Analytical Chemistry for Engineers Lab

Problem Set no. 1

Write your solutions on a separate sheet of blank paper. Scan or take a picture of your answer sheet and
save it as a pdf file. Upload your answer sheets in your respective GDrive folder. Follow the following format:
Groupno._ACfELabPS1_ClassDay. Upload your Excel file in the GDrive folder, as well.

1. Three students (A, B, and C) are asked to determine the volume of a sample of ethanol. Each student
measures the volume five times with a graduated cylinder. The results in milliliters are: A (67.1, 67.4,
66.9, 67.3, 66.8), B (66.9, 67.1, 66.9, 67.1, 67.1), C (67.6, 67.4, 67.5, 67.6, 68.3). The true volume is
67.0 ml.

a. Get the mean, SD, and % RSD of each student

b. Comment on the precision and the accuracy of each student’s results.
c. Use the following table to summarize your results.

Student A Student B Student C

67.1 67.02 67.68
Mean
0.2550 0.1095 0.3564
SD
%RSD 0.3800 0.16345 0.526552
Absolute Error 0.1 0.02 0.68
Relative Error 0.1493 0.0299 1.0149
Student A has greater Student B has the Student C has the least
accuracy and precision greatest accuracy and accuracy and precision
than student C but it precision among the among the students.
Comment
has lesser accuracy students.
and precision than
student B.

2. Consider the following sets of replicate measurements:

A B C
2.9 g 70.14 mL 0.314 mg
3.2 g 69.99 mL 0.320 mg
2.6 g 70.12 mL 0.317 mg
3.1 g 71.51 mL 0.319 mg
2.8 g 0.315 mg
0.326 mg

a. Calculate the mean, SD, and confidence interval at 95% confidence level for each of the three sets.
Use the following table to summarize your results.

Analyst X Analyst Y Analyst Z

1
 Mean 2.92 70.44 0.3185
0.238746728 0.716426316
SD 0.00432435
2.776445105 3.182446305 2.570581836
95% CI

b. In set C, the last value is suspected to be an outlier. Should it be rejected?

It should be rejected because it has lower value than the Analyst X and Y

3. Gyuri performed an analysis of Simvastatin tablets. The following are the data she obtained:

39.5 mg, 41.2 mg, 40.7 mg, 38.9 mg, 42.1 mg, 41.7 mg, 38.7 mg

Suppose the mg of Simvastatin stated in label is 40 mg, is there a significant difference between her
results and the label claim?

4. A standard method for the determination of residual chlorine in sewage effluents is known from 10 sets
of measurements to have a mean of 57.6 ppm and a standard deviation of 0.32 ppm Cl. Slight
modification of the method yields an average value of 49.3 ppm standard deviation of 0.25 ppm for a
pooled data set with 9 degrees of freedom. Is there a significant difference in the precisions of the two
methods? Is there a significant difference in the means of the two methods?