Editing Analytical chemistry (section)

== Classical  methods ==
[[File:Flame test.jpg|thumb|The presence of [[copper]] in this qualitative analysis is indicated by the bluish-green color of the flame]]
Although modern analytical chemistry is dominated by sophisticated instrumentation, the roots of analytical chemistry and some of the principles used in modern instruments are from traditional techniques, many of which are still used today. These techniques also tend to form the backbone of most undergraduate analytical chemistry educational labs.

=== Qualitative analysis ===
Qualitative analysis determines the presence or absence of a particular compound, but not the mass or concentration. By definition, qualitative analyses do not measure quantity.

==== Chemical tests ====
{{further|Chemical test}}
There are numerous qualitative chemical tests, for example, the [[acid test (gold)|acid test]] for [[gold]] and the [[Kastle-Meyer test]] for the presence of [[blood]].

==== Flame test ====
{{further|Flame test}}
Inorganic qualitative analysis generally refers to a systematic scheme to confirm the presence of certain aqueous ions or elements by performing a series of reactions that eliminate a range of possibilities and then confirm suspected ions with a confirming test. Sometimes small carbon-containing ions are included in such schemes. With modern instrumentation, these tests are rarely used but can be useful for educational purposes and in fieldwork or other situations where access to state-of-the-art instruments is not available or expedient.

=== Quantitative analysis ===
{{further|Quantitative analysis (chemistry)}}
Quantitative analysis is the measurement of the quantities of particular chemical constituents present in a substance. Quantities can be measured by mass (gravimetric analysis) or volume (volumetric analysis).

==== Gravimetric analysis ====
{{further|Gravimetric analysis}}
The gravimetric analysis involves determining the amount of material present by weighing the sample before and/or after some transformation. A common example used in undergraduate education is the determination of the amount of water in a hydrate by heating the sample to remove the water such that the difference in weight is due to the loss of water.

==== Volumetric analysis ====
{{further|Titration}}
Titration involves the gradual addition of a measurable reactant to an exact volume of a solution being analyzed until some equivalence point is reached. Titration is a family of techniques used to determine the concentration of an analyte.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |author=Douglas A. Skoog |title=Fundamentals of analytical chemistry |author2=Stanley R. Crouch |date=2014 |publisher=[[Brooks/Cole]] |isbn=978-0-495-55828-6 |edition=Ninth |location=Belmont, CA |oclc=824171785}}</ref> Titrating accurately to either the half-equivalence point or the endpoint of a titration allows the chemist to determine the amount of moles used, which can then be used to determine a concentration or composition of the titrant. Most familiar to those who have taken chemistry during secondary education is the acid-base titration involving a color-changing indicator, such as [[phenolphthalein]].  There are many other types of titrations, for example, potentiometric titrations or precipitation titrations. Chemists might also create titration curves in order by systematically testing the pH every drop in order to understand different properties of the titrant.