ANALYSIS, in ordinary language, the act of analyzing; the state of being an alyzed; the result of such investigation. The separation of anything physical, mental, or a mere conception into its constitutent elements. It is also applied to a syllabus, conspectus, or exhibition of the heads of a discourse; a synopsis. a brief abstract of a subject to enable a reader more readily to comprehend it when it is treated at length.
In mathematics, the term signifying an unloosing, as contradis tinguished from synthesis=a putting to gether. The analytical method of in quiry has been defined as the art or method of finding out the truth of a proposition by first supposing the thing done, and then reasoning back step by step till one arrives at some admitted truth. It is called also the method of invention or resolution. Analysis in mathematics may be exercised on finite or infinite magnitudes or numbers. The analysis of finite quantities is the same as specious arithmetic or algebra. That of infinites, called also the new analysis, is particularly used in fluxions or the differential calculus. But analysis could be employed also in geometry, though Euclid preferred to make his immortal work synthetic; it is, therefore, a de parture from correct language to use the word analysis, as many do, as the anti thesis of geometry; it is opposed, as already mentioned, to synthesis, and to that alone.
In chemistry, the examination of bodies with the view of ascertaining of what substance they are composed, and in what proportion these substances are contained in them. The former is called qualitative and the latter quantitative analysis. Chemical analysis is classified into blowpipe, qualitative, gravimetrical, and volumetric analysis; and the proxi mate and the ultimate analysis of or ganic bodies.
1. Blow-pipe analysis.
2. Qualitative analysis is employed to find out the composition and properties of any unknown substance, and to sepa rate different substances from each other.
3. Gravimetrical analysis, or quanti tative analysis by weight, is the method of separating out of a weighed quantity of a compound its constituents, either in a pure state or in the form of some new substance of known composition, and ac curately weighing the products; from the results of these operations the per tentage of the constituents contained in the substance can be determined.
4. Volumetrical analysis, or quanti tative analysis by measure, determines the amount of the constituents contained in a given solution by: (a) Neutraliza tion of a measured quantity of the liquid by a certain volume of a standard solution of acid or alkali. (b) By the quantity of a standard solution of an oxidizing or reducing agent required to oxidize or reduce a measured quantity of the liquid to be tested. (c) By observing when no further precipitation takes place on adding the standard solution of the reagent to a known volume of the liquid to be tested.
5. By proximate analysis we deter mine the amount of sugar, fat, resin, alkaloid, etc., contained in an organic compound, each of these being removed and separated by different solvents, etc.
6. By ultimate analysis of an organic substance we determine the percentage of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorus contained in it. Thus the amount of carbon and hydro gen is determined by burning a weighed quantity of the substance in a combus tion tube along with oxide of copper, and collecting the water produced in a weighed U tube filled with chloride of calcium, and the carbonic acid gas in weighed bulbs filled with caustic potash.
In other sciences, etc., the separation of anything which becomes the object of scientific inquiry into its constituent ele ments; also the result thus obtained.