that part of the chemistry that deals with
analysing, investigating
of chemical compounds and mixtures.
Analytical research is in our society indispensable. It takes an important position in the world of scientific, technical and medical enterprise:
Every day raw materials, products, waste, etc must be investigated on quality and quantity. Such investigation is done by all kinds of chemical industries (plastic, comsumption articles, fuels, metals etc.); in many enterprises the analytical chemistry has an important role.
Industries, of course, want know the need of raw materials, how much half products and product can be produced, etc. The analytical chemistry has a range of techniques and methods to provide this information. De complex procedures in the analytical chemistry are often realised within the factory labs.
Many things are continuously changing in the area of analytical chemistry, but many old methods still are used.
But also the government and the consumers organisation control on daily basis the quality and the composition of all kind of product available on the markets.
Pollution of the environment and forensic research are just a couple of examples. You might think of measruing the pollution of rivers or drugs, but also the controle of DNA material, etc.
The application area is immens.
Simply reviewed, we can say that it is all about measuring:
"what is in it and how much of that."
We can divide the chemical analysis in two kinds of research:
1
The qualitative analysis:
wich substanc(es)?
2
The quantitative analysis:
how much of every substance?
Part 1, the qualitative analysis has been treated in module 13.
This module 14 is all about the quantitative analysis.