Kuivamassa

Kuivamassa is a Finnish term used in science to describe the mass of a substance after moisture has been removed. It denotes the dry weight or dry matter of a sample and is contrasted with the wet or gross mass, which includes water content.

Determination of kuivamassa is typically done by gravimetric analysis. A sample is weighed to obtain the initial wet mass, then dried in an oven (commonly at about 105 °C) until the mass becomes constant. The sample is cooled in a desiccator and weighed again to obtain the dry mass. Some materials require different temperatures or drying methods, such as lower temperatures for heat-sensitive substances or freeze-drying.

Calculation and use of the results are straightforward. The dry matter percentage is calculated as (dry mass / initial wet mass) × 100. Moisture content can be expressed as 100% minus the dry matter percentage, or (wet − dry) / wet × 100. The dry mass is often used as a basis for chemical analyses, nutritional data, or comparisons between samples with varying moisture levels.

Applications of kuivamassa span several fields, including agriculture, food science, animal nutrition, soil science, and biology. It allows reporting and comparing content on a dry-matter basis, which standardizes measurements when moisture varies between samples.

Notes on accuracy emphasize complete removal of moisture, avoidance of thermal degradation, and proper cooling in a desiccator. For materials with volatile components, alternative methods may be necessary to prevent loss of material during drying.