Ch1 - Matter, Measurement, and Problem Solving Flashcards
Matter
anything that takes up space and has mass
Mass
the substance which makes up the physical world; mass is made of atoms and is constant
weight
a measure of mass that depends on gravity; weight changes depending on where you are measuring
chemistry
the study of matter, it’s behavior, and interactions
modern science
empirical observation and experiment. science is widely used to guide the development of technology
scientific method
- Make careful observations and collect data
- Propose a hypothesis to explain the data
- Test the hypothesis by experimentation
- Accept or reject the hypothesis
hypothesis
an educated guess. If strongly supported by data a hypothesis may become a theory.
scientific theory
A proposed explanation for tested hypotheses and scientific laws that presents a model of how nature works and can predict future behavior. A theory is usually complex and explains “how” or “why.”
scientific law
summarizes past observations and predicts what will happen. Usually simple and gives the “what.”
atomic theory
- Elements are made up of atoms that cannot be divided
- atoms of the same element have the same chemical properties
- Atoms of different elements have different properties
- Compounds are formed when two or more atoms of two or more elements combine
who devised the atomic theory?
John Dalton in 1808
evidence for Dalton’s atomic theory
- the law of conservation of mass
- the law of constant composition
- The law of multiple proportions
the law of conservation of mass
in a chemical reaction mass is neither created nor destroyed
law of constant composition
a compound always consists of the same elements, in the same proportion to each other by mass (number of atoms). Allows for chemical formula.
the law of multiple proportions
atoms combine with each other in ratios of small whole numbers
solids
have a definite shape and volume - they vary in their hardness and brittleness from substance to substance. Solids are not compressible.
liquids
have a definite volume and are not compressible. Liquids do not have definite shape; they will take the shape of the bottom of their containers and will spread out on a flat surface.