Concept explainers
In the following scenario, identify which of the statements represents a theory, law, or hypothesis. (a) A student exploring the properties of gases proposes that is she decreases the volume of a sample of gas then the pressure exerted by the sample will increase (b) Many scientists over time have conducted similar experiments and have concluded that pressure and volume are inversely proportional. (c) She proposes that the reason this occurs is that if the volume is decreased, more molecules will collide with a given area of the container walls, causing the pressure to be greater.
(a)
Interpretation:
The given statement has to be identified as theory, law or hypothesis.
Concept introduction:
Hypothesis:
A tentative explanation or prediction in accordance with current knowledge.
Law:
A concise verbal or mathematical statement of a behavior or a relation that seems always to be the same under the same conditions.
Theory:
A well tested, unifying principle that explains a body of facts and the laws based on them. These are explanations of natural phenomenon and they don’t change or any kind of guesses can’t be made.
Answer to Problem 1PS
The given statement is hypothesis.
Explanation of Solution
The given statement is hypothesis, because the student was making a prediction about the property of proposed gases.
(b)
Interpretation:
The given statement has to be identified as theory, law or hypothesis.
Concept introduction:
Hypothesis:
A tentative explanation or prediction in accordance with current knowledge.
Law:
A concise verbal or mathematical statement of a behavior or a relation that seems always to be the same under the same conditions.
Theory:
A well tested, unifying principle that explains a body of facts and the laws based on them. These are explanations of natural phenomenon and they don’t change or any kind of guesses can’t be made.
Answer to Problem 1PS
The given statement is law.
Explanation of Solution
The given statement is law because it conveys about the relationship between pressure and volume.
(c)
Interpretation:
The given statement has to be identified as theory, law or hypothesis.
Concept introduction:
Hypothesis:
A tentative explanation or prediction in accordance with current knowledge.
Law:
A concise verbal or mathematical statement of a behavior or a relation that seems always to be the same under the same conditions.
Theory:
A well tested, unifying principle that explains a body of facts and the laws based on them. These are explanations of natural phenomenon and they don’t change or any kind of guesses can’t be made.
Answer to Problem 1PS
The given statement is theory.
Explanation of Solution
The given statement is theory because the student explains about the reason for the increase in pressure with decrease in volume when the collision occurs at the given area.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 1 Solutions
Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter
Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer
- Given the measurement of 7.00 L, (a) what is the accuracy of this measurement? (b) what is the precision of this measurement?arrow_forwardArchimedes, a famous Greek scientist, was given a problem by King Hieron II of Syracuse (Sicily). The king suspected that his crown, which was supposed to be made of pure gold, contained some silver alloy, and he asked Archimedes to prove or disprove his suspicion. (It turned out that the crown did not contain silver.) How would you experimentally determined whether or not the crown was pure gold? (Hint: The method came to Archimedes when getting into a full bathtub. See the footnote in Experiment 22 for Archimedes’ solution.)arrow_forwardIdentify each of the following statements as being most similar to a hypothesis, a law, or a theory. Explain your reasoning. (a) Falling barometric pressure precedes the onset of bad weather. (b) All life on earth has evolved from a common, primitive organism through the process of natural selection.arrow_forward
- What are the answers in the gaps?arrow_forward(a) Carbon and iron are both elements. What is an element?arrow_forwardSuggest physical changes by which the followingmixtures can be separated.(a) iron filings and wood chips(b) ground glass and sucrose (cane sugar)(c) water and olive oil(d) gold flakes and waterarrow_forward
- A group of students took turns using a laboratory balanceto weigh the water contained in a beaker. The results theyreported were 111.42 g, 111.67 g, 111.21 g, 135.64 g,111.02 g, 111.29 g, and 111.42 g.(a) Should any of the data be excluded before the average is calculated?(b) From the remaining measurements, calculate the average value of the mass of the water in the beaker.(c) Calculate the standard deviation s and, from it, the 95% confidence limit.arrow_forwardFor each of the following cases, state whether the density of the object increases, decreases, or remains the same:(a) A sample of chlorine gas is compressed.(b) A lead weight is carried up a high mountain.(c) A sample of water is frozen.(d) An iron bar is cooled.(e) A diamond is submerged in water.arrow_forward42.How many of the following should be included in a good hypothesis? (i) A prediction of the results of the experiment (ii) A step-by-step walkthrough of how to do the experiment with specific references to amounts of reactants, glassware used, and other experimental details (iii) A summation of the data collected after doing the experiment, with comments on accuracy and precision if possible. (iv) A detailed list of chemicals that will be used (v) Waste disposal procedures (vi) A brief scientific explanation of the predicted results. Said another way, the hypothesis should include a scientific explanation of why the predicted results are expected. A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 5arrow_forward
- Musical instruments like trumpets and trombones are madefrom an alloy called brass. Brass is composed of copper andzinc atoms and appears homogeneous under an optical microscope.The approximate composition of most brass objectsis a 2:1 ratio of copper to zinc atoms, but the exact ratio variessomewhat from one piece of brass to another. (a) Would you classify brass as an element, a compound, a homogeneousmixture, or a heterogeneous mixture? (b) Would it be correctto say that brass is a solution?arrow_forward(a) Three spheres of equal size are composed of aluminum1density = 2.70 g>cm32, silver 1density = 10.49 g>cm32,and nickel 1density = 8.90 g>cm32. List the spheres fromlightest to heaviest. (b) Three cubes of equal mass arecomposed of gold 1density = 19.32 g>cm32, plat inum1density = 21.45 g>cm32, and lead 1density = 11.35 g>cm32.List the cubes from smallest to largest. [Section 1.5]arrow_forwardName the SI base units that are important in chemistry,and give the SI units for expressing the following:(a) length, (b) volume, (c) mass, (d) time, (e) temperature.arrow_forward
- Chemistry & Chemical ReactivityChemistryISBN:9781337399074Author:John C. Kotz, Paul M. Treichel, John Townsend, David TreichelPublisher:Cengage LearningChemistry: Matter and ChangeChemistryISBN:9780078746376Author:Dinah Zike, Laurel Dingrando, Nicholas Hainen, Cheryl WistromPublisher:Glencoe/McGraw-Hill School Pub Co