Page 14 - Modern Analytical Chemistry

1400-Fm 9/9/99 7:38 AM Page xiii

Preface xiii

Key Features of This Textbook
Key features set this textbook apart from others currently available.
• A stronger emphasis on the evaluation of data. Methods for characterizing
chemical measurements, results, and errors (including the propagation of
errors) are included. Both the binomial distribution and normal distribution
are presented, and the idea of a confidence interval is developed. Statistical
methods for evaluating data include the t-test (both for paired and unpaired
data), the F-test, and the treatment of outliers. Detection limits also are
discussed from a statistical perspective. Other statistical methods, such as
ANOVA and ruggedness testing, are presented in later chapters.
• Standardizations and calibrations are treated in a single chapter. Selecting the
most appropriate calibration method is important and, for this reason, the
methods of external standards, standard additions, and internal standards are
gathered together in a single chapter. A discussion of curve-fitting, including
the statistical basis for linear regression (with and without weighting) also is
included in this chapter.
• More attention to selecting and obtaining a representative sample. The design of a
statistically based sampling plan and its implementation are discussed earlier,
and in more detail than in other textbooks. Topics that are covered include
how to obtain a representative sample, how much sample to collect, how many
samples to collect, how to minimize the overall variance for an analytical
method, tools for collecting samples, and sample preservation.
• The importance of minimizing interferents is emphasized. Commonly used
methods for separating interferents from analytes, such as distillation, masking,
and solvent extraction, are gathered together in a single chapter.
• Balanced coverage of analytical techniques. The six areas of analytical
techniques—gravimetry, titrimetry, spectroscopy, electrochemistry,
chromatography, and kinetics—receive roughly equivalent coverage, meeting
the needs of instructors wishing to emphasize wet methods and those
emphasizing instrumental methods. Related methods are gathered together in a
single chapter encouraging students to see the similarities between methods,
rather than focusing on their differences.
• An emphasis on practical applications. Throughout the text applications from
organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, environmental chemistry, clinical
chemistry, and biochemistry are used in worked examples, representative
methods, and end-of-chapter problems.
• Representative methods link theory with practice. An important feature of this
text is the presentation of representative methods. These boxed features present
typical analytical procedures in a format that encourages students to think
about why the procedure is designed as it is.
• Separate chapters on developing a standard method and quality assurance. Two
chapters provide coverage of methods used in developing a standard method
of analysis, and quality assurance. The chapter on developing a standard
method includes topics such as optimizing experimental conditions using
response surfaces, verifying the method through the blind analysis of
standard samples and ruggedness testing, and collaborative testing using
Youden’s two-sample approach and ANOVA. The chapter on quality
assurance covers quality control and internal and external techniques for
quality assessment, including the use of duplicate samples, blanks, spike
recoveries, and control charts.