CC 102 – QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY

College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education

Prepared by: ERWIN R. ABRENCILLO, PhD
DOHN ARTURO M. TABERNILLA

MODULE 3
THE ANALYTICAL PROCESS – STEPS IN CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Brief Introduction or Description
This module shows and presents the actual work of analytical chemistry in performing analytical process.
Analytical chemists work to improve the ability of all chemists to make meaningful measurements. Chemists
working in the other traditional areas of chemistry, as well as in interdisciplinary fields such as medicinal
chemistry, clinical chemistry, and environmental chemistry, need better tools for analyzing materials.
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?)
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. Explain the steps of analytical process.

2. Explain the different terminologies involved in analytical process
3. Prepare and construct a sample research using the steps of analytical process
Lesson 1 – The Steps of Analytical Process

Analytical chemistry is a problem-solving science also sometimes known as the chemical measurement
process (CMP) Independent from the concrete analytical method, the course of action, called analytical process,
is always very similar. The analytical process starts with the analytical question on the subject of investigation
and forms a closed chain to the answer to the problem. Using a proper sampling technique a test sample is taken
that is adequately prepared and then measured. The measured data are evaluated on the basis of a correct
calibration and then interpreted with regard to the object under study.

Steps of Analytical Process

1. Identify and define the problem

Analytical chemistry begins with a problem, examples of which include evaluating the amount of dust
and soil ingested by children as an indicator of environmental exposure to particulate based pollutants, resolving
contradictory evidence regarding the toxicity of perfluoro polymers during combustion, or developing rapid and
sensitive detectors for chemical warfare agents.
The type of information needed and the problem’s context are essential to designing an appropriate
experimental pro
Translate General Question into Specific Question

Is this water safe to Drink? What is the concentration of Arsenic in the water sample?
Type of Analytical Problem Analysis
a. Qualitative analysis – This is a common practices in analytical chemistry begin with the
need to identify what is present in a sample.

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 CC 102 – QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education
Prepared by: ERWIN R. ABRENCILLO, PhD
DOHN ARTURO M. TABERNILLA

Example:

• Screening an athlete’s urine for the presence of a performance-enhancing drug, or determining

the spatial distribution of Pb
• Determine the presence of albumin in the patient’s urine
• Investigate if there is a presence of sugar content in the zero calorie carbonated drinks
b. Quantitative Analysis - most common analytical problem is a quantitative analysis which
concerned on amount/concentrations of the samples
Example: measuring the concentration of glucose in blood, or 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
developing new quantitative methods for trace amounts of chemical species in complex samples

c. Characterization Analysis – It is another area of analytical problem analysis which is used

for characterizing physical and chemical properties. Determinations of chemical structure,
equilibrium constants, particle size, and surface structure (boiling point, melting point,
evaporation, density, specific gravity, size, shape, chemical reaction)

d. Fundamental Analysis – developing a new method or improve our understanding of the

theory behind an analytical method.
2. Design the experimental procedure - involves selecting an appropriate method of analysis based on
established criteria, such as accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and detection limit; the urgency with
which results are needed; the cost of a single analysis; the number of samples to be analyzed; and
the amount of sample available for analysis

a. Choose procedure to measure Arsenic in water

o Uncertainty in measurement (Standard Measurement ) (100mL)

o Limit of detection o nature of sample o Availability, time, cost

b. If necessary, develop new procedure

3. Conduct an experiment, and gather data –

The most visible part of the analytical approach occurs in the laboratory. As part of the validation process,
appropriate chemical or physical standards are used to calibrate any equipment being used and any
solutions whose concentrations must be known. The selected samples are then analyzed and the raw
data recorded.
It is the selection of a subset of individuals/objects/substance from within a population to estimate
characteristics of the whole

Example:
Problem: To investigate the amount/concentration of caffeine content in drinks and foods
a. Preparing the analyte – is a chemical content/species need to measure
b. separation using the different process in separating mixtures

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 CC 102 – QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education
Prepared by: ERWIN R. ABRENCILLO, PhD
DOHN ARTURO M. TABERNILLA

4. Analyze the experimental data - the data must be reduced or transformed to a more readily analyzable
form. A statistical treatment of the data is used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the analysis and
to validate the procedure. These results are compared with the criteria established during the design of
the experiment, and then the design is reconsidered, additional experimental trials are run, or a solution
to the problem is proposed
5. Propose a solution to the problem - the results are subject to an external evaluation that may result in
a new problem and the beginning of a new analytical cycle

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 CC 102 – QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education
Prepared by: ERWIN R. ABRENCILLO, PhD
DOHN ARTURO M. TABERNILLA

LANGUAGE OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

• ANALYTE – The constituent’s interest in a sample

• ANALYSIS – A process that provides the chemical and physical information about the constituents
(analytes) in the sample
• MATRIX – The medium of the analytes being analyzed
• Determination – An analysis of a sample to find the identity, concentration and properties of an analyte
• Measurement – An experimental determination of an analyte’s chemical and physical properties
• Techniques – This is a chemical and physical principles that can be used to analyte’s sample
• Methods – is an application of the technique for the determination of the analyte’s sample in a specific
matrix
• Procedure – Written directions outlining how to analyze a sample.
• Protocol – it is a set of stringent written guidelines detailing the procedures that must be followed. It is
also commonly encountered by analytical chemist to support or define public policy

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 CC 102 – QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education
Prepared by: ERWIN R. ABRENCILLO, PhD
DOHN ARTURO M. TABERNILLA

Learning Tasks:

A. For each of the following problems indicate whether its solution requires a qualitative, quantitative,
characterization, or fundamental study. More than one type of analysis may be appropriate for
some problems.

1. A hazardous-waste disposal site is believed to be leaking contaminants into the local groundwater.
2. An art museum is concerned that a recent acquisition is a forgery.
3. Airport security needs a more reliable method for detecting the presence of explosive materials
in luggage.
4. The structure of a newly discovered virus needs to be determined.
5. A new visual indicator is needed for an acid–base titration.
6. A new law requires a method for evaluating whether automobiles are emitting too much carbon
monoxide.
7. Determine the level of nicotine content of electric cigarette (vape)
8. Analysis of radioactive material might indicate there is enough of a key component for the
specimen to undergo spontaneous fission
9. Determine blood cholesterol levels or the ratio of lipoproteins in plasma
10. Investigate the characteristics of Silver as inactive metal reacted with concentrated sulfuric acid

B. Critical Reading Analysis: Read and analyze the research article "Tracing Aerosol Pollutants with
Rare Earth Isotopes and answer the following analysis questions:

1. What is the analytical problem mentioned in this article?

2. What type of information is needed to solve the problem?
3. How will the solution to this problem be used?
4. What criteria were considered in designing the experimental procedure?
5. Were there any potential interferences that had to be eliminated? If so, how were they treated?
6. Is there a plan for validating the experimental method? If yes, explain it briefly?
7. How were the samples collected?
8. Is there evidence that steps 2, 3, and 4 of the analytical approach are repeated more than once?
if yes, justify your answer.
9. What is the successful conclusion to the problem?

References:
Harvey, D V. (2010). Modern analytical chemistry. De Pauw University

West, D.M. (2015) Fundamentals of analytical chemistry 9th Edition

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