Figures...What's significant about them?
Significant figures have proven to be a significant problem for many chemistry students, ourselves included. They were taught in the beginning of the year and have shown up on tests, worksheets, and labs, and yet they have consistently been one of the biggest struggles. The rules of significant figures may seem quite simple at first glance, but even after hours of studying, when the test comes around, they flee your memory. We both thought that points being deducted for incorrect significant figures would just be something we would have to deal throughout our year in chemistry, but it turns out, a few points can really add up. We never once realized that a simple extra credit project would do more for us than just raise our grade.
Each break we have off of school our chemistry teacher, Mr. Miwa, would assign us an optional extra credit project. He had assigned essays in the past, but the most recent was to write a song regarding a chemistry topic we had learned and record our original lyrics and melodies. We were much more intrigued by this assignment than the essays and thought it would be fun to make a music video with our song as well.
When we first set out to do the assignment, we decided significant figures would be a good topic for a song. We were determined to do this assignment. Not just for the extra percentage point added to our grade or the hopes of winning the class contest to see who can write the best song, instead, we wanted to do it so we could finally learn something that was so important that we had been missing out on the entire year.
We picked out a song with a great beat and started plugging words in. We looked at our notes and decided it would be best to talk about every rule. Well we decided we wouldn’t just sing about the rules, we would also gives examples to our rules. When the song was done, we pieced everything together. We rolled the video camera and started dancing and singing and ultimately teaching ourselves about significant figures, and we had an enjoyable time doing it.
Projects like this really motivate students because they are much more interesting than writing an essay. All an essay calls for is using a computer, a keyboard, and Google. When students are actually told to do something unique and original it sparks all kinds of imagination, and it’s really no task for us to get the job done. This project did have some perks, like earning the extra credit points, but also we gained so much more than a better grade. We gained knowledge that had been lost the entire year, and we learned it in a fun way. This is the best way to learn because it gets students involved in what they are learning. We would do a project like this anytime because it had so many benefits and it really opened our eyes to new concepts of chemistry.
Chemistry Song
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna,
Really, really, really wanna learn some chemistry
If you wanna get good grades and pass the test
You better lean sig figs and make it fast
Now don’t go waste’in your study time
If you learn these rules then you will be just fine!
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna,
Really, really, really wanna learn some chemistry
Significant figures, consist of this
All known digits and 1 estimated digit
You will use these all year long
And that’s the way it is
Now what you think about that you know how Mr. Miwa feels
Here comes the first rule, it’s about zeros
Zero’s appearing between non-zero digits
They are significant, all the time
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna,
Really, really, really wanna learn some chemistry
Now for the zero’s that appear infront
Of a non zero digit are not significant
Zero’s at the end of a number are significant
Look for the decimal at the end of a number
So here’s the story from A to Z,
Chemistry can be easy, so listen carefully
You got Miwa in the place who likes it in your face
He’s like an MC cuz he podcasts all the time
We’ve got Carol whose blind cuz she didn’t wear her goggles
And as for us, ahh you’ll see
Put you goggles on and mix up all the chemicals
Put you goggles on and mix up all the chemicals
Adding and subtracting look at the digits to the right
Of the decimal and you’ll be alright
Multiplying and dividing use the sig figs,
That are in the measurement with the fewest sig figs
Now that you know the rules you gotta,
You gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, put, put, put, put….
Put you goggles on and mix up all the chemicals
Put you goggles on and mix up all the chemicals
Put you goggles on and mix up all the chemicals
Put you goggles on cuz chemistry is awesome!
Now you can pass chemistry!
