UNIT 1 PROBLEM SET ANSWERS

Most numerical problems will have two answers, a “calculator” answer and a “true” answer. The calculator answer, as seen
on a calculator, will have one or more additional significant figures. These extra digits are retained in all subsequent
calculations to avoid intermediate rounding error. Rounding of a calculator answer to the correct number of significant
figures gives the true (final) answer.

1. Significant figures are all digits that can be read unambiguously, followed by an estimate of one additional
uncertain digit. This is the same as saying that all analog scales should be read to 1/10 of the smallest division.
a) “Tick marks” every one unit, so read to nearest tenth. We know it’s between 108 and 109 for certain, so
estimate to the nearest tenth as 108.4 (You might have said 108.3 or 108.5; remember that the last digit is
uncertain +1)
b) “Tick marks” every one unit, so read to nearest tenth as 108.0 (NOT 108; we know the result to the nearest
tenth. That is, we want to say that we’re sure it’s between 107.9 and 108.1, not between 107 and 109.)
c) “Tick marks” every tenth of a unit, so read to nearest hundredth. We know it’s between 0.1 and 0.2, so estimate
to the nearest hundredth as 0.18 (You might have said 0.17 or 0.19)
d) “Tick marks” every tenth of a unit, so read to nearest hundredth as 0.10
e) “Tick marks” every tenth of a unit, so read to nearest hundredth as 0.08

2. A value of 5100 contains two significant figures and is 5.1 x 10 3. Values of the number of people actually in
attendance would range from 5.0 x 103 to 5.2 x 103.

3. a) No significant zeros b) No significant zeros c) 0.0390 d) 3.0900 x 10 4

4. a) 5.08 b) 508 c) 5.080 x 103 d) 0.05080

5. a) 0.00036 b) 35.83 c) 22.5

6. a) 231.6 b) 0.0085 c) 100,000 (or 1 x 105)

7. a) 1.310000 x 105 (Note that all zeros are significant.)

b) 4.7 x 10–4 (No zeros are significant.)
c) 2.10006 x 105
d) 2.1605 x 103

8. a) 2.810 x 102 b) 3.80 x 10­3 c) 4.2708 x 103 d) 5.82009 x 104

9. a) 5550 (Do not use terminal decimal point since the zero is not significant.)
b) 10070. (Use terminal decimal point since final zero is significant.)
c) 0.000000885
d) 0.003004

10. a) 6500. b) 0.0000346 c) 750 d) 188.56

11. In most cases, this involves a simple addition or subtraction of values from the exponents.
a) 8.025 x 104 (Add exponents when multiplying powers of ten: 8.02 x 102 x 102)
b) 1.0098 x 10 (from 1.0098 x 103 x 10–6)
–3

c) 7.7 x 10–11 (from 7.7 x 10–2 x 10–9)

12. a) 1.43 x 102 b) 8.51 c) 7.5

13. Exact numbers are those that have no uncertainty. Unit definitions and number counts of items in a group are
examples of exact numbers.
a) The height of Angel Falls is a measured quantity. This is not an exact number.
b) The number of planets in the solar system is a number count. This is an exact number.
c) The number of grams in a pound is not a unit definition. This is not an exact number.
d) The number of millimeters in a meter is a definition of the prefix “milli-.” This is an exact number.

1
14. a) This is a measured quantity. It is not an exact number.
b) This is a measured quantity. It is not an exact number.
c) The number of seconds in an hour is based on the definitions of minutes and hours. This is an exact number.
d) The number of states is a counted value. This is an exact number.

15. Use a calculator to obtain an initial value. Use the rules for significant figures and rounding to get the final
answer.

a)
 2.795 m  3.10 m  = 1.3371 = 1.34 m
6.48 m
4
b) V =     9.282 cm  = 3.34976 x 103 = 3.350 x 103 cm3
3

3
c) 1.110 cm + 17.3 cm + 108.2 cm + 316 cm = 442.61 = 443 cm

2.420 g  15.6 g
16. a) = 3.7542 = 3.8
4.8 g
7.87 mL
b) = 1.0274 = 1.0 (After the subtraction, the denominator has 2 significant figures.)
16.1 mL  8.44 mL
c) V =   6.23cm   4.630 cm 
2
= 564.556 = 565 cm3

17. Calculate a temporary value by simply entering the numbers into a calculator. Then you will need to round the
value to
the appropriate number of significant figures. Cancel units as you would cancel numbers, and place the remaining
units after your numerical answer.

a)
 6.626 x 10 34
Js   2.9979 x 10 8
m/s  = 4.06218 x 10 –19
= 4.06 x 10–19 J
9
489 x 10 m
(489 x 10–9 m limits the answer to 3 significant figures)

b)
 6.022 x 10 23
molecules/mol 1.19 x 10 2 g   = 1.5555 x 10 24
= 1.56 x 1024 molecules
46.07 g/mol
(1.19 x 102 g limits answer to 3 significant figures)

   1
2
1 

c) 6.022 x 10 23 atoms/mol 2.18 x 10 18 J/atom  2  2  = 1.8233 x 105 = 1.82 x 105 J/mol
3 
(2.18 x 10–18 J/atom limits answer to 3 significant figures)

8.32 x 107 g
18. a) = 2.6787 = 2.68 g/cm3
4
 
3
 3.1416  1.95 x 102 cm
3

b)
1.84 x 10 g   44.7 m / s 
2 2

= 1.8382 x 105 = 1.84 x 105 g·m2/s2

2
1.07 x 10   2.6 x 10 
2
4 3
mol / L mol / L
c) = 0.109969 = 0.11 L/mol
8.35 x 10 mol / L  1.48 x 10 mol / L 
3
5 2

19. An extensive property depends on the amount of material present. An intensive property is the same regardless of
how much material is present.
a) Mass is an extensive property. Changing the amount of material will change the mass.
b) Density is an intensive property. Changing the amount of material changes both the mass and the volume, but
the ratio (density) remains fixed.
c) Volume is an extensive property. Changing the amount of material will change the volume.

