Gravimetric analysis is a technique wherein the amount of an analyte can be determined through the measurement of mass. Gravimetric analysis depends on comparing the masses of two compounds containing the analyte. It involves isolation of an ion in a solution by a precipitation reaction, filtering, washing the precipitate free of contaminants, conversion of the precipitate to a product of known composition, then weighing the precipitate, and determining the difference in mass. From the mass and known composition of the precipitate, the amount of the original ion can be determined.
