SCIENTIFIC METHOD – a set of procedures used to

acquire information, knowledge and explanation on a

certain phenomena.
1. Identifying the Problem – a specific problem that
needs to be solved as identified.
2. Formulate a hypothesis related to the problem.
Hypothesis is an educated guess.
3. Test the hypothesis by experimentation.
4. Record and analyze data.
5. Make conclusions and generalizations.
6. Publish scientific work.
Major Branches of Chemistry
1. Inorganic Chemistry – study of all the elements
other than Carbon.
2. Organic Chemistry – study of compounds containing
carbon.
3. Biochemistry – study of chemical processes in living
things.
4. Nuclear Chemistry – study of radioactivity, the
nucleus and the changes that the nucleus
undergoes.
Why study Chemistry?
1. Chemistry helps you to understand the world around
you. It answers many of our questions.
2. Basic knowledge of chemistry helps you to read and
understand product labels.
3. Chemistry can help you make informed decisions.
4. Chemistry is at the heart of cooking.
5. A command of chemistry can help keep as safe.
6. Industry compounds much on chemistry.
(Technological advances).
7. Chemistry opens up career options.
8. Knowledge of chemistry is useful in certain
precautions.
9. Chemistry is fun!
10. Chemistry is the study of everything. Sometimes
called “central science because it connects other,
such as biology, physics, geology and environmental
science.
MEASUREMENT
 Determination of the size of things, necessary to
accurately describe and verify observation.
Types of Measurement:
1. Qualitative Measurement – gives the result in a
descriptive non-numerical value.
2. Quantitative Measurement – gives the result in
numerical form, it is precise and accurate
measurement.

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
 Refers to the number of important digits (0 through
9 inclusive) in the coefficient of an expression in
scientific notation.
 The number of significant figures in an expression
indicates the confidence or precision with which an
engineer or scientist states a quantity.
RULES IN SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
1. Digits from 1-9 are always significant.
2. Zeros between two other significant digits are
always significant.
3. One or more additional zeros to the right of both the
decimal place and another significant digit are
significant.
 4. Zeros used solely for spacing the decimal point
(placeholders) are not significant.

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
A way of expressing very small or very large numbers in
their compact form.
 A combination of two numbers. The first number is a
decimal number between 1 and 10, followed by a
multiplication sign (X). The second number is a
power of 10.
ROUNDING OFF NUMERICAL RESULTS

Rounding off – is the process of deleting unwanted

(non-significant digits) from calculated numbers.

RULES:
1. If the digit to be dropped is less than 5, simply drop
the last digit.

Example:

Round off 9.584 to three SF – 9.58

2. If the digit to be dropped is 5 or greater, increase the
preceding digit by one.

Example:

Round off 7.975 to three SF = 7.98

 RULES IN DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF SF
INALGEBRAIC OPERATIONS
ADDITION AND SUBSTRACTION
RULE:
Round off the answer so that it has the same number of
decimal places as the measurement with the least
number of decimal places.
23.5(one decimal place)
+ 2.1 (one decimal place)
7.26(two decimal places)
32.86

Round off the answer to one decimal place

ANSWER: 32.9
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
RULE:
Round off the answer so that it has the same number of
significant figures as the measurement with the fewest
significant figures.
5.3 x 1.54x 3.21 = 26.20002
(2 sf) (3 sf) (3 sf)

You must round off 26.20002 so that it has 2 sig. figures.

ANSWER: 26

LABEL METHOD

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS – is a problem solving method

that uses the idea that any number or expression can be
multiplied by one without changing its value.

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS – is used to convert one unit of

measurement to another unit of measurement using
conversion factors.

These Conversion Factors are fixed and unchanging

relationships.