Numbers, in analytical chemistry

Analytical chemistry is inherently a quantitative science. Whether determining the concentration of a species in a solution, evaluating an equilibrium constant, measuring a reaction rate, or drawing a correlation between a compound s structure and its reactivity, analytical chemists make measurements and perform calculations. In this section we briefly review several important topics involving the use of numbers in analytical chemistry. 

The usefulness of determining the oxidation number in analytical chemistry is twofold. First, it will help determine if there was a change in oxidation number of a given element in a reaction. This always signals the occurrence of an oxidation-reduction reaction. Thus, it helps tell us whether a reaction is a redox reaction or some other reaction. Second, it will lead to the determination of the number of electrons involved, which will aid in balancing the equation. These latter points will be discussed in later sections. 

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