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FRANKA . SETTLE.JR. VirginlaMi!itaryimim Lexington. VA 24450
Instrumentation and the Total Analytical Process Michael A. Pleva Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450 Frank A. Settle, Jr. Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA 24450
There is general agreement among teachers of undergraduate analytical chemistry that the total analytical process must he emphasized, not merely the instrumental techniques. The total analytical process has been divided into the following operations (1,2): 1) definition of the goal of the analysis, 2) isolation of the system on which the analysis is t o be performed, 3) physical and chemical maniuulation of the samole t o oroduce the analvte. 41 measurement o i t h r analytr,and 51 rvaluation uf rr-ultr. While the,e oprrations are relatively e a q to identify in tradi-
Michael A. Pieva is Professor of Chemisby at Washington and Lee University in Lexington. VA. He hold a BS degree in chemisby from Trinity College. W o r d . CT. a MS hom Trinity, and the PhD from the Universily of New Hampshire. He has developed mmputer-assistedmatwiais fw use in general chemistry and teaches a special topics course in experimental design and data handling in addillon to courses in general and analytical chemistry. Most recently he has been Uw infomationManager far he National Science Foundation's Scientific insbumemation Infarmation and Curriculum Project. The project has developeda series of computer-based modules, each addressing a different inshumentai technique. The modules should be available from a publisher next year.
Frank A. Settle, Jr., Professor of Chemistry. Virginia Military institute. Lexington, VA, is the editor of this feature. He is the Project Director of the Scientific instrumentation information and Curriculum Roiect and a cmumor of the 6h edition of lnsmmentat an Memods of Analpls "Most recantly ne has servea as the proiect manager f w development of a campus-wide prcgram for imegrating personal computers into me academic program of each student at VMI. He is currently teaching general end analytical chemistry as well as working on the next edition of an instrumentaltext.
tional "wet chemical" analyses, advances in instrumentation have blurred the divisions between them. They are often socompletely integrated in instrumental methods that their individual identities disappear into one seamless whole. This trend of merging the fundamental operations appears to be a characteristic of current and future instrumentation. I t is much easier to enumerate the five major components of an analytical procedure to students than to create a real awareness of their importanre in cnrh nnnlysls. In many mursts H oeneral lrcturr prrsenting the "hlg pirtura" m civm with an admmishmmt 18, the students t o keep each component in its proper prospective. The students then spend the rest of the course developing skills in manipulating samples and making measurements. While these skills are indeed critical, the other operations present in the total analysis often receive little attention. Students may master some specific techniques hut have little understanding of the total analytical process. Thus, there is a real danger that students may become overly impressed, even mesmerized. with the elossv. . . cornouter-controlled . capat,il;twj of currrntlv n r n h h l r hlgh-wvh insrrument systems and may IK u ~ ~ u tu l h rvalunrr t h t ~c m l ;,nalyti
