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Sig Figs and Simple Math
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Title: Sig Figs and Simple Math
Description: Chem 120

Day 2
August 20, 2026

Passed out hard copies of homework packet that will be due Aug 27 when we have our first quiz.

Looked over Canvas site and explained why things were challenging to download for students.

Spent 5 minutes practicing using calculator while multiplying measurements in scientific notation.

Reviewed significant figure rules

Learning Obectives:
Express a large number or a small number in scientific notation.
Carry out arithmetical operations and express the final answer in scientific notation
Identify the number of significant figures in a reported value.
Introduced DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
Represent equalities as conversion factors.
Worked "simple math" of chemistry calculating area and volumes.
Then we practiced changing squared and cubed units.

Got up to thermometer pics in the presentation (slide #60).

Be sure to review metric prefixes
            
M Mega 1000000x 106 million
K Kilo 1000x 103 thousand
Da Deka 10x 101 ten
  base 1x 100 one
d deci- 0.1x 10-1  one tenth
c centi- 0.01x 10-2one-hundredth
m milli- 0.001x 10-3one-thousandth
m micro- 0.000001x 10-6one-millionth
n nano- 0.000000001x 10-9one-billionth

You are responsible to know these prefixes for the school year:
Additionally,
     1 cm3 = 1 mL  =  1 cc
     1 dm3  =  1 L

Conversion Factors

Practice solving dimensional analysis problems using conversion factors.







Teach significant figures and rules for addition and subtraction.





Additional (optional videos) if you need further explanation.




ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (if you are interested):
Scientific Notation Khan Academy

Homework:
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