Chapter 1, Section 4
Solving Conceptual Problems
Not every word problem in chemistry requires calculations. Some problems ask you to apply the concepts you are studying to a new situation. In this text, these nonnumeric problems are labeled conceptual problems. To solve a conceptual problem, you still need to identify what is known and what is unknown. Most importantly, you still need to make a plan for getting from the known to the unknown. But if your answer is not a number, you do not need to check the units, make an estimate, or check your calculations.
The three-step problem-solving approach is modified for conceptual problems. The steps for solving a conceptual problem are analyze and solve. Figure 1.26 summarizes the process, and Conceptual Problem 1.1 shows how the steps work in an actual problem.
Figure 1.26 This flowchart shows the two steps used for solving a conceptual problem. Comparing And Contrasting With a conceptual problem, why is the second step called Solve rather than Calculate?
Problem Solving 1.29 Solve Problem 29 with the help of an interactive guided tutorial.