1.7: Dr Martin's Math Minutes

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Scott Van Bramer
Widener University

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Introduction

https://bit.ly/3zW6vuz

This series of videos introduces many common skills students need to solve problems and use their calculators for general chemistry class. The videos were all created by Dr. Andrea Martin at Widener University.

Units of Measurement

https://bit.ly/3zRtrv6

A key chemistry skill is to use units along with numbers in calculations. This video introduces common measurements in chemistry and the metric units for those measurements. It shows why metric units are actually much easier to work with than our common English units.

Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

https://bit.ly/3pgbamn

Fractions, decimals and percentages are all related, and they appear frequently in chemistry problems. This video refreshes your understanding of these quantities and shows you how to interconvert between them.

Metric System – small units

https://bit.ly/3C3yuvk

The metric system is used extensively in chemistry, and because atoms are so small, we units for very small measurements. This video introduces the most important metric prefixes for quantities smaller than a base unit.

Metric System – large units

https://bit.ly/3PhJqZ3

We frequently need to describe very large quantities in chemistry, particularly when we are dealing with numbers of atoms or energy units. This video introduces the important metric prefixes for quantities larger than a base unit.

Significant Figures Part 1

https://bit.ly/3pjii1n

This video explains the difference between exact and measured numbers. The uncertainty in measured numbers is the basis for the concept of significant figures. The video shows you how to count significant figures in a measured number.

Significant Figures Part 2 – calculations

https://bit.ly/3Qo9jaZ

This video explains the rules for recording the correct number of significant figures after doing calculations with measured numbers.

Scientific Notation Part 1

https://bit.ly/3Ajgn36

Chemistry uses very small and very large numbers. Fluency in scientific notation is a must! This video explains scientific notation and gives you practice in interconverting between regular (decimal) and scientific notation.

Scientific Notation in Your Calculator

https://bit.ly/3PlIhj6

This video shows you how to input scientific notation into your calculator and shows you how to avoid a very common calculator error that almost every student makes!

Conversion Problems Part 1

https://bit.ly/3PAbnf3

In this video, we use the “factor-label” method or “dimensional analysis” to interconvert between units. Unit conversions appear in almost every chemistry problem and it’s important to have a process to follow that will reliably lead you to the correct answer.

Complicated Conversion Problems

https://bit.ly/3AjgCLy

In this video, we apply the factor-label method to solve problems involving multiple conversions or complex units. As you progress through chemistry, these complex problems will become more common.

Word Problems

https://bit.ly/3pgRZZO

Many students struggle with word problems. This video shows you a process that will help you find the important information in a question and apply it to solving the problem.