Chapter 01 Review Problems

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Fundamentals

Classify each statement as being either quantitative or qualitative.

  1. This homework took a good amount of time to complete.
  2. This homework took 50 minutes to complete.
  3. This school has a beautiful campus.
Solution

Which statement best explains the difference between a theory and a law?

  1. A law is truth whereas a theory is mere speculation.
  2. A law summarizes a series of related observations, while a theory gives the underlying reasons for them.
  3. A theory describes what nature does; a law explains why nature does it.
Solution

A scientific law…

  1. summarizes a body of observations and can be used to make predictions.
  2. is a scientifically proven theory.
  3. provides a detailed explanation for why a phenomenon occurs.
  4. is a hypothesis that has not yet been disproven.
  5. is absolute and cannot be modified under any circumstances.
Solution

All statements about scientific theories are true except

  1. they explain why nature behaves the way it does.
  2. they must have the ability to make predictions on future behavior.
  3. they should use observations to test the theory.
  4. they are derived from hypothesis.
  5. they are speculation.
Solution

Which of the following statements is the best example of a scientific hypothesis?

  1. The boiling point of water at sea level is 100 °C.
  2. A sealed jar of meat will eventually contain maggots because life arises from non-living matter.
  3. An iron bar rusts when left in a damp environment.
  4. The density of lead is greater than the density of aluminum.
  5. A sugar cube dissolves faster in hot water than in cold water.
Solution

Which of the following substances is a heterogeneous mixture?

  1. rubbing alcohol
  2. sweetened tea
  3. concrete
  4. brass (an alloy of copper and zinc)
Solution

Which of the following can be classified as a heterogeneous mixture?

  1. air
  2. copper wire
  3. salt water
  4. sand in water
  5. distilled water
Solution

Which of the following describes a process that requires a chemical change?

  1. Separating sand from gravel by using a sieve.
  2. Obtaining pure water from a salt water solution by evaporation and condensation.
  3. Separating a mixture of different colored inks on a piece of paper.
  4. Obtaining pure iron and pure sulfur from a sample of iron(II) sulfide.
  5. Separating differently sized proteins from a solution using a centrifuge.
Solution

Which of the following combinations, when mixed thoroughly, will result in a homogeneous mixture? (Select all that apply)

  1. sand and water
  2. sugar and water
  3. oil and water
  4. table salt and water
  5. ethanol and water
Solution

Which property is characteristic of a gas but not of a liquid or a solid?

  1. Its particles are in constant, random motion.
  2. It takes on the shape of its container.
  3. It is highly compressible.
  4. It is composed of molecules rather than atoms.
  5. Its density is dependent on temperature.
Solution

Identify the incorrect statement.

  1. Helium in a balloon is an element
  2. Paint is a mixture
  3. Tap water is a compound
  4. Mercury in a thermometer is an element
Solution

A student observes five processes. Which of the choices includes all the processes that are chemical changes?

  1. Melting a block of solid ice.
  2. Cooking an egg.
  3. Dissolving sugar in hot tea.
  4. A piece of magnesium ribbon burning with a bright white light.
  5. An antacid tablet fizzing after being dropped in water.
  1. II, IV, and V
  2. IV and V
  3. II only
  4. I, II, III, IV, and V
  5. I and III
Solution

Which of the following observations is a result of a chemical change, not a physical change?

  1. The sublimation of dry ice (solid CO2) into a gas.
  2. A silver spoon tarnishing over time.
  3. The distillation of ethanol from a fermented mash.
  1. I only
  2. II only
  3. III only
  4. II and III
  5. I and III
Solution

A chemist is studying the properties of iron. Which of the following are physical properties of iron?

  1. It is a solid at 25 °C.
  2. It can be drawn into a wire (it is ductile).
  3. It rusts when exposed to air and water.
  4. It has a melting point of 1538 °C.
  5. It can be magnetized.
  1. I, II, IV, and V
  2. III only
  3. I and IV only
  4. I, II, III, IV, and V
  5. II, III, and V
Solution

Which of the following statements describes a chemical property of water?

  1. It is a colorless, odorless liquid at room temperature.
  2. It freezes at 0 °C and boils at 100 °C at standard pressure.
  3. It can be decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen gas by passing an electric current through it.
  4. Its density is approximately 1.00 g cm−3 at 4 °C.
  5. It can dissolve many ionic and polar substances, such as salt and sugar.
Solution

Which of the following processes is a chemical change?

  1. A candle wick burning.
  2. Chopping a log into smaller pieces.
  3. Water turning into steam.
  4. Dissolving sugar in water.
  5. Bending a copper wire.
Solution

Which of the following substances would you expect to be the most dense under standard conditions?

