Chapter 1.

Introduction
Matter and Measurements

Outline
1. Matter and properties
2. Classification of matter
3. Elements and Periodic table
4. Measurements and significant figures

Reference and suggested reading:

“Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach”, S. S. Zumdahl, S. A.
Zumdahl, International Ed. 2016, Chapter R.
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 1. Matter and Properties
• Chemistry is a science that studies matter and its changes.
• Matter is anything that has mass and also occupies volume.
• To distinguish between samples of matter, we compare their
properties.
– Property:.

• Two categories of properties:

 Physical properties
 Chemical properties

Examples:
Air, Water,
Trees, Grass……

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 Physical Properties
• Physical properties:
– Describe physical characteristics or behavior.

– Such properties can be observed

_without____changing the chemical composition of a
substance.

Examples:
Color
Mass
Odor
Melting point
Boiling point

3
 Chemical Properties
Chemical properties:
‒ Describe how a substance reacts with other type(s) of matter.
‒ A chemical property is the ability (or inability) of a substance
to undergo a change in composition under stated
conditions.

Example: Iron can rust in air.

Iron has the ability to react with
oxygen with iron to give the new
substance iron oxide.

4 Fe (s) + 3 O2 (g)  2 Fe2O3 (s)

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 Physical and Chemical Changes

• Chemistry is a science that studies matter and its

changes.

– Physical change
– Chemical change

5
 Physical and Chemical Changes
What is the key difference between physical and chemical changes?

Physical changes:changes in the form of substance but not its

chemicl composition

Chemical changes:changes reaulting in change of composition

Examples (physical): Examples (chemical):

• melting of ice • burning of wood
• freezing of water
As wood burns,
Both water and ice it turns into a pile
(solid water) are of ashes and gases. 
made up of H2O
molecules.  6
 Exercises
1. The following are properties for sucrose (table sugar).
Indicate which are physical properties and which are
chemical properties.

a. white color

b. turns to a black substance when mixed with sulfuric acid

c. solid phase at room temperature

d. dissolves in water

e. a sugar solution forms crystals when the water evaporates

away

f. sugar cubes do not conduct an electrical current

g. undergoes a rapid reaction with alcohol and hydrochloric acid 7

 Exercises
2. Classify the following statements as a physical change or a
chemical change.

a. Silver metal turns black when exposed to air.

b. A slice of bread turns green after sitting on the kitchen counter

for 6 days.

c. A white solid is produced when chlorine gas is mixed with

sodium metal.

d. An ice cube disappears if left outside on a windy day when the

temperature is -10 oC.

• Chem chem chem phys

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 2. Classification of Matter
According to their physical states, matter can be classified as

(a) solid (b) liquid (c) gas

Definite volume but no definite No definite volume or

Definite shape and volume; shape; shape;
Rigid Takes the shape of its container. Takes the shape and
volume of its container. 9
 Classification of Matter
According to their compositions, matter can be classified as
Pure matters that have made up of two or
definite fixed compositions more substances

Water (H2O) Gold (Au) Sugar solution Orange juice

Made up of
two or more
Made up of
elements
same type
chemically
of atoms
combined

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 3. Elements and Periodic Table
Element:
• An element is one of the fundamental substances from which all
material things are constructed.
• Each element is made of the same type of atoms.

Everything you see around you is formed from one or more of 118 known
elements. Only 98 of the 118 presently known elements occur naturally.

Allotropes - different forms of an element.

e.g. Carbon allotropes: graphite, diamond, and fullerenes

Graphite Diamond Fullerene

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 Chemical Symbols
For simplicity, chemists use Chemical Symbols (one or two-
letter abbreviations of the name) to refer to specific elements.
Examples:
Name Symbol
Beryllium Be
Carbon C
Copper Cu (from Latin, cuprum)
Potassium K (from Latin, kalium)

Notes:
• Only the first letter is capitalized
• Temporary 3-letter symbols are assigned to newly or not-yet
synthesized elements (e.g. Uun, Uuu, Uub).
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 The Periodic Table
• The periodic table is a tabular display of the chemical elements,
organized according to their chemical properties.

Period
a horizontal row of elements

Group
a vertical column of elements
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 The Periodic Table
• Other Labels for Groups are also known. e.g.

14
The Periodic Table in Our Textbook

15
The Periodic Table in Chinese (For information only)

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 Classification of the Elements
Type Characteristics
Metals Lustrous, malleable, ductile, electrically
conducting solids at room temperature.
Nonmetals Often gases, liquids, or solids that do not
conduct electricity appreciably.
Metalloids elements with intermediate properties.

