Gravimetric analysis describes a set of methods used in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte (the ion being analyzed) based on its mass. The principle of this type of analysis is that once an ions mass has been determined as a unique compound, that known measurement can then be used to determine the same analytes mass in a mixture, as long as the relative quantities of the other constituents are known.
The four main types of this method of analysis are precipitation, volatilization, electro-analytical and miscellaneous physical method. The methods involve changing the phase of the analyte to separate it in its pure form from the original mixture and are quantitative measurements.