Explain how you could experimentally determine whether the outside temperature is higher or lower than 0 °C (32 °F) without using a thermometer.
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Chemistry 2e · 1.1 Chemistry in Context
Chemistry in Context: practice problems
4 problems from the book, with its answers. Check your working, or have any of them explained to you on the whiteboard.
Exercises 3
Identify each of the following statements as being most similar to a hypothesis, a law, or a theory. Explain your reasoning.
(a) The pressure of a sample of gas is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas.
(b) Matter consists of tiny particles that can combine in specific ratios to form substances with specific properties.
(c) At a higher temperature, solids (such as salt or sugar) will dissolve better in water.
Exercises 5
Identify each of the underlined items as a part of either the macroscopic domain, the microscopic domain, or the symbolic domain of chemistry. For those in the symbolic domain, indicate whether they are symbols for a macroscopic or a microscopic feature.
(a) A certain molecule contains one H atom and one Cl atom.
(b) Copper wire has a density of about 8 g/cm³.
(c) The bottle contains 15 grams of Ni powder.
(d) A sulfur molecule is composed of eight sulfur atoms.
Exercises 7
The amount of heat required to melt 2 lbs of ice is twice the amount of heat required to melt 1 lb of ice. Is this observation a macroscopic or microscopic description of chemical behavior? Explain your answer.
Key terms · 8
- chemistry
- study of the composition, properties, and interactions of matter
- hypothesis
- tentative explanation of observations that acts as a guide for gathering and checking information
- law
- statement that summarizes a vast number of experimental observations, and describes or predicts some aspect of the natural world
- macroscopic domain
- realm of everyday things that are large enough to sense directly by human sight and touch
- microscopic domain
- realm of things that are much too small to be sensed directly
- scientific method
- path of discovery that leads from question and observation to law or hypothesis to theory, combined with experimental verification of the hypothesis and any necessary modification of the theory
- symbolic domain
- specialized language used to represent components of the macroscopic and microscopic domains, such as chemical symbols, chemical formulas, chemical equations, graphs, drawings, and calculations
- theory
- well-substantiated, comprehensive, testable explanation of a particular aspect of nature
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