXAMPLES

4.
Convert 1 BTU to cal

1 BTU 1055 J 0.239 cal

1 BTU 1J

= 𝟐𝟓𝟐. 𝟏𝟒𝟓 𝐜𝐚𝐥

 EXAMPLES

5.
Convert 10 N to lbf .

Hint: 1 lbf = 1 lbm x g; where g is the acceleration due to gravity

ft
g = 32.2
s2

kg − m
1N=1
s2
 EXAMPLES

5.
Convert 10 N to lbf .

10 N 0.224809 lbf

1N

= 𝟐. 𝟐𝟒𝟖𝟎𝟗 𝐥𝐛𝐟
 EXAMPLES

6.
Convert 24 Pa to atm.

Convert 3 Angstrom to picometers.

Convert 976 Watts to hp

 Table of
Contents

Units and
Conversion Factors

Measurement and
Handling of Numbers

Exercises

Thanks!
 Measure

- quantifying an unknown quantity

Quantity
- An amount of something consisting of a number and a unit.
 Measurement: Scientific Notation

Usually, instructions use measurements that are appropriate in

size. Example, 3 scoops of coffee is around 12,000 grounds, while a
liter of blood contains 5 trillion red blood cells.

In science, we often deal with quantities that are incredibly large or

small. Such example above that so many zeroes that can be
considered complicated. One way to fix it is by using Scientific
Notation.
 Measurement: Scientific Notation

Scientific Notation

Scientific Notation is written as

a x 10n

Where
1 ≤ a < 10
and
n∈Z
 Measurement: Scientific Notation

Scientific Notation

Examples:

1.602 x 10−19 J → Kinetic energy gained or lost by one electron

atoms/molecules
6.022 x 1023 → Avogadro′ s Number
mol
m
3 x 108 → Speed of Light
s
 Measurement: Scientific Notation

Scientific Notation: What if?

What if calculations were done and the answer is:

m
1,602,395.4562359834986234
s

Or stoichiometry calculations show

523.235734883567561 g

How are you going to write it in scientific notation?

 Measurement: Scientific Notation

Scientific Notation: What if?

EZ, just follow

a x 10n

But, it is necessary to write ALL digits? NO.

This is where Significant Figures came in.

 Measurement: Significant Figures

Significant figures of any measurement are the figures that carry

significance or meaning to the overall value.
The significant figures of a measured quantity are defined as all the digits
known with certainty (those indicated by the markings on the measuring
device) and the first uncertain, or estimated, digit (one digit past the smallest
marking on the measuring device). It makes no sense to report any digits after
the first uncertain one, so it is the last digit reported in a measurement. Zeros
are used when needed to place the significant figures in their correct positions.
Thus, zeros are sometimes counted as significant figures but are sometimes
only used as placeholders.
from:https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Book%3A_The_Basics_of_GOB_Chemi
stry_(Ball_et_al.)/01%3A_Chemistry_Matter_and_Measurement/1.06%3A_Expressing_Numbers_-
_Significant_Figures
 Measurement: Significant Figures

Rules for Deciding Significant Figures:

1. All nonzero digits are significant. (In 1435, there are 4 sig figs.)

2. Captive zeros are significant. (In 100035, there are 6 sig figs.)

3. Leading zeros are not significant. (In 0.0025, there are only 2 sig figs.)

from:https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Book%3A_The_Basics_of_GOB_Chemi
stry_(Ball_et_al.)/01%3A_Chemistry_Matter_and_Measurement/1.06%3A_Expressing_Numbers_-
_Significant_Figures
 Measurement: Significant Figures

Rules for Deciding Significant Figures:

4. Trailing zeros are significant UNLESS followed by a decimal point, or

placed in the decimal part.

(In 1690, there are only 3 sig figs.)

(In 1690.00, there are 6 sig figs.)
(In 0.0002500, there are 4 sig figs.)

Why 4? Because the last two zeroes indicate accuracy in its measurement.

from:https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Book%3A_The_Basics_of_GOB_Chemi
stry_(Ball_et_al.)/01%3A_Chemistry_Matter_and_Measurement/1.06%3A_Expressing_Numbers_-
_Significant_Figures
 Measurement: Significant Figures

Rules for Deciding Significant Figures:

4. Trailing zeros are significant UNLESS followed by a decimal point, or

placed in the decimal part.

(In 1690, there are only 3 sig figs.)

(In 1690.00, there are 6 sig figs.)
(In 0.0002500, there are 4 sig figs.)

Why 4? Because the last two zeroes indicate accuracy in its measurement.

from:https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Book%3A_The_Basics_of_GOB_Chemi
stry_(Ball_et_al.)/01%3A_Chemistry_Matter_and_Measurement/1.06%3A_Expressing_Numbers_-
_Significant_Figures
Examples: How many significant
figures are there?
 Significant
Figures
involving
Operations
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
 For Addition and Subtraction

➢ The answer will depend on which decimal place do all numbers have
significant figures.

Example:

1022.4567
+ 23.43
1.3049

1047.1916
All numbers have sig figs
on the hundredths digit.
 For Multiplication and Division

➢ The answer will depend on which number has the least amount of
significant figures.

Example:

1022.4567
x 23.43 Has only 4 sig figs.
1.3049

31260.3934116569
We will write the answer up
to this digit and drop the decimal point.
 For Exact Numbers

➢ Exact numbers have infinite number of sig figs, thus it will not affect the
both the calculation and the precision of the answer.

Example:

1022.4567
x 20 20 is an exact number

20449.134

No change in the number of

significant figures.
 Table of
Contents

Units and
Conversion Factors

Measurement and
Handling of Numbers

Exercises

Thanks!
 UNIT CONVERSION

Convert the ff. quantities in the specified units.

1. 10 psi to psf

2. 2 tons to lbm

3. 3 atm to bar

4. 4.5 L to gal

5. 347 kN-m to kip-ft (kilopounds-foot)

 SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

Convert the ff. quantities into Scientific Notation.

1. 60,432.04

2. 0.000004523

3. 29968243

4. 4.3526

5. 100432.6783
 SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

Determine the number of sig figs. for the ff:

1. 60,432.04

2. 0.000004523

3. 29968243

4. 4.3526

5. 100432.6783
 SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

Determine the number of sig figs. for the ff:

1. 5.6786 + 246.346133 + 0.3257413 – 0.9246435

2. 0.000004523 x 2.34 + 10

3. 0.000004523 x 2.34 + 10.00000

4. 3.4 /0.02356 + 236.00 – 76.357

5. 100432.6783/2
 Table of
Contents

Units and
Conversion Factors

Measurement and

THANK YOU! Handling of Numbers

Exercises

Any questions? Thanks!