Sample Questions on Analytical Chemistry

Question 1: Differentiate between Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis with one example each.

Answer:

Here is a difference between quantitative and qualitative analysis:

Quantitative Analysis	Qualitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis determines the exact amount and concentration of chemical species in the sample	Qualiatitve Analysis determines the components and chemical species in the sample without determining their exact concentrations.
It gives the numerical results of thetests data.	It does not provide any information on the amount of each substance present
Quantitative Analysis techniques can determine patient’s health, for example, blood cholesterol levels, amount of protein excreted in urine, etc	Qualitative Analysis techniques can determine different flavours present in food, smell test to identify the odour of a substance

Question 2: What are some applications of Analytical Chemistry?

Answer:

Some of the key applications of Analytical Chemistry include:

• Pharmaceutical Industry: In the pharmaceutical industry, analytical chemistry is used to separate, identify and develop new active ingredients in drugs. This application also ensures the safety and efficacy of new drugs.
• Environmental Monitoring and Analysis: In environmental monitoring, analytical chemistry is used to monitor the quality of air, water and soil. This application also ensures the protection of human health.
• Food Safety and Quality Control: In food safety and quality control, analytical chemistry is used to protect consumers from foodborne illness.
• Forensic Science: In the area of forensic science, analytical chemistry helps in identifying and analyzing the evidence of crime scenes such as blood, footprints, and fingerprints, and identifies the crime suspects.
• Clinical Chemistry: In the area of clinical chemistry, analytical chemistry helps in the diagnosis of diseases and monitors the effectiveness of treatments.

Question 3: How are spectrometers different from mass spectrometers? Explain in brief.

Answer:

Here is a table that briefly summarizes the difference between spectrometers and mass spectrometers:

Spectrometers	Mass Spectrometers
Spectrometers are those instruments that are used to determine the interaction of matter with electromagnetic radiation	Mass Spectrometers are used to separate and identify chemical compounds based on their mass-to charge ratio
They are used to identify and quantify different types of electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, UVmass-to-charge light, infrared light, etc.	They are used to identify and quantify drugs and other chemicals in crime scene evidence, environmental pollutants, metabolism of drugs, etc

Question 4: What are the common areas where analytical chemistry is used in forensic science?

Answer:

Here are a few of the common areas where analytical chemistry is applied in forensic science:

• Drug Analysis: Analyze the biological samples of blood, urine, and hair at the crime scenes
• Toxicology: Identify and quantify the poisons in biological samples
• Ballistics: Helps in identifying the gunshot residue and other related evidence at the crime scenes
• Fingerprint Analysis: Analyze and identify the fingerprints and footprints

Question 5: What is a Titration method?

Answer:

Titration is a quantitative analytical method used to determine the concentration of an analyte by reacting it with a solution of known concentration (the titrant). There are two types of Titration:

• Acid-based Titration: These techniques determine the concentration of acids and bases.
• Precipitation Titration: These techniques determine the concentration of ions in solution.

Analytical Chemists and other professionals are often looking for the answers to questions such as what are molecules? or how concentrated the solutions are? The answers to such questions are provided by the techniques and methods used in Analytical Chemistry. Analytical Chemistry is the branch of Chemistry which deals with the identification and quantification of substances and their properties. Analytical Chemistry plays a crucial role in the various scientific fields and industries as it provides methods and tools to analyze and measure the composition of matter.

This article will help you learn about the science of finding properties and compositions of matter, namely Analytical Chemistry. In addition to that, we will also explore various sub-branches within this field of study, which focus on specific matters such as food or biomolecules. Let’s delve into the world of analysis with this article on “Analytical Chemistry”.