Elemental Analysis Encyclopedia Article

Elemental Analysis

The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.

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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.

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Elemental Analysis

Chemists have developed a number of methods by which they can determine the kind of elements present in a material and the amount of each element present. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), flame spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry are examples of elemental analysis. These methods have been improved to a point where concentrations of a few parts per million of an element or less can be detected with relative ease. Elemental analysis is valuable in environmental work to determine the presence of a contaminant or pollutant. As an example, the amount of lead in a paint chip can be determined by means of elemental analysis.