At the core of understanding chemical grades lies the notion of purity. But it's not just about how clean a chemical is; it's also about meeting specific standards tailored for different applications. For instance, a chemical destined for pharmaceutical use must adhere to different purity criteria compared to one used in educational labs.

These standards are established by organizations like the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which publish monographs detailing the specifications for various chemicals. These monographs ensure consistency and quality across manufacturing processes and applications.