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Analytical Chemistry Notes 1

1. There are two types of errors in analytical chemistry measurements: determinate errors which have a definite cause and value, and indeterminate errors which are random. 2. Determinate errors affect accuracy while indeterminate errors affect precision. Sources of determinate errors include faulty experimental design or math errors, while random instrument noise causes indeterminate errors. 3. Precision describes reproducibility and is measured by techniques like standard deviation, while accuracy refers to closeness to the true value and is measured by absolute or relative error. Calibration and running blanks can minimize errors.

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386 views4 pages

Analytical Chemistry Notes 1

1. There are two types of errors in analytical chemistry measurements: determinate errors which have a definite cause and value, and indeterminate errors which are random. 2. Determinate errors affect accuracy while indeterminate errors affect precision. Sources of determinate errors include faulty experimental design or math errors, while random instrument noise causes indeterminate errors. 3. Precision describes reproducibility and is measured by techniques like standard deviation, while accuracy refers to closeness to the true value and is measured by absolute or relative error. Calibration and running blanks can minimize errors.

Uploaded by

Wayne Robinson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Analytical Chemistry Notes 1 - 16/09/09 - 1

Analytical measures and separating techniques


Uncertainty in measurement
To carry out chemical analysis it is impossible to do so without any errors. However, the possibility of
errors can be minimized. In collecting experimental data, two types of errors can develop:

1. Determinate errors/ Systematic errors


2. Indeterminate errors/ Random errors

Determinate errors

Determinate errors are those which have a definite value and a signable cause in principle, though not
always in practice. These errors have magnitude that can be determined. They cause the mean of a set
of data to differ from the accepted value. These errors arise from:

1. Faults in experimental design or execution of the experiment.


2. Improper direction
3. Failure to control a condition such as temperature
4. Mathematical error
5. Personal errors

 These errors affect the accuracy of results.

Indeterminate/Random errors

These are from unknown causes. These errors follow the law of chance (hence Random). These errors
cause the data to be more or less scattered around a mean value.

 These errors affect the precision of measurement.

They include:

1. Limitations in scale readings


2. Noise in electrical circuits

Minimization of errors

1. Calibration of apparatus
2. Running a blank determination (Running a control)
3. Using an independent method of analysis
Analytical Chemistry Notes 1 - 16/09/09 - 2

Definition of terms
1. The mean: The sum of the different (replicate) measurements divided by the number of
measurements in the set. It serves as the central value.

2. Precision: describes the reproducibility of measurements. Ie. How close the replicate
measurements are to themselves.
 Must be measured under identical conditions.

NB. The deviation from the mean and standard deviation are two methods that can be used to
determine/express the precision of data.

3. Accuracy: A measure of the closeness of the results (observed values) to the true value or
accepted value. The accuracy of a result can never be determined exactly. Hence an accepted
value must be used instead. This is often expressed in terms of the absolute error (E) which is
the difference between the observed value (x ) and the accepted value (x)
E = xi – xt

It can also be expressed as the relative error which is expressed as a percentage of the accepted
value.

Mean deviation and standard deviation


Mean deviation describes the precision of results. It is given by:

Mean deviation =
Analytical Chemistry Notes 1 - 16/09/09 - 3

Standard deviation: This is the most convenient measure of precision.

Standard deviation =

 The smaller the standard deviation, the more precise the experimental method.
 As “n” increases, the uncertainty in the standard deviation decreases.
Analytical Chemistry Notes 1 - 16/09/09 - 4

Calibration curve and standards


In chemical analysis, when using instrumental methods such as

 AAS: Atomic absorption spectroscopy


 FES: Flame emission spectroscopy

it is often necessary to carry out a calibration procedure. This is done using a series of samples called
standards. A standard is a substance of accurately known concentration.

A calibration curve is constructed by measuring the instrumental signal for each standard and plotting
this response against concentration. The purpose of the calibration curve is to find the concentration of
the unknown sample. This is done by interpolation of the calibration curve. A calibration curve must be
linear or a best straight line must pass through the data points.

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