Chapter 1 – Measurements in Chemistry

‘O’ Level Chemistry

Chapter 1 – Measurements in Chemistry

Measurements
 Four basic physical quantities measured in experiments:
- Volume
- Temperature
- Mass
- Time
 These measurements can also be made by Data Logging

Measurements in Chemistry Experiments

 Volume of liquids
- SI unit: m3
- Other units: cm3, dm3 (1 dm3 = 1000 cm3)
Apparatus Use
Beaker / conical flask For approximate volumes of 100 cm3 or 250 cm3
Measuring cylinder For variable volumes accurate to nearest cm3
For variable volumes accurate to nearest 0.1 cm3
Burette
(follow the accuracy stated on the burette used) (a) (b)
Fig. 1: (a) Burette and
For fixed volumes accurate to nearest 0.1 cm3 (b) Pipettes
Pipette (bulb pipette)
(follow the accuracy stated on the pipette used)

 Volume of Gases
- Measured using a gas syringe.
- Measures up to 100 cm3 of gas on a graduated scale

 Temperature
- SI unit: Kelvin, K
- A more common unit: degree Celsius, C (also called degree Centigrade)
- T (in K) = T (in C) + 273
- Measured using a mercury-in-glass or alcohol-in-glass thermometer to the nearest 0.5 C (or half
of the smallest division).

 Time
- SI unit: second (s)
- Other units used: hour (h), minute (min)
- Measured with a clock or digital stopwatch.
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 Chapter 1 – Measurements in Chemistry
- Measurement to the nearest second is sufficient.

 Mass
- SI unit: kilogram (kg)
- Other common units: gram (g), milligram (mg), tonnes (1 ton = 1000 kg)
- Measured using electronic ‘top pan’ balance accurate to nearest 0.001g (accuracy also depends on
the type of balance used) or beam balances

Writing measurements in Standard Form

 Very large or very small numbers are usually written in standard form
n
 Standard form: A x 10 (where A is more than or equal to 1 and less than 10; n is an integer)
-4 3 5 3
 For example, 0.00025 g = 2.5 x 10 g ; 520 000 cm = 5.2 x 10 cm

Chemistry Experiments and the Apparatus used

 Heating a Flammable Liquid
- Flammable liquids (e.g. alcohols) will likely catch fire if heated in a
boiling tube directly over a flame.
- Hence, these liquids are placed in a boiling tube and then warmed
in a beaker of water (water bath) as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2: Heating a flammable liquid

 Titration
- One solution is added to a known volume of another solution.
- Used during neutralisation reaction between acid and alkali.
- Pipette: to measure a very accurate fixed volume of a solution (e.g.
alkali) into a conical flask.
- Burette: to contain a solution of acid and runs it into the conical flask.
The volume of acid added to the alkali can then be read off from the
burette.
Fig. 3: Titration set-up

 Collecting Gas from a Reaction

- To collect and measure the volume of gas produced over a
period of time.
- Gas produced from the reaction of substances in a conical flask
is collected in a gas syringe. (Fig. 4)
- This set up can also be used to measure the speed of a reaction. Fig. 4: Collecting gas from a reaction
mixture

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 Chapter 1 – Measurements in Chemistry
- There are other methods of collecting gases (Fig. 5) and the method of collection depends on the
properties of the gas (Fig. 6)

gas gas

water
gas

Upward delivery Downward delivery

Displacement of water
For gases that are insoluble or slightly For gases that are soluble in For gases that are soluble in
soluble in water. water but less dense than air. water but denser than air.
Fig. 5: Other methods of collecting gases

Gas Solubility in water pH Density with respect to air

Hydrogen Insoluble Neutral Less dense
Oxygen Insoluble Neutral Denser
Carbon dioxide Slightly soluble Acidic Denser
Hydrogen chloride Soluble Acidic Denser
Chlorine Soluble Acidic Denser
Sulfur dioxide Soluble Acidic Denser
Ammonia Soluble Alkaline Less dense
Fig. 6: Table of properties of common gases

- Drying agent can be used to remove moisture in the gas collected. (Fig. 7)
- This is to obtain a dry sample and also a more accurate measurement
of volume collected.
- Examples of drying agents:
 Concentrated sulphuric acid (not for alkaline gas, e.g. ammonia)
 Calcium oxide (not for acidic gas, e.g. hydrogen chloride) Fig. 7: Drying a gas by bubbling into
concentrated sulfuric acid
 Calcium sulphate and calcium chloride

 Change in Mass During a Reaction

- Instead of collecting the gas formed in a reaction, we can measure
the decrease in mass. (Fig. 8)
- An electronic balance is used to measure the decrease in mass
when the gas formed in a reaction escapes from the reaction flask.
- Useful to measure the speed of reaction. Fig. 8: Measuring change in mass
during a reaction

 Data Logging
- To measure and record variables that change over time during an experiment.
- We can measure:
 Temperature changes
 Change in volume of gas produced
 Change in mass during a reaction
 Change in pH during a neutralisation reaction
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 Chapter 1 – Measurements in Chemistry
- Main pieces of apparatus include: sensor (or probe), connector (or interface), computer and monitor
(screen)
- Measurements can be displayed as graphs of variables against time on the monitor.

Summary

Thermometers Displayed as
Stop watches graph on the
screen

Temperature
Time Computer

processed by
Measurements
All can be
measured by Data
logging

data recorded by

Mass Sensors

Electronic balance Volume

Beam balance

Liquid
Gas Measuring
cylinder
used in measurement of
Gas syringe
Burette For approximate
and variable
Speed of Pipette volumes
Reaction
For accurate used in
variable volumes
Gas collected can be For accurate
dried by suitable Titration fixed volumes
drying agents

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