Constituent of a mixture the
amount or
concentration of which can be varied independently. The number of components in a given system
is the minimum number of independent species necessary to define the composition in
all the phases of a system. It may vary with external conditions since additional
chemical equilibria reduce the number of components. The term component is also often
used in the more general sense as defined here under
constituent.
Source:
Physical Chemistry Division, unpublished
See also:
PAC, 1996, 68, 957
(Glossary of terms in quantities and units in Clinical Chemistry (IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations
1996))
on page 966