High School Chemistry : Using SI Units

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Chemistry

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Units

What unit will be used to denote temperature in thermochemistry?

Possible Answers:

Fahrenheit

Celsius or Kelvin

Joules

Celsius

Kelvin

Correct answer:

Kelvin

Explanation:

Temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of a system. Kelvin is the SI unit for temperature, and must be used because it is the only scale that does not have any negative numbers possible. At zero Kelvin (absolute zero) and there is absolutely no movement in the system, down to the atomic level.

While temperature is a means of measuring energy in a system, actual heat energy has the unit Joules.

Example Question #2 : High School Chemistry

Which of the following measurements contains 4 significant figures?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

1. Any digit with a value 1-9 is always a significant figure

2. Any 0 between two digits 1-9 is always significant

3. If a number is greater than 1 and does not have a decimal point a 0 at the end is not significant because it is a tailing zero

4. If a number is less than 1 any 0 before a digit 1-9 is not significant because it is a leading zero

5. If there is a decimal point in any number, any 0 that follows a non-zero digit is always significant.

Thus,  has 4 significant figures. The first 0 is not significant because of rule 4. The digits 1, 9, and 6 are always significant (rule 1) and the last 0 is also significant because there is a decimal point and that 0 follows a non-zero digit (rule 5).

Example Question #1 : High School Chemistry

Which has the larger unit listed first?

Possible Answers:

Centigram and decigram

Decaliter and kiloliter

Microsecond and nanosecond

Kilojoule and megajoule

Picometer and millimeter

Correct answer:

Microsecond and nanosecond

Explanation:

The following prefixes are ranked in order from largest to smallest with the power of 10 that the unit represents: peta (P)  > tera (T)  > giga (G)  > mega (M)  > kilo (k)  > hecta (H)  > deca (D)  > unit > deci (d)  > centi (c)  > milli (m)  > micro   > nano (n)  > pico (p)  > femto (f) . Thus a microsecond is one thousand times longer than a nanosecond.

Example Question #2 : High School Chemistry

The measurement of  is equal to which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Units in the metric system can be converted using the correct factor of 10.

Example Question #1 : High School Chemistry

A certain metal is weighed on a balance in a weighing boat. Before the metal is added, the mass of the weigh boat is recorded at . The final mass of the weigh boat and the metal is . The metal is added to a graduated cylinder filled with water to . After the metal is added to the water the graduated cylinder reads .

What is the density of the metal?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Density is equal to the mass of the object divided by the volume.

The mass of the metal is figured out by taking the mass of the metal and the weighboat  and subtracting the weighboat 

The volume of the water is calculated by the displacement of the water so take the final volume and subtract the initial volume.

The density of the metal is calculated by taking the mass divided by the volume.

  after rounding to 3 significant figures.

Example Question #2 : High School Chemistry

An object is measured to be  tall. How tall is the object in inches? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

You must use equalities and dimensional analysis to solve for the correct answer:

Each equality allows you to write a conversion factor 2 ways: 

Example:  can be written as 

  and 

To cancel out units if there is a unit on top it must be cancelled out by the same unit on the bottom.

To solve you must cancel out units until you get to the proper unit

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