Study Guide for Exam 1
You should be able to answer the following questions, solve problems involving the following concepts,
or understand the following concepts so that you can describe them and answer questions about them.
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What is chemistry?
What is matter?
What are the three physical states of matter? You should be able to describe properties of each of
these states.
What are physical properties? Chemical properties? You should be able to give examples of
each type of property. You should also be able to identify a given property as physical or
chemical
What are physical changes? Chemical changes? You should be able to give examples of each
type of change. You should also be able to identify a given process as a physical or chemical
change.
You should be able to distinguish between elements, compounds, homogeneous mixtures and
heterogeneous mixtures either by its formula, its description, its microscopic view, or the
processes it undergoes.
You must memorize the names and symbols of the elements on page 95 of your text. You need to
spell the names correctly. You also need to match symbols and names.
What is an atom? A molecule?
What are the two parts of a measurement?
What does it mean when we say that all measurements have uncertainty?
Know the difference between an exact number and measured number and how they are used in
calculations.
What are the three base units in the metric system?
You need to memorize the equalities and corresponding conversion factors for the metric system,
the prefixes and corresponding scientific notation powers of 10. You need to know how to create
conversion factors to use this information as it applies to length, volume and mass.
You need to know how to make measurements to the correct number of decimal places,
depending on the measuring device.
What are significant figures?
What are the rules about significant figures? You should be able to look at a number and
determine how many significant figures it has.
You should be able to round a number to the correct number of significant figures.
You need to be able to give the answers to multiplication/division and addition/subtraction
calculations to the correct number of significant figures.
What do the numbers mean in scientific notation?
o You should know how to input numbers in scientific notation into your calculator.
o You should be able to use numbers in scientific notation in calculations (to the correct
number of significant figures).
You should be able to use any conversion factor (memorized or given) to convert between a
measurement in one unit and another unit. (Dimensional Analysis)
o You should be able to do both one-step and multi-step conversions.
What is density? You should be able to use any two of the three pieces of information in the
density formula to calculate the third.
What is the relationship between density and floating?
What is the difference between heat and temperature?
In which direction does heat flow?
You need to memorize how to convert between temperatures in Celsius and Kelvin.
You need to know the formulas to convert between temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit.
In which units is heat measured?
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What are the three subatomic particles? You should be able to describe their symbols, their
charges, and their relative masses. You also need to know where they are located in the atom.
Relatively, how big is the nucleus compared to the size of the atom?
You should be able to write atomic symbols.
o What is mass number? How is it calculated? Where is it written in the atomic symbol?
o What is atomic number? How and where do you look it up? Where is it written in the atomic
symbol?
o What is charge? How is it calculated? Where is it written in the atomic symbol?
What is the difference between atomic symbols and the way information is presented in the boxes
on the periodic table?
You should be able to use an atomic symbol to calculate the number of protons, neutrons, and
electrons indicated by the symbol. You should also be able to use the number of protons,
neutrons, and electrons to determine the corresponding atomic symbol.
What are ions? Isotopes? You should be able to recognize if two atomic symbols are ions or
isotopes of each other.
What is the difference between mass number and atomic mass?
What does the symbol amu stand for?
You should be able to calculate the average weight/mass of an element if I give you % abundance
and isotopic mass information.
The modern periodic table is arranged in order of increasing……?
What are groups/families on the periodic table?
What are periods on the periodic table?
You should be able to identify the following areas on the periodic table:
o metals
o nonmetals
o transition metals
o lanthanides and actinides (inner transition elements)
o metalloids
o alkali metals
o alkaline earth metals
o halogens
o noble gases
You should be able to identify elements based on their positions in the periodic table
You should know the basic properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
What is found in the space outside the nucleus of an atom? How is it subdivided?
You should know the maximum number of electrons that can be in each of the first 4 energy
levels.
What are valence electrons?