Exploring Digital Signals and Noise in Instrumental Analysis©
Augustus W. Fountain III Department of Chemistry MADN-CHEM United States Military Academy West Point, NY 10996 United States mail to: augustus_fountain@usma.edu
Abstract
The fundamental concepts of noise and signal-to-noise ratio are in central to the discipline of analytical chemistry. Since chemical instrumentation dominates the modern laboratory, it is critical that students understand the role noise plays in limiting the precision of a measurement. It is equally important that they understand how to implement active and passive means to mitigate noise. The purpose of this Mathcad document is to allow the student to gain a familiarity with the concepts of signal-to-noise ratios and to explore the advantages of ensemble averaging and digital filtering analytical signals. The student is lead through a series of individual exercises that culminates in a capstone experience where they simultaneously apply all of the concepts. This document requires Mathcad 6 or higher.
Commentary
Editor's Commentary
Keywords
Audiences: Upper-Division Undergraduate Pedagogies: Computer-Based Learning Domains: Analytical Chemistry, Laboratory Instruction Topics: Chemometrics, Fourier Transform Techniques, Mathematics / Symbolic Mathematics, Instrumental Methods
Documents
File Name Description Software Type Software Version SignalsNoise2000.PDF Read-Only Document SignalsNoise.mcd Computational Document. Requires Mathcad 6 or higher. Mathcad 8 JCE Subscribers only: name and password or institutional IP number access required.
Citations
Foutain, A. W. III J. Chem. Educ. 2001 78 271.
Comments to: A. W. Fountain III
©Copyright 2003 Journal of Chemical Education