What does the term "stoichiometry" refer to?

The term "stoichiometry" specifically refers to the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions. This branch of chemistry enables scientists to predict how much of a substance is needed or produced in a reaction based on the balanced chemical equations. By understanding the mole ratios of each reactant and product, one can accurately compute the amounts involved, which is crucial for laboratory work and industrial applications, ensuring that reactions proceed efficiently and safely.

For instance, if you know the balanced equation for a reaction, stoichiometry allows you to determine how many grams of reactant are required to produce a specific amount of product, or conversely, how much product can be expected from a given quantity of reactants. This concept is foundational in both theoretical chemistry and practical applications, such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and environmental science.

The other options relate to different aspects of chemistry, such as chemical bonding, which deals with how atoms are connected; acidity or basicity, which pertains to the pH scale; and gas laws, which describe the physical properties of gases. While these are important areas of study, they do not pertain directly to the specific calculations and relationships of quantities in reactions that define stoichiometry.