Teaching statistics to analytical chemists†

The general approach to teaching statistics to scientists and technologists is considered, the question of who should do the teaching being linked to how and what they are to be taught. In addition to having the requisite knowledge of statistics and how to teach it, the teacher will need to be familiar with the particular applications that arise in the students’ own subject area. A description of such applications is given for the case when that area of interest is analytical chemistry. It includes the discussion of: errors in measurement and how they may arise, what to do about outliers, the use of control charts in the laboratory and applications of regression (e.g. in calibration).