CHEM 6A Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Scientific Method, Significant Figures, Decimal Mark

• School: UCSD
• Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Course: CHEM 6A
• Professor: Thomas J Bussey

Document Summary

Chem 6a - lecture 1 - chapter 1: chemistry and scientific methods. Chemistry is known as the study of matter and its changes. Chemistry stems into other sciences, such as physics, biology, or geology. Other sciences could not exist without chemistry. Macroscopic - what we see (water in the glass) Submicroscopic - what we assume because the human eye cannot see (water molecules) Symbolic - what we represent it by (h2o, h-o-h, We present theories, which are changeable to support new or changing evidence. The law - matter cannot be created nor destroyed. The mass of the reactants=the mass of the product. Laws tell what is happening, while theories tell why it is happening. Ex. the theory of evolution explains why the organisms today are here. Laws and theories can change as evidence changes. Qualitative measurement: general characteristics of the material under study (descriptions) Quantitative measurement: result expressed numerically (must have units!)