http://www.ck12.org Chapter 3. Measurement
3.
(a) 210.91 cm^3
(b) 226.20 cm^3
(c) 75.36 cm^3
(d) 904.32 cm^3
(e) 28.26 cm^3- Kathy has three pieces of material. The first piece is 1 yd. 2 ft. 6 in. long, the second piece is 2 yd. 1 ft. 5 in.
long, and the third piece is 4 yd. 2 ft. 8 in. long. How much material does Kathy have?
(a) 7 yd. 1 ft. 8 in.
(b) 8 yd. 4 ft. 4 in.
(c) 8 yd. 11 in.
(d) 9 yd. 7 in.
(e) 10 yd.
Introduction
We make measurements all the time in our daily lives without even realizing it. When we walk, we visually
measure the proximity of objects in our environment. When we pick up an item, we measure its weight and adjust
our muscular response according to our initial estimates. Measurements are observations of a quantitative nature
that are taken by some form of equipment. Some equipment, like our five senses, can give us very approximate
measurements, while other technology, like a scale, provides more exact measurements. Many types of instruments
are used to measure and study our chemical world. Some of the common quantities we measure in chemistry are
distance (length), volume, mass, time, velocity, temperature, density, pressure, amount, concentration, energy, and
electric charge. In this chapter, we will investigate how various methods of measurement are used to study the
chemical nature of matter.
Measurement and Numbers
Measurement is a fundamental aspect of science and chemistry. Our understanding of the chemical world would
not be possible if we did not compare, contrast, categorize, and analyze our observations to obtain the information
we have about chemical substances. Let’s consider water as an example. Many of the qualitative (non-numerical)
properties of water, including its taste, smell, texture, and color, can be observed using our senses. We can also
measure quantitative (numerical) properties of water by using equipment. For example, we can use a thermometer
to measure water’s boiling point in degrees Celsius or a measuring cup to measure the volume of a given liquid.