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Classification of the Elements

18
 Exercises
1. Vanillin contains 63.15% C, 5.30% H, and 31.55% O
whether it is extracted from vanilla beans, synthesized
chemically from clove oils, or extracted from wood pulp
wastes. Vanillin is most likely to be:

a) a solution of C in H and O
b) a heterogeous mixture of elements
c) a compound of C, H, and O
d) a homogenous mixture of elements

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 Exercises
2. Which of the following CANNOT be the chemical symbol
for an element?
A) Co
B) Cf
C) B
D) CU

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 Exercises
3. The number of known elements at this time is
approximately
A) 50
B) 100
C) 200
D) infinite

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 Exercises
4. Which element is a transition metal?
A) Mg
B) Os
C) Xe
D) Br

• b

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 4. Measurements and Significant Figures
• Chemistry is evidence-based. All chemical statements are based on
experiments and observations.

Law: A summary of what happened in the experiment.

Hypothesis: A proposed explanation for an observation.

Theory: A model or hypothesis that has been supported with repeated

testing.
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 Chemistry and Measurements
• In Chemistry experiments,

– We make QUALITATIVE observations of reactions

e.g. changes in color and physical state.

– We also make QUANTITATIVE measurements.

A measured physical quantity is expressed in two parts:

Examples:
 Number
 20 grams
 Unit
 20 mL

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 The Fundamental SI Units
The SI (International System of units)base units that chemists commonly
use:
Physical Quantity Name of Unit Abbreviation
Mass kilogram kg
Length meter m
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electric current ampere A
Amount of substance mole mol
Volume cubic meter m3

The most commonly used units for The most commonly used units for
volume in chemistry are the liter temperature in chemistry are the
(L) Celsius (oC) and the Kelvin (K).
and the milliliter (mL).
1 L = 1 dm3 K = oC + 273.15
1 mL = 1 cm3 0 oC = 273.15K
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 Measurements and Uncertainty:
Precision and Accuracy
It is impossible to make exact measurements and all
measurements have uncertainties.

Uncertainty is expressed in two ways: Accuracy and Precision.

• Accuracy: agreement of a particular value with the true value.
• Precision: degree of agreement among several measurements of
the same quantity (Reproducibility).

Accuracy Accuracy Accuracy

Precision Precision Precision
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 Significant Figures
 The numbers reported in a measurement are
limited by the measuring tool.

 A measurement always has some degree of

uncertainty.

 A digit that must be estimated is uncertain.

 One way to indicate uncertainty in a

measurement is to use significant figures.

 Significant figures in a measurement include

the known digits plus one estimated digit.

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 Rules for Counting Significant Figures
1. Nonzero integers always count as significant
figures.
 3456 has 4 sig figs (significant figures).

2. Exact numbers have an infinite number of

significant figures.
 1 inch = 2.54 cm, exactly.
 9 pencils (obtained by counting).

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 Rules for Counting Significant Figures
3. There are three classes of zeros:
a) Leading zeros are zeros that precede all the nonzero
digits. These do not count as significant figures.
• 0.048 has 2 sig figs.

b) Captive zeros are zeros between nonzero digits.

These always count as significant figures.
 16.07 has 4 sig figs.
c) Trailing zeros are zeros at the right end of the
number. They are significant only if the number
contains a decimal point.
 9.300 has 4 sig figs.
 150 has 2 sig figs.
 150. has __sig figs. 29
 Exponential Notation
In scientific measurement, the number can be very
small or very large. e.g.
• 1,300,000
• 0.000060

We can express numbers by Exponential Notation

- Numbers are expressed in the power of 10.

• 1,300,000 =

• 0.0000600 =

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Significant Figures in Mathematical Operations
1. For Multiplication or Division: the number of significant
figures in the result is the same as the number with the
least significant figures used in the calculation.

4 sig figs
1.342 × 5.5 = 7.381?

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Significant Figures in Mathematical Operations
2. For Addition or Subtraction: the result has the same
number of decimal places as that with the least
decimal places used in the calculation.

23.445
 7.83
31.275    31.28
Corrected

31.275?

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 Exercises
1. State the number of significant figures in each of the
following:

A. 0.030 m 1 2 3
B. 4.050 L 2 3 4
C. 0.0008 g 1 2 4
D. 3.00 m 1 2 3
E. 2,080,000 bees 3 5 7

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 Exercises
2. In each calculation, round the answer to the correct
number of significant figures.

A. 2.19 X 4.2 =
1) 9 2) 9.2 3) 9.198

B. 4.311 ÷ 0.07 =
1) 61.58 2) 62 3) 60

C. 2.54 × 0.0028 =
0.0105 × 0.060
1) 11.3 2) 11 3) 0.041

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 Exercises
3. In each calculation, round the answer to the correct
number of significant figures.
A. 235.05 + 19.6 + 2.1 =
1) 256.75 2) 256.8 3) 257

B. 58.945 - 18.2 =
1) 40.745 2) 40.8 3) 40.7

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