2
 d) The melting point is an intensive property. The melting point depends on the substance not on the amount of
substance.

20. Anything that increases the mass or decreases the volume will increase the density.
a) Density increases. The mass of the chlorine gas is not changed, but its volume is less.
b) Density remains the same. Neither the mass nor the volume of the solid has changed.
c) Density decreases. Water is one of the few substances that expands on freezing. The mass is constant, but the
volume increases.
d) Density increases. Iron, like most materials, contracts on cooling, thus the volume decreases while the mass
does not change.
e) Density remains the same. The water does not alter either the mass or the volume of the diamond.

 1  1012 m   1 nm 
21. Radius = 1430 pm    9  = 1.43 nm
 1 pm   1  10 m 

22. r (Å) = 2.22 x 10–10 m x (1 Å/1x10–10 m) = 2.22 Å

 1 cm   1 inch  3 3
23. Length = 100. m    = 3.9370 x 10 = 3.94 x 10 in
 0.01 m   2.54 cm 

2 2 2 2
 1  103 m   1 cm   1 in   1 ft 
2
A (ft ) = 6322 mm 
 1 mm   0.01 m   2.54 cm   12 in  = 6.804944 x 10 = 6.805 x 10 ft
2 –2 –2 2
24.
       

25. The conversions may be performed in any order.

3 3
 5.52 g   2.54 cm   12 in   1 kg   2.205 lb  3
        = 344.661 = 345 lb/ft
 cm3   1 in   1 ft   1000 g   1 kg 

 2.998 x 108 m   60 s   1 km   1 mi 
26. Velocity (mi/min) =      3   1.609 km  = 1.11796 x 10 = 1.118 x 10 mi/min
7 7

 1 s  1 min  1  10 m  

27. The conversions may be done in any order.

3
 1.72 µm 3   1  10 6 m   1 mm 3 –9 3
a) Volume =       = 1.72 x 10 mm /cell
 cell 1 m  1  10 3
m 
  
3 3
 1.72 µm3  1  106 m   100 cm   1 mL   1 L 

b) Volume = 1  105 cells  
 cell 
 1 µm   1m   1 cm3   1000 mL  = 1.72 x 10 = 2 x 10 L
–10 –10

       

28. radius = diameter/2 = 0.85 cm/2

3 3
 1  102 m   1 dm 
V = (0.85 cm/2)2(7.8 cm)   = 4.42611 x 10–3 = 4.4 x 10–3 dm3
 1 cm  
1  10 1
m
   

3
 946.353 mL   1 cm3   0.01 m 
29. V (m3) = 1.1 qt       –3 –3
 = 1.0409883 x 10 = 1.0 x 10 m
3

 1 qt  1 mL  1 cm 

3
30. Volume of a cube = (length of side)3
 1  103 m   1 cm 
length of side = 15.6 mm    2  = 1.56 cm
 1 mm   1  10 m 
volume = (1.56 cm)3 = 3.7964 cm3
Density = mass/volume = 10.25 g/3.7964 cm3 = 2.69993 = 2.70 g/cm3

31. r (mm) = 32.5 mm/2 = 5.17254 mm

3 3
3  1  10 m   1 cm 
3
4
V (cm ) =     5.17254 mm  
3
   = 0.5796958 cm3
3  1 mm 1  10 2
m
   
Density (g/cm3) = 4.20 g/0.5796958 cm3 = 7.24518 = 7.25 g/cm3

 31.1 g 
 2.0 tr.oz.  
32. volume = mass/density =  1 tr. oz  = 3.222798 cm3
19.3 g/cm3
3
 1 in 
3.222798 cm 3  
Area = volume/thickness =  2.54 cm  = 1.229 x 104 = 1.2 x 104 in2
1.6 x 10 5 in

33. Calculate the volume of the cube by cubing an edge. Use appropriate conversion factors to convert the volume to
cubic centimeters. Finally, use the volume and density to get the mass.
3 3
 0.001 m   1 cm   7.90 g 
Mass = volume x density = 15.0 mm 
3
     3 
= 26.6625 = 26.7 g
 1 mm   0.01 m   1 cm 

34. a) T (in K) = -164 + 273.15 = 109.15 = 109 K (note that no decimal places are kept because the temperature
in Celsius was measured to the nearest one degree.)
b) T (in °C) = T (in K) - 273.15 = 201 - 273.15 = -72.15 = ­72°C (note that no decimal places are kept because the
temperature in Celsius is to the nearest one degree.)
c) T (in K) = 356.58 + 273.15 = 629.73 K (note that two decimal places are kept because the temperature
in Celsius was measured to two decimal places.)

35. a) T(K) = 3410 + 273.15 = 3683.15 = 3.68 x 103 K (note that it is rounded to the nearest 10 degrees because the
temperature in Celsius was measured to the nearest 10 degrees.)
b) T (C) = 6.1 x 103 K – 273.15 = 5.82685 x 103 = 5.8 x 103C
c) T (in K) = -72.7 + 273.15 = 200.45 = 200.5 K (note that one decimal place is kept because the temperature
in Celsius was measured to one decimal place.)