stoichiometry

[ stoi-kee-om-i-tree ]

noun

1. the calculation of the quantities of chemical elements or compounds involved in chemical reactions.
2. the branch of chemistry dealing with relationships of combining elements, especially quantitatively.

stoichiometry

/ ˌstɔɪkɪˈɒmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. the branch of chemistry concerned with the proportions in which elements are combined in compounds and the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in chemical reactions

Word History and Origins

Origin of stoichiometry¹

1800–10; < Greek stoicheîo ( n ) ( stoichiometric ) + -metry

Word History and Origins

Origin of stoichiometry¹

C19: from Greek stoikheion element + -metry

Example Sentences

Phytoplankton stoichiometry defines the relative proportions of different elements such as C, N, and P in these organisms.

From Science Daily

The authors explain the significance of the findings: "Our results demonstrate that the concentration of atmospheric CO2 as well as the ocean and air temperature are remarkably sensitive to variations in elemental stoichiometry induced by changes in phytoplankton physiology."

From Science Daily

The study relies on stoichiometry, which measures the elemental ratios that appear in the chemistry of cells and ecosystems.

From Scientific American

If the regularity of chemical ratios within cells is a universal property of biological systems, here or anywhere else in the cosmos, then careful stoichiometry could be the key to eventually discovering life on an alien world.

From Scientific American

I’ve heard from chemists, fishery biologists and people who study chemical stoichiometry.

From Nature