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1 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
I Seminar 1.1
A Negative View of Analytical Chemistry
• Learning objective
To identify what Analytical Chemistry is not in order to provide a final
definition for it.
• Questions for debate
• Is Analytical Chemistry an applied science or discipline?
• Is it a body of methods and techniques for obtaining results?
• Does it merely provide technical support for society, industry, trade and
science?
• Is it solely concerned with samples and analytes?
• Does it only encompass inorganic samples and analytes?
• Is it confined to the laboratory?
• Misconceptions and wrong approaches among analytical chemists
• With reference to the fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry.
• With regard to developments.
• With reference to boundaries.
• Misconceptions of other professionals
• Social (politicians, legislators).
• Physicians, engineers.
• Physicists.
• Chemists other than analytical ones.
Seminar 1.2
A Positive View of Analytical Chemistry
• Learning objective
To establish, via representative examples, an integral conception of Analytical
Chemistry that can hold at the turn of the third millennium.
• Questions for debate
• Is Analytical Chemistry independent of other scientific and technical
areas? Why?
• In what way should it relate to other professional areas?
• Where does it fit in the context of Chemistry?
• What developments make it a self-contained science?
• Why does expanding its boundaries help consolidate it?
• What does it imply to include "problems" in its definition?
• Which key words make it especially independent?
• What aspects of its conceptual and technical evolution are the most consistent with its definition and key words?
1 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
I Seminar 1.1
A Negative View of Analytical Chemistry
• Learning objective
To identify what Analytical Chemistry is not in order to provide a final
definition for it.
• Questions for debate
• Is Analytical Chemistry an applied science or discipline?
• Is it a body of methods and techniques for obtaining results?
• Does it merely provide technical support for society, industry, trade and
science?
• Is it solely concerned with samples and analytes?
• Does it only encompass inorganic samples and analytes?
• Is it confined to the laboratory?
• Misconceptions and wrong approaches among analytical chemists
• With reference to the fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry.
• With regard to developments.
• With reference to boundaries.
• Misconceptions of other professionals
• Social (politicians, legislators).
• Physicians, engineers.
• Physicists.
• Chemists other than analytical ones.
Seminar 1.2
A Positive View of Analytical Chemistry
• Learning objective
To establish, via representative examples, an integral conception of Analytical
Chemistry that can hold at the turn of the third millennium.
• Questions for debate
• Is Analytical Chemistry independent of other scientific and technical
areas? Why?
• In what way should it relate to other professional areas?
• Where does it fit in the context of Chemistry?
• What developments make it a self-contained science?
• Why does expanding its boundaries help consolidate it?
• What does it imply to include "problems" in its definition?
• Which key words make it especially independent?
• What aspects of its conceptual and technical evolution are the most consistent with its definition and key words?