Iodometry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A method of quantitative chemical analysis that determines the concentration of a substance through reactions involving iodine and requires titration techniques to achieve accurate results
2. This analytical procedure estimates the amount of a target analyte by measuring iodine levels, employing redox reactions and titration for precision
3. A technique in analytical chemistry that measures the concentration of a substance by utilizing iodine in redox reactions and involves titration to ensure accuracy

Etymology: Iodometry is a compound built from two pieces that are each older than the chemical technique itself. "Iodo-" comes from "iodine," the element whose name derives from the Greek "iodes," meaning violet-coloured, a nod to the vapour the element gives off when heated. "-metry" comes from Greek "metron," meaning measure, the same root behind "thermometer" and "geometry." Put together, the name simply means measurement by way of iodine. The method works in reverse of what the name might suggest. Rather than measuring iodine, analysts use iodine as a tool to measure something else. A sample is made to react with a known amount of iodide, releasing iodine in proportion to the substance being tested. That released iodine is then titrated with a standard solution of sodium thiosulfate, and the endpoint, usually signalled by starch turning deep blue and then colourless, reveals how much of the original substance was present.