# Elementary and intermediate flows

## Definitions

The [standard definitions of elementary and intermediate flows](/en/data-reference/glossary#standard-terms) distinguish the
two catalog types. Cumulative LCI queries concern elementary flows. A dataset's reference product corresponds to an
intermediate flow.

The reference product flow identifies the dataset's reference product. See
[activities and reference products](/en/data-reference/activities-and-reference-products#definitions) for the relationship between
activities, datasets and products. Flow catalogs provide metadata such as names, units and classifications. Catalog
entries do not specify a process's exchange amounts.

## Fields

See the column definitions for [Intermediate Exchanges](/en/resources/file-definitions#intermediate-exchanges) and
[Elementary Exchanges](/en/resources/file-definitions#elementary-exchanges).

## Catalog scope

Use the intermediate flow catalog to find flows corresponding to public reference products. Use the elementary flow
catalog to find resource or emission flows in the corresponding release inputs. The scope of both worksheets is defined
in [Database Overview](/en/resources/file-definitions#database-overview).

The catalog's [public scope](/en/resources/file-definitions#release) differs from an authorized
[cumulative LCI query](/en/data-access/query-api#result-fields), which returns elementary flow quantities.