Question

Explain the following statement: “The validity of an analytical

result ultimately depends on knowing the composition of some primary standard.”.

Short answer

The qualities of the primary standard have a significant impact on the accuracy of a chemical analysis.

Step-by-step solution

Define the accuracy and measurement.

The precision of a single measurement is referred to as accuracy. The measurement's accuracy is determined by comparing it to the true or acceptable value. Like reaching the centre of a bullseye, an accurate measurement is close to the true value.

 Explain the statement.

A primary standard is a very pure material that acts as a compound's reference material.

In a chemical analysis, it is critical that an analyst understands or is familiar enough with the main standard to which he or she is referring, since if the wrong primary standard is chosen, all of the procedures and calculations will be useless.

The qualities of the primary standard have a significant impact on the accuracy of a chemical analysis.

It's vital to have a clear understanding of your analysis's purpose so you can pick the major standard that best matches your methodology.