The first project describes research into elucidating a new and more cost-effective method of measuring the setting rate of cement than time resolved X-ray diffraction detection of cement mineralogy. The solution arrived at was to monitor the composition of the fluid phase by ICP-AES and applied thermodynamic modelling. By using this method, it was possible to detect the Ettringite to Monosulphate phase shift, an important kinetic point in the setting of cement. The second section describes a project where the aim was to find a method of determining the source region of a group of cannabis resin samples ranging form 20 to 1 year old. The resin was analysed by stable isotope mass spectroscopy for its d²H, d¹³C and d¹⁵N isotope ratios, which revealed that in all likelihood, the samples came from a single country. Additionally, the relative abundances of cannabinoids extracted from the resin were analysed by GC-MS and shoed that there may have been some changes in the biosynthesis pathway of the main psychoactive cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol, in this growth area sometime in the past 4 years. The projects cover an extremely large analytical range: the first project used spectroscopy to answer a physical/inorganic chemistry question for an engineering application whereas the second project used mass spectrometry to answer a geographic/biochemical question for forensic scientists. Combined, these projects have shown some of the breadth of skills than an instrumental analytical chemist must have in the modern world.