Question

The specificity of an analytical method is defined as _______

• A. \( \text{The ability to assess unequivocally the analyte in the presence of components which may be expected to be present} \)
• B. \( \text{Closeness of agreement between a series of measurements} \)
• C. \( \text{Closeness of agreement between the true value and the value found} \)
• D. \( \text{The ability to obtain test results which are directly proportional to the concentration} \)

Hint:

Think of "specific" as "selective" – the method should be able to pick out and measure only what you're interested in, ignoring everything else.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Specificity in analytical chemistry refers to the ability of a method to measure unequivocally the analyte of interest without interference from other components that may be present in the sample matrix, such as impurities, degradation products, and matrix components. Let's look at the other options: - Option B describes precision. - Option C describes accuracy. - Option D describes linearity. Therefore, specificity is best defined as the ability to measure the target analyte clearly and distinctly in a complex mixture.