What is Analytical Chemistry?

Perhaps you're like so many others wondering what Analytical Chemistry is and why it's important. Each question can be answered quite simply, but they also become increasingly complex as one seeks to develop a complete picture. At its core, Analytical Chemistry is the study of quantity and identity of substances. That is, it answers the questions, "What is it?" and, "How much is there?", which makes it critically important to nearly all scientists. But I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that there is a lot more to this exciting field of study than this simple description might suggest. So, where to start?

Analytical Chemistry is much more than a single group or description of research, methods, and scientists. Chemistry is typically split into five sub-disciplines: Organic, Inorganic, Biochemistry, Physical, and Analytical (Each is represented on the figure below). The first two, Organic and Inorganic, are primarily concerned with the synthesis or production of two broad classes of compounds. Those that are produced by organisms are considered organic and contain primarily carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Those that are not produced by organisms are considered inorganic and typically include metals along with other elements. In each of these cases, scientists producing both inorganic and organic compounds will inevitably want to identify the chemical products of their work and determine how much they have formed. Enter the always important analytical chemist.

Ven Diagram of the relationship between Analytical Chemistry and all other areas of Chemistry

It would be silly, however, to conclude that physical and bio-chemists are not also keen to utilize the skills of Analytical Chemistry. Each of these disciplines has its own interests in the identification or quantification of chemical products along with their need to utilize the laboratory methods and instruments that lie at the core of Analytical Chemistry. Much more than this, scientists in fields like environmental science, biology, physics, and neuroscience to name a few are also interested in utilizing the methods and instruments of Analytical Chemistry as they seek, in turn, to identify compounds in the world they each study.

The broader field of Analytical Chemistry includes topics such as chemical separations and chromatography, electrochemistry, acid-base equilibrium, spectroscopy, titrimetric methods, gravimetric methods, and metal-ligand complex equilibrium, each of which is a vast field unto itself. Indeed, many of these topics are the "broad" field of study one chooses for a Masters or Doctorate degree program and nearly all major universities will offer at least one full semester course for each of them.

Many Analytical Chemists view laboratory instruments, their function, and operation as the exclusive domain of Analytical Chemistry. So much so, that if you have ever watched a crime show drama such as CSI or NCIS, you have observed the glorified and fictionalized work of an analytical chemist in using any number of instruments to quickly identify a chemical residue and definitively pin down its origin (remember I said "fictionalized"). So, if it's shiny and expensive it is likely run by an analytical chemist.

The American Chemical Society has named the field of Chemistry, including all of its subfields, as "The Central Science", since it is found at the intersection between physics and biology. Furthermore, as I have briefly stated above, Analytical Chemistry is central to all Chemistry. Therefore, Analytical Chemistry is the most central science of all. For those Lord of the Rings fans out there, it is the "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the [laboratory] bind them".

What is the point or significance of all this? The integration of Analytical Chemistry into nearly all other areas of science means it is an excellent catch-all field of study for those that don't feel specifically pulled or called to another field. It is also a great option for those looking to go directly into the workforce after undergraduate studies since nearly all science-related employers have analytical chemists on their payroll. For those interested in Medicine, all of the labs you will eventually order for patients will be run or performed by an analytical chemist and an in-depth understanding of Analytical Chemistry will undoubtedly aid in the interpretation of lab results. A Bachelor's degree in Chemistry with an intentional focus on Analytical Chemistry (Quantitative Chemical Analysis and Instrumental Analysis) is a great launching point into myriad graduate and professional programs including Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Physics, Environmental Engineering, Medicine (MD, DO, PA, DVM, DDS, ...), Materials Science, and many others.

If you have any interest in, or questions about, Analytical Chemistry, please feel free to email me at b-winters@bethel.edu