Exploring Digital Signals and Noise in Instrumental Analysis
Augustus W. Fountain III Department of Chemistry and Photonics Research Center, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996
augustus-fountain@usma.edu
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Abstract
The fundamental concepts of noise and signal-to-noise ratio are 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. Simulated noisy signals are used to guide the student through a series of individual exercises (Fig. 1). These exercises culminate in a capstone experience where they simultaneously apply all of the concepts.
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Keywords
Domain: Analytical Chemistry; Laboratory Instruction; Pedagogy: Computer-Based Learning; Topics: Chemometrics; Fourier Transform Techniques; Mathematics / Symbolic Mathematics;
JCE Citation
Fountain III, A. W. J. Chem. Educ. 2001 78 271. |
