Measurement, Dimensional Analysis, Scientific Notation, and Matter Flashcards

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering basic chemistry concepts, measurement units, precision, accuracy, dimensional analysis, scientific notation, and the classification of matter.

Observation

An objective statement based on the five senses.

Inference

A subjective interpretation or conclusion based on perceptions.

Qualitative Data

Data based on qualities or descriptive characteristics rather than numbers.

Quantitative Data

Data based on quantities, including numbers and measurements.

Accuracy

The degree to which an experimental result agrees with the accepted value, measuring how correct or close to the truth a measurement is.

Precision

The degree to which measurements agree with one another, measuring how specific, consistent, or repeatable multiple measurements are to each other.

Percentage Error

A calculation showing how far off an experimental measurement made in the lab is from the commonly accepted value, given by $\% \text{ error} = \left| \frac{\text{experimental value} - \text{accepted value}}{\text{accepted value}} \right| \times 100$.

Average

The sum of a set of values divided by the total number of values.

Standard

An exact quantity that people use for comparison in measurements.

SI System

The international system of measurement used by scientists around the world, where each type of measurement has a base unit and prefixes based on multiples of ten.

Length

The distance between two points, measured in the SI base unit of meter ($\text{m}$) using a meter stick or ruler.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, measured in the SI base unit of kilogram ($\text{kg}$) using a digital scale or spring scale.

Time

The interval between two events, measured in the SI base unit of second ($\text{s}$) using a stopwatch.

Mole

The SI unit ($\text{mol}$) used for measuring large amounts of extremely small particles, where $1\,\text{mole}$ equals $602,214,076,000,000,000,000,000$ or $6.02 \times 10^{23}$ items.

Temperature

The amount of heat in an object, measured in Kelvin ($\text{K}$) in the SI system, Celsius ($^\circ\text{C}$) in the metric system, and Fahrenheit ($^\circ\text{F}$) in the U.S.

RADAR Method

A problem-solving strategy in chemistry consisting of five steps: Read, Analyze, Diagnose, Assess, and Reflect.

Conversion Factors

Ratios of equivalent values (equal to $1$) used to convert a measurement into different units without changing its value.

Prefixes

Terms attached to base unit names in measurements to avoid writing very large or very small numbers.

Significant Figures

The number of digits in a measurement that reflect how accurate and precise it is, ensuring calculated results are not reported with greater precision than the starting measurements.

Dimensional Analysis

A technique of converting numbers into different units without changing their value by multiplying given numbers by conversion factors.

Scientific Notation

A technique used to rewrite very large or very small numbers in the format $a \times 10^b$, where $a$ is a number with a decimal point placed after the first digit and $b$ represents the number of places the decimal was moved.

Standard Notation

The conventional method of writing numbers in full without using scientific notation or powers of ten.

Chemistry

The study of matter, its composition, structure, and properties, as well as the processes it undergoes and the energy changes that occur.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up volume.

Volume

A measure of how much space something takes up.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that maintains the identity of that element; the basic building block of matter.

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom that cannot be broken down into anything simpler by chemical or physical means.

Compound

A pure substance composed of two or more different elements chemically combined in fixed proportions that can be chemically broken down into simpler substances.

Substance

Matter that has a fixed, uniform composition and identical properties throughout.

Mixture

A physical combination of two or more substances in variable proportions where each component retains its unique properties.

Homogeneous Mixture

A mixture with an even distribution of components throughout that appears blended and uniform; also known as a solution.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A mixture with an uneven distribution of components, where different parts can often be seen or separate out over time.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture formed when one substance (the solute) is dissolved into another substance (the solvent).

Aqueous Solution

A solution in which the solute is dissolved in water.

Alloy

A solid solution composed of a mixture of metals.