A student didn't notice that her pipette tip was broken. She used the pipette properly but it consistently delivered 4.70cm³ of vinegar instead of the desired 5.00cm³. How would the percent by mass results obtained have been affected? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

The student's percent by mass results would be inaccurate due to the consistently lower volume of vinegar being pipetted. Since the student used 4.70cm³ instead of the desired 5.00cm³ of vinegar, the actual mass of vinegar in each sample would be lower than expected. This would result in lower calculated percent by mass values for the vinegar in the samples tested.

In a chemical analysis, accurately measuring the volume of a substance is crucial for obtaining precise and reliable results. In this case, the broken pipette tip led to an underestimation of the amount of vinegar used in each sample, which would skew the percent by mass calculations. It is important for students and researchers to ensure that their equipment is in proper working condition to avoid such inaccuracies in their experiments.