Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry 9th Edition

Book Preface

The ninth edition of Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry is an introductory textbook designed primarily for a one- or two-semester course for chemistry majors. Since the publication of the eighth edition, the scope of analytical chemistry has continued to evolve, and thus, we have included in this edition many applications to biology, medicine, materials science, ecology, forensic science, and other related fields. As in the previous edition, we have incorporated many spreadsheet applications, examples, and exercises. We have revised some older treatments to incorporate contemporary instrumentation and techniques. In response to the comments of many readers and reviewers, we have added a chapter on mass spectrometry to provide detailed instruction on this vital topic as early as possible in the chemistry curriculum. Our companion book, Applications of Microsoft® Excel in Analytical Chemistry, 2nd ed., provides students with a tutorial guide for using spreadsheets in analytical chemistry and introduces many additional spreadsheet operations.

We recognize that courses in analytical chemistry vary from institution to institution and depend on the available facilities and instrumentation, the time allocated to analytical chemistry in the chemistry curriculum, and the unique instructional philosophies of teachers. We have, therefore, designed the ninth edition of Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry so that instructors can tailor the text to meet their needs and students can learn the concepts of analytical chemistry on several levels: in descriptions, in pictorials, in illustrations, in interesting and relevant features, and in using online learning. Since the production of the eighth edition of this text, the duties and responsibilities for planning and writing a new edition have fallen to two of us (FJH and SRC). While making the many changes and improvements cited above and in the remainder of the preface, we have maintained the basic philosophy and organization of the eight previous editions and endeavored to preserve the same high standards that characterized those texts.

Objectives

The primary objective of this text is to provide a thorough background in the chemical principles that are particularly important to analytical chemistry. Second, we want students to develop an appreciation for the difficult task of judging the accuracy and precision of experimental data and to show how these judgments can be sharpened by applying statistical methods to analytical data. Third, we aim to introduce a broad range of modern and classic techniques that are useful in analytical chemistry. Fourth, we hope that, with the help of this book, students will develop the skills necessary to solve quantitative analytical problems and, where appropriate, use powerful spreadsheet tools to solve problems, perform calculations, and create simulations of chemical phenomena. Finally, we aim to teach laboratory skills that will give students confidence in their ability to obtain high-quality analytical data and that will highlight the importance of attention to detail in acquiring these data.