Precision of flame atomic absorption measurements of arsenic, cadmium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, sodium, and zinc

Abstract

Procedures for evaluating the precision of atomic absorption measurements have been improved and applied to 8 elements. Measurements on a Varian AA-6 spectrophotometer indicate that there are many similarities in the precision characteristics of different elements. For instance, analyte absorption flicker noise limits the measurement precision of most elements at moderate absorbances. The actual value of the measurement precision at a given absorbance and the dependence of measurement precision on absorbance depend upon the calibration curve, the wavelength of analysis, the integration time, and the type of flame employed.