A student forgot to measure the mass of an empty 100mL beaker before adding about 2g of a chemical to it, and decided to simply obtain the mass of another empty 100mL beaker instead. Would this be a satisfactory alternative?
Usually no because most beakers are not matched sets. There are such things as matched sets of test tubes, and vials to hold solutions.
What do you mean by matched sets?
Someone has taken the time to weigh 100 test tubes (or perhaps more) and picked sets of two or three that have the exact weight. They are sold in sets of two or three but at a handsome price. Someone has to pay for the time it takes to do all that work. The other kind of matched sets are those used in colorimetry and spectrophotometry. In those matched sets, the vials are chosen so that, when filled with a solvent (for example water), they will have the same absorbance.
Oh thank you:) That makes sense.
In order to determine whether using the mass of another empty beaker is a satisfactory alternative, let's consider the purpose of measuring the mass of the empty beaker before adding the chemical.
Measuring the mass of an empty beaker allows you to subtract it from the total mass of the beaker with the chemical to determine the mass of only the chemical. This is important for accurate measurements and calculations.
Using another empty beaker to determine the mass might not be a satisfactory alternative because each beaker may have slight variations in mass due to manufacturing processes or other factors. Even though the beakers are theoretically the same size, their mass could still differ.
To obtain an accurate measurement, it is recommended to measure the mass of the actual beaker that was used to hold the chemical before it was added. This will provide a more precise value for the mass of the chemical.
To rectify the situation, the student should find another method to measure the mass of the chemical accurately. This could involve using a calibrated scale or obtaining the mass of an empty beaker that is as close to identical as possible to the one used.