This text is written for a course that deals with the principles and applications of modern analytical instruments. Emphasis is placed upon the theoretical basis of each type of instrument, its optimal area of application, its sensitivity, its precision, and its limitations. The text also introduces students to elementary integrated circuitry, microprocessors and computers, and treatment of analytical data.
The third edition of this book was reasonably strong in the late 1980s when it was new, but new analytical techniques have rendered it out of date. It is a good text for spectroscopic and chromatographic methods (although some newer techniques here are absent). But it has almost nothing on surface analysis techniques. Probe microscopy techniques and even electron microscopy are missing. It does a good job of teaching the material it contains, but doesn't cover enough of the field any more to be a reasonable choice for learning instrumental analysis.
A very direct and useful description of most instrumental methods. As expected of any good science textbook, the theory was supplemented with various real-world application and exercises that make the reader understand beyond the "how" of these instruments, and push into the "why". I would recommend it for anyone who needs a reference book for chemical instrumental analysis.
I think the book was quite helpful in all of the content it had with great coverage, especially of instrumentation that caught my attention. There were moments where the book felt a bit lacking in explanation but it still covered all the content in more detail the class and made me at least slightly interested in a subject I previously cared little about.
We didn't use this book very often but it was very helpful in an intermediate conceptual understanding of applying different instrumentation. I'm buying this one to use as a reference as I continue my degree.
The most thorough and detailed general textbook I own. Purchased to update a 10 year old analytical chem textbook and to use as a desk reference at work. The only analytical tool that I have used that this book didn't cover are viscosity measurements.