Introduction:
This tutorial introduces the concepts and practises of statistics in Analytical Chemistry, by presenting problems in data analysis and demonstrating the steps to solve them. It is modular, so that you can either start at the beginning and continue sequentially, or skip material you are already familiar with. The tutorial includes the use of Microsoft Excel™ to perform the various operations, and is illustrated with numerous screen captures and problem-solving assignments.
We begin with an introduction to using Microsoft Excel™ for basic calculations and producing proper graphs from experimental data. We then review basic statistical concepts, such as the mean and standard deviation before discussing other important statistical concepts such as probability distributions.
We go on to describe the use of calibration curves and regression statistics, including how to use these to estimate limits of detection and the uncertainty in experimentally determined concentrations. Finally, the use of t-tests and F-tests for data comparison and evaluation is discussed.
Getting started:
- To jump to a particular topic, use the navigation menu above or go to the site map
- To look up a particular term, concept, or task, use the concept map
- To start the tutorial at the very beginning, click on the Next Topic link above
- To follow along sequentially, use the Next Page link above
- To skip to the next topic, use the Next Topic link above
Site conventions:
Different text formats indicate different actions or operations:
- Things you need to type will be denoted with the
Courierfont - Menus will be denoted with bold Arial, with the menu item in Arial, e.g. File→New means select the New item in the File menu
- Options, buttons in dialog boxes and the Enter (Mac: return) key will also use this font
- Dialog box titles will be in bold Times
- Excel™ functions will be denoted with
ALL-CAPS COURIER