Pre-Lab Questions:
1. The rules concerning handling significant figures are as follows:
When dividing/multiplying
The answer has no more significant digits than the number with the fewest significant digits (the least precise figure).
Round off after calculations have been performed.
When adding/subtracting
Answer has no more places than the addend, minuend, or subtrahend with the fewest number of decimal places.
Significant figures are irrelevant when adding/subtracting (least number of decimal places rule).
2. The concepts for using scientific notation is to allow the student a form to asses the order of magnitude and to visually decrease the zeros. It allows the student to compare very large or very small numbers and to better understand those numbers. Scientific notation also tells us about significant figures. An example of scientific notation would be the age of the earth. Example:
The approximate age of the earth is 4,600,000,000 years old. Using scientific notation this number would look like 4.6 * 10^9. Scientific notation is shorter and easier to read than 4,600,000,000.
3. The rules for handling scientific notation are as follows:
If the co-efficient is greater than one the exponent will be positive.
If the co-efficient is less than one the exponent will be negative.
The base must be 10.
The exponent must show the number of decimal places that the decimal needs to be moved to change the number to standard notation.
Trailing zeros are significant . Leading zeros are not significant.
The decimal place in the beginning goes after the first non zero digit.
Example:
Convert 60,300,000 to scientific notation
Coefficient is greater than one. Decimal place goes after the first non zero number. Note that 6.03 is greater than one.
The base must be 10. Therefore, 6.03 * 10
Exponent must show the number of decimal places. 6.03 * 10^7
Purpose:
Math Practice Lab is meant to give the basic chemistry