GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
CHEM 1311.001
EXAM 1
Friday September 18, 1998

Name_________________________________________

SSN__________________________________________


1. What is an experiment?
a)An observation of natural phenomena, carried out in a controlled manner, so that the results are reproducible, and rational conclusions can be obtained
b)Use of the senses, or extensions thereof, to acquire information about natural phenomena
c)The general process acquiring and refining information about natural phenomena. It was represented in class by a flow chart.
d)A tentative explanation of natural phenomena
e)A tested explanation of natural phenomena
2. What is a law?
a)A tested explanation of natural phenomena
b)A tentative explanation of natural phenomena
c)A concise statement or mathematical equation about natural phenomena
d)Use of the senses, or extensions thereof, to acquire information about natural phenomena
e)An observation of natural phenomena, carried out in a controlled manner, so that the results are reproducible and rational conclusions can be obtained
3. What is a theory?
a)An observation of natural phenomena, carried out in a controlled manner so that the results are reproducible and rational conclusions can be obtained
b)Use of the senses, or extensions thereof, to acquire information about natural phenomena
c)A tentative explanation of natural phenomena
d)A tested explanation of natural phenomena
e)A concise statement, or mathematical equation, about natural phenomena
4. What term means "the general process of acquiring information about natural phenomena" and was represented in class by a flowchart?
a) experimentb) observationc) hypothesis
d) theorye) scientific method
5. What term means "use of the senses, or extensions thereof, to acquire information about natural phenomena"?
a) experimentb) observationc) hypothesis
d) theorye) scientific method
6. A tentative explanation of natural phenomena is a(n)
a) lawb) experimentc) hypothesis
d) observatione) theory
7. Which of the following could, in some cases, be an incorrect explanation of natural phenomena?
a) hypothesisb) lawc) theory
d) all of thesee) none of these
8. True or False: After a theory is supported by the the results of numerous experiments, it becomes a hypothesis.
a) Trueb) False
9. True or False: A law usually applies to a broad variety of cases, rather than just one or two specific cases.
a) Trueb) False
10. True or False: If a scientist proposes an explanation of natural phenomena and then conducts an experiment to test it, the explanation must definitely be correct if the experimental data are in agreement with the proposed explanation.
a) Trueb) False
11. When we convert a quantity expressed in one set of units to a different set of units (such as converting cm to mm) we usually carry out the conversion by
a)adding 1 (in a special form) to the original quantity
b)adding 0 (in a special form) to the original quantity
c)multiplying 1 (in a special form) by the original quantity
d)multiplying 0 (in a special form) by the original quantity
12. True or False: When we convert a quantity in one set of units to another set of units, the original quantity and the new quantity are mathematically equal to each other
a) Trueb) False
13. True or False: Since there are 12 inches in a foot, there must be 12 cubic inches in a cubic foot.
a) Trueb) False
14. To what power must 10 be raised to get 10?
a) 0b) 1c) 2d) 3e) 4
15. How should the number 0.0017 be written in order to be in scientific notation in standard form?
a) 0.0017 x 100b) 0.017 x 10-1c) 0.17 x 10-2
d) 1.7 x 10-3e) 17 x 10-4
16. Which of the following floating point numbers is equivalent to 1.375 x 102?
a) 0.001375b) 0.01375c) 137.5
d) 1375e) 13750
17. After doing a calculation, a student obtained the number 175.8 x 10-3 as the answer. How should this number be re-written in order to be in standard form?
a) 175.8 x 100b) 1.758 x 10-1c) 1.758 x 10-5
d) 1.758 x 100e) 1758 x 10-4
18. In the metric system
a)Different units of measurement are always related by powers of 10
b)Different units of measurement are related by various different factors with no predictable pattern
19. Use the relationships 1 m = 39.37 in and 1 ft = 12 in to calculate the number of meters in one foot. (That is, starting with a distance of 1 ft, convert it to m)
a) 0.002117 mb) 0.2540 mc) 0.3048 m
d) 3.281 me) 472.4 m
20. A graduated cylinder contains 24.8 cm3 of water. What is the volume of water in cubic inches? Note that 1 in = 2.54 cm.
a) 1.51 in3b) 9.76 in3c) 63.0 in3
d) 160 in3e) 406 in3
21. A chemist reads the volume of water in a graduated cylinder and reports the volume is 12.21 mL. How many significant figures are there in the number 12.21 as used in this context?
a) 2b) 3c) 4d) indeterminatee) infinite
22. A beaker is weigned on an analytical balance and a mass of 63.6100 g is obtained. How many significant figures are there in the number 63.6100 as used in this context?
a) 4b) 5c) 6d) indeterminatee) infinite
23. A very small piece of metal is weighed on an analytical balance and the mass is found to be 0.0012 g. How many significant figures are there in the number 0.0012 as used in this context?
a) 2b) 3c) 4d) indeterminatee) infinite
24. A piece of string was measured with a ruler and found to have a length of 100.0 cm. How many significant figures are there in the number 100.0 as used in this context?
a) 1b) 2c) 3d) 4e) infinite
25. One mile is defined as a distance of 5280 feet. How many significant figures are there in the number 5280 as used in this context?
a) 0b) 3c) 4d) indeterminatee) infinite
26. The original enrollment in this chemistry class was 30 students. How many significant figures are there in the number 30 as used in this context?
a) 0b) 1c) 2d) indeterminatee) infinite
27. A piece of glass tubing was weighed on an analytical balance and its mass was found to be 10.0100 g. How many significant figures are there in the number 10.0100 as used in this context?
a) 2b) 4c) 6d) indeterminatee) infinite
28. True or False: Numbers obtained from measurements are considered to be exact.
a) Trueb) False
29. If the number of significant figures in a numerical value is infinite, the numerical value is said to be
a) exactb) indeterminate
30. How many "uncertain" digits should be shown in a measured value or final answer to a calculation?

