Term: sample
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05451

Definition:
A portion of material selected from a larger quantity of material. The term needs to be qualified, e.g. bulk sample, representative sample, primary sample, bulked sample, test sample. The term 'sample' implies the existence of a sampling error, i.e. the results obtained on the portions taken are only estimates of the concentration of a constituent or the quantity of a property present in the parent material. If there is no or negligible sampling error, the portion removed is a test portion, aliquot or specimen. The term 'specimen' is used to denote a portion taken under conditions such that the sampling variability cannot be assessed (usually because the population is changing), and is assumed, for convenience, to be zero. The manner of selection of the sample should be prescribed in a sampling plan.

Related Terms:
1) bulk sample (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.B00756).
2) representative sample (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05303).
3) primary sample (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04841).
4) test sample (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06285).
5) sampling error (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05463).
6) constituent (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01281).
7) test portion (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06284).

Source: PAC, 1989, 61, 1657. 'Nomenclature for automated and mechanised analysis (Recommendations 1989)' on page 1660 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198961091657)

Citation: 'sample' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05451

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