Instrumental Analysis ACS Exam
Exam Coverage
Exam coverage for the Instrumental Analysis ACS Exam includes
analytical chemistry principles and modern laboratory instrumentation
as outlined by the American Chemical Society (ACS). It focuses on
spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, IR, NMR, atomic
absorption/emission), chromatographic methods (GC, HPLC),
electrochemical analysis, and mass spectrometry. The exam also
evaluates understanding of calibration methods, quantitative analysis,
signal-to-noise ratios, limits of detection, error analysis, and method
validation.
,S/N relationships
-increase S/N, increase run time
-decrease noise, increase S/N
Beer's Law
How to calculate signal to noise
S/N = mean/STDEV
-inverse of RSD
-STDEV: 5 (#STDEV gaussian curve)
-STDEV: peak-to-peak noise/5
, Hard ionization vs soft ionization
-hard: no M+ peak (or small)
-soft: M+ peak is visible
MS: hard ionization sources
-impart high quantities of residual energy in the subject molecule
invoking large degrees of fragmentation
MS: hard ionization sources examples
-electron impact
Exam Coverage
Exam coverage for the Instrumental Analysis ACS Exam includes
analytical chemistry principles and modern laboratory instrumentation
as outlined by the American Chemical Society (ACS). It focuses on
spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, IR, NMR, atomic
absorption/emission), chromatographic methods (GC, HPLC),
electrochemical analysis, and mass spectrometry. The exam also
evaluates understanding of calibration methods, quantitative analysis,
signal-to-noise ratios, limits of detection, error analysis, and method
validation.
,S/N relationships
-increase S/N, increase run time
-decrease noise, increase S/N
Beer's Law
How to calculate signal to noise
S/N = mean/STDEV
-inverse of RSD
-STDEV: 5 (#STDEV gaussian curve)
-STDEV: peak-to-peak noise/5
, Hard ionization vs soft ionization
-hard: no M+ peak (or small)
-soft: M+ peak is visible
MS: hard ionization sources
-impart high quantities of residual energy in the subject molecule
invoking large degrees of fragmentation
MS: hard ionization sources examples
-electron impact