a) none           b) one           c) two

d) whatever number of uncertain digits the person writing the value wants to show

e) an infinite number

31. Density is calculated by dividing the mass of a substance by its volume. That is, d = m / V. If a 5.00 mL sample of an unknown liguid has a mass of 5.100 g, what is the density of the liquid? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules.
a) 1 g / mLb) 1.0 g / mLc) 1.02 g / mL
d) 1.020 g / mLe) 1.0200 g / mL
32. If one piece of string is reported to have a length of 10.30 m and another piece of string is reported to have a length of 5.010 m, what is the combined length of the two pieces of string? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules.
a) 15 mb) 15.3 mc) 15.31 m
d) 15.310 me) 15.3100 m
33. The area of a rectangular figure is calculated by multiplying the length by the width. If a rectangle has a length of 37.523 m and a width of 2.1 m, what is the area of the rectangle? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules.
a) 8 x 101 m2b) 79 m2c) 78.8 m2
d) 78.80 m2e) 78.798 m2
34. A lab student weighed a beaker containing a water sample on a top loading balance. The mass was determined to be 225.17 g. The student's lab partner had previously weighed the same beaker -- when it was empty -- on an analytical balance and obtained a mass of 94.1635 g. What mass of water was in the beaker? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules.
a) 131 gb) 131.0 gc) 131.01 g
d) 131.006 ge) 131.0065 g
35. Two graduated cylinders were sitting on a laboratory bench, each partially filled with water. A chemist noted that one cylinder contained 1.00 mL of water, while the other cylinder contained 47.1 mL of water. What is the total volume of water in the two cylinders? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules.
a) 5 x 101 mLb) 48 mLc) 48.1 mL
d) 48.10 mLe) 48.100 mL
36. If a piece of metal has a mass of 1.20 g and a volume of 0.2 mL, what is the density of the metal? Select the answer that complies with the appropriate significant figure rules. Note that d = m / V.
a) 6 g / mLb) 6.0 g / mLc) 6.00 g / mL
d) 6.000 g / mLe) 6.0000 g / mL
37. A student is solving the mixed arithmetic problem 1.3133 x (1.2150 + 2.165) =
For simplicity, units have been omitted from the numbers, but assume all numbers come from measurements. With regard to significant figure rules, how should the answer to this calculation be expressed?
a) 4b) 4.4c) 4.44
d) 4.439e) 4.4390
38. A student is solving the mixed arithmetic problem (10.48 + 2.103) / (1.0 + 2.107) =
For simplicity, units have been omitted from the numbers, but assume all numbers come from measurements. With regard to significant figure rules, how should the answer to this calculation be expressed?
a) 4b) 4.0c) 4.05
d) 4.050e) 4.0499
39. If a number with three significant figures is multiplied by a number with two significant figures, how many significant figures will be in the answer to the multiplication problem?
a) 1b) 2c) 3d) 5e) 6
40. The mathematical operation of subtraction follows the same significant figure rules as the mathematical operation of __________
a) additionb) divisionc) multiplication

ANSWERS:

1 a      2 c      3 d      4 e      5 b     

6 c      7 d      8 b      9 a      10 b     

11 c      12 a      13 b      14 b      15 d     

16 c      17 b      18 a      19 c      20 a     

21 c      22 c      23 a      24 d      25 e     

26 e      27 c      28 b      29 a      30 b     

31 c      32 c      33 b      34 c      35 c     

36 a      37 d      38 b      39 b      40 a     

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