Chemistry 3 Volumetric Chemical Analysis

Abstract

Chemists generally use standardized symbols and equations for recording their measurements and observations. Most of the data that we obtain in the subject of chemistry may be qualitative or quantitative or both qualitative and quantitative. This module will be concerned with the tools and techniques of quantitative chemical analysis. In quantitative measurements and analyses, there is always some degree of uncertainity associated with the various measurements made. Knowing how to determine this uncertainty is just as important as knowing the final result of the analysis. This is because having data that is so uncertain as to be useless is no better than having no data at all. A unit of this module will deal with the ways of minimizing any uncertainty in quantitative measurements. Other analytical techniques and the principles which underpin them to be studied in this module include titration. Titration is based on the measurement of concentrations of substances, which affords the chemist the opportunity to undertake quantitative study of reactants and products in a chemical reaction. This study is known as stoichiometry of a reaction.