Assignment 1 Due: Jan. 26, 2011

“Analytical chemistry deals with methods for the identification of one or more of the components (termed analytes) in a sample of matter and the determination of the relative amounts of each.  The identification process is called a qualitative analysis while the determination of amount is termed quantitative analysis.” Skoog and West, Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, 4^th Edition (1982) Saunders Publishing

1. Provide an example (or examples!) of a reference to analytical (or instrumental) chemistry techniques from history, popular fiction (newspapers, magazines, novels), film, or music.  You may bring in the book, article, c.d., video, etc and present your example to the class.  If it is an exert from literature, please photocopy enough copies for the entire class.  BRING TO CLASS ON JANUARY 22nd PLEASE AND PREPARE TO BRIEFLY PRESENT IT TO THE CLASS

Below is an example of the incorporation of ‘analytical chemistry’ into the popular fiction novel Sahara by Clive Cussler (as taken from J.Chem.Ed. 2000 77:459; modified slightly by J. Ashley). Sahara was a popular fiction novel.  It provides detailed description of a mobile laboratory and the instrumentation within it. In Sahara, an unknown pollutant is causing a red tide algal bloom off the African coast, which threatens the earth's oxygen supply. It has been determined that the source is somewhere along the Niger River, but the local governments are hostile to any environmental investigations. Cussler's manly hero, Dirk Pitt, must covertly sail up the Niger to determine the source of the pollutant and eradicate it before the earth is doomed. Fortunately, Dirk Pitt has modern analytical chemistry on his side:

If Pitt had dreamed of pursuing high performance, style, comfort, and enough fire power to take on the American sixth fleet, he found it in the boat.... One look at her sleek, refined lines, the brute size of her engines, and incredible armament, and Pitt was sold.

Down in the spacious interior, Rudi Gunn sat in the middle of a small but highly customized laboratory that was planned by a multidisciplined team of scientists that included highly sophisticated, compact versions of instruments developed through NASA for space exploration. The lab was not only set up to analyze water samples but to telemeter the accumulated data via satellite to a team of NUMA [National Underwater and Marine Agency] scientists working with computer data bases to identify complex compounds.

Gunn, a scientist from his toes to thinning hairline, was oblivious to any danger outside of the bulkheads of the elegant boat.

"Looks complicated, " said Pitt as he stepped around the cabin, studying the sophisticated equipment that was packed together from deck to ceiling. "What function do these instruments serve?"

[Gunn] "There are three key elements to our search approach. The first requires an automated micro-incubator. I use this unit to expose a tiny sample of river water into vials containing red tide samples we obtained off the coast. The micro-incubator then optically monitors the growth of the dinoflagellates. After a few hours the computer gives me an indication of how potent the concoction is and how rapid the growth of the little buggers is. A little play with numbers and I have a reasonable estimate of how close we're coming to the source of our problem. "

Gunn moved around Pitt to a pair of square box-like units about the size of small television sets but with doors where the screens would have been. "These two instruments are for identifying the nasty glob, as I call it, or a combination of globs that's behind our problem. The first is a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. To put it concisely, I merely take vials of river water samples and place them inside. The system then automatically extracts and analyzes the contents. The results are interpreted by our on-board computers. "

"What exactly does that tell you?'; asked Pitt.

`It identifies synthetic organic pollutants, including solvents, pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, and a host of other drugs and chemical compounds. This baby, I hope, will home in on the chemistry of the compound that's mutating and stimulating the red tide. "

[Pitt] "What if the contaminant is a metal?"

[Gunn] "That's where the inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometer comes in, " said Gunn, gesturing at the second instrument. Its purpose is to automatically identify all the metals and elements which might be present in the water."

One last thing…think about how “true to science” this and your example is.  Is this watered down science for the masses (or general public)?  Yes!  Is it accurate watered down science?  Perhaps not!  Be prepared to discuss this in class with your example and your classmates’ examples.  

2.  Using the ACS e-journal database with the Gutman Library subscribes to, search through any issue of Analytical Chemistry and pick an article that interests you (and it you can’t find one, just pick an article!!).  It’s o.k. if you do not understand much of the article at this point.  Some of the articles are very complicated and esoteric. 

a)  Print out only the abstract, title and authors/associations section.  On a separate piece of paper, photocopy only the abstract (without the title and authors).  Be sure to bring this “abstract only” page with you to class unattached to other responses in this assignment (you'll be swapping it with a cohort in class). 
b)  From the abstract only, pick out four words, terms or phrases that are new to you (or that you are not very familiar with).  Using any source for guidance (including professors!), explain these four words/terms in your own words.
c) Is this a clearly written abstract?  In a paragraph, briefly justify your answer.  Provide suggestions that would make it more understandable. 

3.  From Chapter 2 of Harvey, complete Questions #7, #10, #19, #22