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Chemistry LibreTexts

1.6: Exercises

  • Page ID
    357316
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts
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    1.1: The Scope of Chemistry

    1. Identify each as either matter or not matter.
      1. a book
      2. hate
      3. light
      4. a car
      5. a fried egg
    Answer
    1. matter
    2. not matter
    3. not matter
    4. matter
    5. matter

     

    1. Name an example of a field that is not considered a science.

       

    2. Which of the following fields of study are branches of science?
      1. biophysics (a mix of biology and physics)
      2. art
      3. business
    Answer
    1. yes
    2. no
    3. no

     

    1. Which of the following fields of study are branches of science?
      1. accounting
      2. geochemistry (a mix of geology and chemistry)
      3. astronomy (the study of stars and planets [but not the earth])
    Answer
    1. no
    2. yes
    3. yes

     

    Additional Exercises

    1. Describe the scientific method.
    Answer

    Simply stated, the scientific method includes three steps: (1) stating a hypothesis, (2) testing the hypothesis, and (3) refining the hypothesis.

     

    1. "A hypothesis is just a guess." Is this an adequate definition?
    Answer

    No, it is not. A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for something that can actually be tested. It is based on data that is available. A guess is not necessarily able to be tested.

     

    1. Why do scientists need to perform experiments?
    Answer

    Scientists perform experiments to test their hypotheses because sometimes the nature of natural universe is not obvious.

     

    1. What is the scientific definition of a theory? How is this word misused in general conversation?
    Answer

    A theory in science is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that has been substantiated through repeated experiments or testing. In general conversation, a theory is an idea that has not been tested.

     

    1. What is the scientific definition of a law? How does it differ from the everyday definition of a law?
    Answer

    A scientific law is a specific statement that is thought to be never violated by the entire natural universe. Everyday laws are arbitrary limits that society puts on its members.

     

     


    This page is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Vicki MacMurdo (Anoka-Ramsey Community College), Lance S. Lund (Anoka-Ramsey Community College), Melissa Alviar-Agnew, and Henry Agnew.

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    This page titled 1.6: Exercises is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anonymous.

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