  1. A block of solid aluminum.
  2. A sample of liquid mercury.
  3. A tank of compressed nitrogen gas.
  4. A sample of liquid ethanol.
Solution

Which of the following common substances has the lowest density at room temperature?

  1. Iron
  2. Water
  3. Air
  4. Wood (Oak)
Solution

Math Basics and Significant Figures

Evaluate this expression and report the answer to the correct number of significant figures.

\[ (104.2 - 98.4) \times 3.518 \]

Solution

Write the following numbers in normalized scientific notation to three significant figures.

  1. 0.000 325 34
  2. 3 438.001
  3. 0.034 801 0
  4. 13.732 4
  5. 0.000 050 555
Solution

How many significant figures are in each number?

  1. 433 km
  2. 4 pennies
  3. 2.12 × 105 m
  4. 0.000 88 s
  5. 2.560 0 km
  6. 32 000 m
Solution

Determine the number of significant figures for each of the following numbers.

  1. 3 200
  2. 0.320 0
  3. 3 200 pencils
  4. 00.320 0
  5. 3 200.0 g
  6. 3 200.010 0
Solution

How many significant figures are in the answer to the following calculation?

\[\left ( 29.0025 + 0.2 \right ) \left (6.134 - 6.101 \right ) / 5.196\times 10^{-2}\]

Solution

What answer should be reported, with the correct number of significant figures, for the following calculation? Report your answer in normalized scientific notation.

\[\left ( 433.621 - 333.9 \right ) \times 11.900\]

Solution

Measurements and Conversions

What appropriate volume (in mL) of liquid does this measurement on a graduated cylinder convey?

Close-up view of a graduated cylinder containing liquid. The cylinder shows measurement markings from 10 to 20 mL with intermediate graduations. The meniscus (curved surface) of the liquid is positioned at the 14.0 mL mark.
Solution

A student performs an experiment to determine the density of a sugar solution. They obtain the following results: 12.11 g mL–1, 12.81 g mL–1, 12.95 g mL–1, 12.75 g mL–1. The actual value for the density of the sugar solution is 12.75 g mL–1. Determine if the following statements are true or false.

  1. The results are precise.
  2. The results are accurate.
Solution

A student performs an experiment to determine the density of a metal. The accepted, true density of the metal is 8.96 g cm−3. The student’s results from four trials are:

6.15 g cm−3, 6.16 g cm−3, 6.15 g cm−3, 6.17 g cm−3

Which of the following statements best describes these results?

  1. The results are accurate and precise.
  2. The results are accurate but not precise.
  3. The results are precise but not accurate.
  4. The results are neither accurate nor precise.
Solution

Perform the following conversions below. Report your answers in normalized scientific notation to the appropriate number of significant figures.

  1. 145.21 kg to mg
  2. 0.490 nm to m
  3. 42.1 cm3 to L
  4. 1.73 × 105 m3 to cm3
Solution

What is the length (in mm) of 4.20 cm?

Solution

Nitric acid is a very important industrial chemical and 46.3 billion pounds were produced in 2000. If the density of nitric acid is 11.85 lb gal–1, what is the volume (in L) in normalized scientific notation? 1 gal = 3.7854 L (inexact)

Solution

Density

If the walls in a room are 955 ft2 in area, and a gallon of paint covers 15 yd2, how many gallons of paint are needed for the room? (3 ft = 1 yd)

Solution

A piece of metal ore has a mass of 9.25 g. When a student places it into a graduated cylinder containing water, the liquid level rises from 21.25 mL to 26.47 mL. What is the density (in g mL–1) of the ore?

Solution

A sample containing 33.42 g of metal pellets is poured into a graduated cylinder that initially contains 12.7 mL of water. The final water level in the cylinder is 21.6 mL. What is the density (in g mL–1) of the metal?

Solution

A rectangular block has the following dimensions: 2.5 cm × 3.9 cm × 10.1 cm. The mass of the block is 516.0 g. What is the volume (in cm3) and density (in kg m–3) of the block?

Solution

At room temperature, elemental bromine (Br2) is a liquid with a density of 3.12 g cm–3. What is the mass (in g) of 115 mL of bromine and what volume (in mL) does 75.0 g of bromine occupy?

Solution

The Hindenburg contained 7.062 × 106 ft3 of hydrogen gas (ρ(H2) = 8.988 × 10–5 g mL–1 ). How much heavier (in kg) would the airship be if filled with air (ρ(air) = 1.225 × 10–3 g mL–1) instead? Report your answer in normalized scientific notation. (1 ft = 0.3048 m)

Solution

Temperature

Which of the following options is at the highest temperature?

  1. 71.4 °F
  2. 22.1 °C
  3. 294.65 K
Solution

The average daytime temperatures on Earth and Jupiter are 72 °F and 313 K, respectively. Which planet is hotter, on average, and by how much (in °C)?

Solution