Partition coefficient

A partition coefficient is like a "sort" of thing. It is a way of measuring how much of something (like a chemical) will move between two different things (like water and oil). To figure out the partition coefficient, you put the chemical in both of the two things at the same time. Then, you measure how much of the chemical is in each of the two things. The bigger the number, the more of the chemical went into one of the things compared to the other.