1: Matter and Measurements
- Page ID
- 272104
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What is chemistry? Simply put, chemistry is the study of the interactions of matter with other matter and with energy. This seems straightforward enough. However, the definition of chemistry includes a wide range of topics that must be understood to gain a mastery of the topic or even take additional courses in chemistry. In this book, we will lay the foundations of chemistry in a topic-by-topic fashion to provide you with the background you need to successfully understand chemistry.
- 1.1: Chemistry - The Central Science
- Chemistry is the study of matter and how it behaves. The scientific method is the general process by which we learn about the natural universe.
- 1.3: Classification of Matter
- Matter can be described with both physical properties and chemical properties. Matter can be identified as an element, a compound, or a mixture.
- 1.5: Elements and the Periodic Table
- All matter is composed of elements. Chemical elements are represented by a one- or two-letter symbol.
- 1.8: Measuring Mass, Length, and Volume
- Chemists measure the properties of matter and express these measurements as quantities. A quantity is an amount of something and consists of a number and a unit. The number tells us how many (or how much), and the unit tells us what the scale of measurement is. For example, when a distance is reported as “5 kilometers,” we know that the quantity has been expressed in units of kilometers and that the number of kilometers is 5.
- 1.9: Measurement and Significant Figures
- Significant figures properly report the number of measured and estimated digits in a measurement. There are rules for applying significant figures in calculations.
- 1.10: Scientific Notation
- Significant figures properly report the number of measured and estimated digits in a measurement. There are rules for applying significant figures in calculations.
- 1.12: Problem Solving - Unit Conversions and Estimating Answers
- A unit can be converted to another unit of the same type with a conversion factor.