Deep-Dive Guides · Analytical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry — the complete deep dive
Analytical chemistry answers two questions about a sample: what is in it (qualitative) and how much (quantitative).
Free extract — the opening section of the guide, in full.
0. How to use this guide — the method map
Analytical methods split into two great families. Classical (wet) methods — gravimetry and titrimetry — measure an absolute quantity (a mass, or a volume of standard reagent at a stoichiometric end-point) and need no calibration against a reference of the same analyte; they are accurate but slower and need larger amounts. Instrumental methods measure a physical property (absorbance, emission intensity, potential, current, mass loss) that is proportional to concentration, so they require calibration but are fast, sensitive, and suit trace levels.
| Family | What is measured | Best for | Flagship methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravimetric | Mass of a pure product (precipitate/residue) | High accuracy at macro level; reference/umpire analyses | SO₄²⁻ as BaSO₄, Ni as Ni(DMG)₂, Cl⁻ as AgCl |
| Titrimetric (volumetric) | Volume of standard reagent to an end-point | Fast, cheap major/minor components | Acid–base, redox, precipitation, complexometric |
| Separation | Distribution between phases | Isolating/pre-concentrating analytes before measurement | Solvent extraction, ion-exchange, chromatography |
| Optical (spectro) | Absorbed / emitted radiation | Trace metals & coloured species | UV–vis, flame photometry, AAS, ICP |
| Electroanalytical | Potential / current / charge | Ion activity, redox species, speciation | Potentiometry, conductometry, voltammetry, coulometry |
| Thermal | Mass / heat vs temperature | Hydrates, decompositions, stoichiometry | TGA, DTA, DSC |
Read the rest of this guide
The remaining 11 sections — Errors & data treatment, Gravimetric analysis, Titrimetric / volumetric analysis, Complexometric (EDTA) titrations and more — are part of ChemVidya Full Access, along with the other guides, the books, the study notes and 6,000+ practice questions with worked solutions.