San Jose Community College
San Jose, Malilipot, Albay
Subject: MC Chem 02
Description: Analytical Chemistry
Instructor: Salvacion M. Majadillas
School Year: 2020-2021
Term: Second Semester
Target Learners: BSED Science I
Topic: The Nature of Analytical Chemistry
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THE NATURE OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Analytical Chemistry
- a measurement science consisting of a set of powerful ideas and methods that are
useful in all fields of science and medicine
- involves the qualitative and quantitative determination of the chemical components
of a substance
- the area of chemistry responsible for characterizing the composition of matter, both
qualitatively (what is present) and quantitatively (how much is present).
- the science of inventing and applying the concepts, principles and strategies for
measuring the characteristics of chemical systems and species
- provided many of the tools and methods necessary for research in the other four
traditional areas of chemistry, as well as fostering multidisciplinary research in, to
name a few, medicinal chemistry, chemical chemistry, toxicology, forensic chemistry
and environmental chemistry.
The Analytical Perspective
Five-step process:
1. Identify and define the problem
Determine the type of information needed (qualitative, quantitative,
characterization or fundamental)
2. Design the experimental procedure
Establish design criteria.
Identify potential interferents.
Establish validation criteria.
Select analytical method.
Establish sampling strategy
3. Conduct an experiment, gather data
Calibrate instruments and equipment.
Standardize reagents.
Gather data.
4. Analyze the experimental data
Reduce and transform data.
Complete statistical analysis.
Verify results.
Interpret results.
5. Propose a solution to the problem
Conduct external evaluation
1. Identify the Problem 5. Propose a Solution
2. Design the Experiment Procedure 4. Analyze the Experimental Data
3. Conduct an Experiment
Common Analytical Problems
Four Areas of Analysis
1. Qualitative analysis- an analysis in which we determine the identity of the constituent
species in a sample
Examples:
Identifying the products of a chemical reaction
Screening an athlete’s urine for the presence of a performance-enhancing drug
Determining the spatial distribution of Pb on the surface of airborne
particulate
Much of the early work in analytical chemistry involved the development of
simple chemical tests to identify the presence of inorganic ions and organic
functional groups.
Most qualitative analyses use methods such as infrared spectroscopy, nuclear
magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry
2. Quantitative analysis- an analysis in which we determine how much of a constituent
species is present in a sample
Examples:
Elemental analysis of a newly synthesized compound
Measuring the concentration of glucose in blood
Determining the difference between the bulk and surface concentrations of Cr
in steel
Much of the analytical work in clinical, pharmaceutical, environmental and
industrial labs involves quantitative analyses
3. Characterization analysis- an analysis in which we evaluate a sample’s chemical or
physical properties
Examples:
Determining of chemical structure, equilibrium constants, particle size, and
surface structure
Purpose of quantitative, qualitative, and characterization analyses: To solve a problem
associated with a sample
4. Fundamental analysis- an analysis whose purpose is to improve an analytical method
Examples:
Extending and improving the theory on which a method is based
Studying a method’s limitations
Designing new and modifying old methods
Analytes- the components of a sample that are to be determined
The Role of Analytical Chemistry
Analytical chemistry is applied throughout industry, medicine, and all the sciences.
Examples:
The concentration of oxygen and of carbon dioxide are determined in
millions of blood samples everyday and used to diagnose and treat illnesses.
Quantities of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide present in
automobile exhaust gases are measured to assess the effectiveness of smog-
control devices.
Quantitative measurements of ionized calcium in blood serum help diagnose
parathyroid disease in humans.
Quantitative determination of nitrogen in foods establishes their protein
content and thus their nutritional value.
Farmers tailor fertilization and irrigation schedules to meet changing plant
needs during the growing season, gauging these needs from quantitative
analyses of the plants and the soil in which they grow.
Quantitative analytical measurements also play a vital role in many research
areas in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, geology, physics, and other
sciences.
Examples:
Quantitative measurements of potassium, calcium and sodium ions in the body fluids
of animals permit physiologists to study the role of these ions in nerve signal
conduction as well as muscle contraction and relaxation.
Archaeologists identify the source of volcanic glasses(obsidian) by measuring
concentrations of minor elements in samples taken from various locations. This
knowledge in turn makes it possible to trace prehistoric trade routes for tools and
weapons fashioned from obsidian
Quantitative Analytical Methods
The results of a typical quantitative analysis are computed from two measurements: One is
the mass or the volume of sample being analyzed. The second is the measurement of some
quantity that is proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample such as mass, volume,
intensity of light or electrical charge.
Analytical methods can be classified according to the nature of the final measurement:
In gravimetric methods, we determine the mass of the analyte or some compound
chemically related to it.
In volumetric method, we measure the volume of a solution containing sufficient
reagent to react completely with the analyte.
In electroanalytical methods, we measure electrical properties such as potential,
current, resistance, and quantity of electric charge.
In spectroscope methods, we explore the interaction between electromagnetic
radiation and analyte atoms or molecules or the emission of radiation by analyses.
In a group of miscellaneous methods, we measure such quantities as mass-to-charge
ratio of ions by mass spectroscopy, rate of radioactive decay, heat of reaction, rate
of reaction, sample thermal conductivity, optical activity, and refractive index.
Analytical chemists work to improve the ability of all chemists to make meaningful
measurements. Chemists working in medicinal chemistry, clinical chemistry, forensic
chemistry, and environmental chemistry, as well as the more traditional areas of chemistry,
need better tools for analyzing materials. The need to work with smaller quantities of
material, with more complex materials, with processes occurring on shorter time scales, and
with species present at lower concentrations challenges analytical chemists to improve
existing analytical methods and to develop new analytical techniques.
Typical problems on which analytical chemists work include qualitative
analyses (What is present?), quantitative analyses (How much is present?),
characterization analyses (What are the sample’s chemical and physical
properties?), and fundamental analyses (How does this method work and
how can it be improved?).
TASK:
1. Print/Cut out an article about issues concerning environmental problem and write
an essay summarizing the nature of the problem and how it can be solved.
References:
1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20372189?seq=1
2. https://www.google.com/search?
q=analytical+chemistry&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH945PH945&oq=analytical+chemis
try&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59l2j0l2j69i61j69i60l2.5488j0j4&sourceid=chrome&i
e=UTF-8
3. https://www.google.com/search?
q=role+of+analytical+chemistry&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH945PH945&oq=role+of+
analytical+chemistry&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l9.15025j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=
UTF-8
4. https://www.google.com/search?
q=nature+of+analytical+chemistry&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH945PH945&oq=nature
+of+analytical+chemistry&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j0i22i30l2j0i390l3.7467j0j9&sou
rceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
5. Modern Analytical Chemistry by David Harvey
