What does gravimetric mean?
Gravimetric means relating to the measurement of weight or mass. The word is especially common in scientific disciplines where the amount or concentration of a substance must be determined by weighing rather than by observing its volume or some other physical property. In analytical chemistry, for example, a gravimetric analysis isolates a material and determines its mass, often by filtering, drying, or otherwise preparing it in a stable form before weighing it. The same general principle is applied in fields such as geology and meteorology when masses of material are measured. Gravimetric is therefore associated with precision, controlled laboratory procedure, and quantitative measurement. Although it can describe any measurement involving mass, it usually has a technical tone and is most often encountered in specialist writing. In everyday contexts, “measuring by weight” or “weight-based” may be more readily understood.
adjectiveRelating to or determined by the measurement of weight or mass. In chemistry and materials science, the term often describes an analytical method in which a substance is measured by its mass.
- Relating to the measurement of weight or mass.
- In analytical science, based on determining the amount or concentration of a substance by measuring its mass.
"The team used a gravimetric analysis to determine the concentration of suspended solids in the water samples."
"Gravimetric measurements confirmed that the coating had added the predicted mass to each component."
"Because gravimetric methods depend on weighing material rather than measuring its volume, they require careful control of contamination and moisture."
Gravimetric turns the force of gravity into a number that scientists can measure, compare, and use.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gravimetric
Gravimetric combines elements associated with gravity and measurement. Its roots are Latin gravis, meaning “heavy” or “weighty,” and Greek metron, meaning “measure,” both of which also underlie English words such as gravity and geometric. The technical term developed in scientific English during the 19th century as measurement by mass became an established method of chemical analysis.
Related word forms
How gravimetric is actually used
This is a formal scientific and technical term. It is especially common in analytical chemistry, geology, meteorology, and materials science, and is uncommon in ordinary conversation.