1.1 Analytical Chemistry Today
3
tended to derive quality (bio )chemical information of global or partial type from
natural or artificial objects or systems in order to solve analytical problems. This
definition includes several key words mentioned earlier [e.g. "metrological",
"(bio)chemical information"] and others such as "process", "problem" and
"quality" that are considered in subsequent chapters.
However, this definition is too vague and necessitates more precise description of some concepts. A more comprehensive definition can be formulated by
introducing the term "tools", specifying their nature and that of the information
and objects involved, distinguishing between the "global" and "partial" attributes
of the information, and including scientific, technical, economic and social
problems. One such definition is as follows: Analytical Chemistry is a metrological science that develops, optimizes and applies material, methodological and
strategic tools of widely variable nature which materialize in measurement
processes intended to derive quality (bio )chemical information of both partial
[presence or concentration of bio( chemical) analyte species J and global nature on
materials or systems of widely variable nature (chemical, biochemical and biological) in space and time in order to solve scientific, technical and social problems.
The most salient features of this comprehensive definition are as follows:
(a) Analytical Chemistry is a metrological science;
(b) it possesses a dual character, viz. basic ("it develops") and practical ("it
applies");
(c) it provides information about the material (or system) studied and
distinguishes between global and partial information (components) that it
places in space and time;
(d) it regards measurement processes as the universal vehicles for obtaining
information;
(e) it considers "tools" of the strategic (planning, design, optimization, adaptation), methodological and material types (apparatuses, instruments,
reagents), which obviously interrelate with one another when analytical
measurement processes are performed (Fig. 1.2a);
(j) it includes and distinguishes analytical, scientific, technical, economic and
social problems;
Chemical
Engineering
PhYSICal
Biological
Mathematical
Computers
b
Fig.1.2. Types (a) and nature (b) of the analytical tools included in the definition of Analytical Chemistry
3
tended to derive quality (bio )chemical information of global or partial type from
natural or artificial objects or systems in order to solve analytical problems. This
definition includes several key words mentioned earlier [e.g. "metrological",
"(bio)chemical information"] and others such as "process", "problem" and
"quality" that are considered in subsequent chapters.
However, this definition is too vague and necessitates more precise description of some concepts. A more comprehensive definition can be formulated by
introducing the term "tools", specifying their nature and that of the information
and objects involved, distinguishing between the "global" and "partial" attributes
of the information, and including scientific, technical, economic and social
problems. One such definition is as follows: Analytical Chemistry is a metrological science that develops, optimizes and applies material, methodological and
strategic tools of widely variable nature which materialize in measurement
processes intended to derive quality (bio )chemical information of both partial
[presence or concentration of bio( chemical) analyte species J and global nature on
materials or systems of widely variable nature (chemical, biochemical and biological) in space and time in order to solve scientific, technical and social problems.
The most salient features of this comprehensive definition are as follows:
(a) Analytical Chemistry is a metrological science;
(b) it possesses a dual character, viz. basic ("it develops") and practical ("it
applies");
(c) it provides information about the material (or system) studied and
distinguishes between global and partial information (components) that it
places in space and time;
(d) it regards measurement processes as the universal vehicles for obtaining
information;
(e) it considers "tools" of the strategic (planning, design, optimization, adaptation), methodological and material types (apparatuses, instruments,
reagents), which obviously interrelate with one another when analytical
measurement processes are performed (Fig. 1.2a);
(j) it includes and distinguishes analytical, scientific, technical, economic and
social problems;
Chemical
Engineering
PhYSICal
Biological
Mathematical
Computers
b
Fig.1.2. Types (a) and nature (b) of the analytical tools included in the definition of Analytical Chemistry