General Chemistry: Precision, Accuracy, Dimensional Analysis, and Atomic Theory

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts from the lecture transcript, including data quality, unit conversions, measurement uncertainty, and early atomic theory.

Precision

A measure of how close successive or repeated measurements are to each other, indicating reproducibility.

Accuracy

A measure of how close measured values are to an expected or true target value.

Dimensional Analysis

A procedural method for solving chemical calculations by treating measurement units as algebraic quantities that can be canceled out.

Conversion Factor

A fraction or mathematical relationship linking two different units together (equal to 1) used to convert a quantity from one unit system to another.

Exact Quantity

A value defined precisely by definition (such as $60\,\text{seconds} = 1\,\text{minute}$) that has no uncertainty and does not limit the significant figures in a calculation.

Measured Quantity

A value obtained through experimental measurement that carries inherent uncertainty and affects the significant figures of calculated results.

Dalton's Atomic Theory

A series of postulates proposed by John Dalton in the early 1800s stating that matter consists of small, indivisible atoms, elements are unique, compounds form in whole-number atomic ratios, and atoms are conserved in chemical reactions.

Compound

A distinct substance formed by joining two or more different elements in fixed, whole-number atomic ratios, possessing different properties from its constituent elements.

Law of Definite Proportions

Also known as the law of constant composition, it states that all samples of a given chemical compound will always contain the exact same mass proportion of its constituent elements, regardless of the sample's source or size.