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4.10: Chapter Summary and Key Terms

  • Page ID
    219809
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    Chapter Summary

    Every discipline has its own vocabulary and your success in studying ana- lytical chemistry will improve if you master this vocabulary. Be sure you understand the difference between an analyte and its matrix, between a technique and a method, between a procedure and a protocol, and between a total analysis technique and a concentration technique.

    In selecting an analytical method we consider criteria such as accu- racy, precision, sensitivity, selectivity, robustness, ruggedness, the amount of available sample, the amount of analyte in the sample, time, cost, and the availability of equipment. These criteria are not mutually independent, and often it is necessary to find an acceptable balance between them.

    In developing a procedure or protocol, we give consideration to compensating for interferences, calibrating the method, obtaining an appropriate sample, and validating the analysis. Poorly designed procedures and protocols produce results that are insufficient to meet the needs of the analysis.

    Key Terms

    accuracy

    calibration

    detection limit

    matrix

    method blank

    protocol

    rugged

    sensitivity

    technique

    analysis

    calibration curve

    determination

    measurement

    precision

    QA/QC

    selectivity

    signal

    total analysis technique

    analyte

    concentration technique

    interferent

    method

    procedure

    robust

    selectivity coefficient

    specificity

    validation


    This page titled 4.10: Chapter Summary and Key Terms is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Harvey.

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