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Math Outline. Math Concepts Important to Chemistry Significant Figures and Rounding Scientific Notation Unit Conversions & Conversion Factors. A. Significant Figures. A measurement always has some degree of uncertainty. Different people estimate differently.
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Math Outline Math Concepts Important to Chemistry • Significant Figures and Rounding • Scientific Notation • Unit Conversions & Conversion Factors
A. Significant Figures • A measurement always has some degree of uncertainty.
Different people estimate differently. • Record all certain numbers and one estimated number.
A. Significant Figures • Some numbers are exact; others are not. • Exact numbers can be counted or defined. i.e.-the no. of people in the class, eggs in a dozen • Numbers from measurements are not exact. i.e.-volume of 53.5 mL… • Significant digits are used to demonstrate what was actually counted in a measurement and to what degree it was estimated. (includes all measured + 1 estimated digits) • All non-zero numbers you see in a recorded measurement are significant.
Significant Figures: the tricky parts… There are several rules to tell if a zero is significant: • All zeroes between non-zero numbers ARE significant. • Zeroes used to position the decimal ARE NOT significant. • Zeroes to the right of numerical digits AND to the right of a decimal ARE significant. • Use scientific notation OR a decimal to eliminate confusion about multiple zeroes at the end of a number.
Sumup • Nonzero integers always count as significant figures.1457 4 significant figures • Zeros • Leading zeros -never significant0.0025 2 significant figures • Captive zeros -always significant • 1.008 4 significant figures • Trailing zeros - significant only if the number is written with a decimal point100 1 significant figure 100. 3 significant figures 120.0 4 significant figures • Exact numbers -unlimited significant figures • Not obtained by measurement • Determined by counting OR Determined by definition3 apples 1 in. = 2.54 cm
Math and Significant Figures The first thing to remember: …the answer in your calculator is NOT“THE ANSWER!”
The Rounding Rules • Sometimes you have to round in order to have a desired number of significant figures: • If the last significant digit place is followed by a number less than 5 ……………… LEAVE IT! (fill with placeholders as needed) • If the last significant digit place is followed by a 5 or a number greater than 5 ………… ROUND UP! (fill with placeholders as needed)
Practice Rounding • 456,500 (round to 2 sig figs) = _________________ • 76,822 (round to 2 sig figs) = _________________ • 9,985 (round to 3 sig figs) = _________________ • 125,475 (round to 5 sig figs) = _________________ • 90,044 (round to 2 sig figs) = _________________ • 45,988,335 (round to 4 sig figs) = _______________ • 449,589 (round to 4 sig figs) = _________________ • 120,045 (round to 3 sig figs) = _________________ • 26,645 (round to 4 sig figs) = _________________ • 980 (round to 1 sig fig) = _________________
Math and Significant Figures In multiplication and division: • The answer must contain no more significant figures than the LEAST number of significant figures used in the problem.
Math and Significant Figures In addition and subtraction: • When reading left to right, the last digit of the answer is in the same position of the FIRST ESTIMATED digit used in the problem.
B. Scientific Notation Changing a standard number into sci. not.: • Move the decimal to the place after the first non-zero number. (Count places; that will be the exponent.) • If you are moving the decimal to the left, your exponent will be positive. (Every space the decimal moves to the left, the exponent increases by one) 34, 500 3.45 x 104 • If you are moving the decimal to the right, your exponent will be negative. (Every space the decimal moves to the right, the exponent decreases by one) 0.00761 7.61 x 10-3
Scientific Notation (cont’d) Changing sci. not. number into standard: • If the exponent is positive, move the decimal to the right (make the number “bigger”) and fill with zeros: 3.67 x 104 36,700 • If the exponent is negative, move the decimal to the left (make the number “smaller”) and fill with zeros: 5.908 x 10-2 0.05908
Math Operations with Scientific Notation Multiplication: • Multiply the base numbers • Add the exponents • Adjust to correct scientific notation format Division: • Divide the base numbers • Subtract the exponents • Adjust to correct scientific notation format
More Math with Scientific Notation Addition and Subtraction: • Change the members of the problem so that they all have the same exponent. • Add or subtract the base numbers. • DO NOT CHANGE THE EXPONENT! • Adjust to correct scientific notation format.