Percent Yield
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Understanding Theoretical and Actual Yield
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we are exploring the concepts of theoretical yield and actual yield. Does anyone know what these terms mean?
Theoretical yield is the maximum product you can get, right?
Exactly! It's calculated based on the balanced chemical equation and the limiting reactant. And actual yield is the amount we really get from the reaction.
So, if we don't get all the product we expect, does that mean there's a reason why?
Yes, often it can be due to side reactions, incomplete reactions, or losses during transfer. Let's reflect on how this impacts our calculations. Remember: Theoretical yield is your 'goal', while actual yield is your 'reality'!
Calculating Percent Yield
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now, let’s put this into practice. If your theoretical yield is 45 grams and you obtained 40 grams, how would you calculate percent yield?
I think we use the formula: Percent Yield equals actual yield over theoretical yield multiplied by 100?
Correct! Let’s plug in the numbers. What do you get?
That would be (40g / 45g) multiplied by 100, which equals about 88.89%!
Awesome! This percent yield tells us how efficiently a reaction worked. Always remember to calculate it in lab work!
Significance of Percent Yield
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Why do you all think understanding percent yield is important in real-world applications?
It shows us how efficient our chemical reactions are!
Exactly! Industries can save resources and reduce waste by optimizing reactions based on percent yield information.
So, a low percent yield might mean we are wasting materials?
Yes, and it could also indicate that we need to improve our processes. Efficiency is key in chemistry!
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
Percent yield is an important concept in stoichiometry that compares the actual amount of product obtained from a reaction to the theoretical maximum amount that could be produced. Understanding this concept is essential for evaluating the efficiency of chemical processes and making necessary adjustments.
Detailed
Percent Yield in Stoichiometry
In stoichiometry, percent yield is a crucial metric that allows chemists to assess the efficiency of a chemical reaction. Theoretical yield is defined as the maximum amount of product that can be produced based on the limiting reactant in a balanced equation. In contrast, actual yield refers to the amount of product actually obtained from an experiment.
The formula to calculate percent yield is as follows:
Percent Yield = (Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield) × 100
To illustrate, if the theoretical yield of a reaction is 45 grams and the actual yield is only 40 grams, the percent yield would be calculated as:
Percent Yield = (40 g / 45 g) × 100 = 88.89%
Understanding percent yield helps assess the effectiveness and practicality of chemical processes, guiding improvements and adjustments in experiments and industrial applications.
Key Concepts
-
Percent Yield: A measure of how efficiently a chemical reaction proceeds, calculated as the actual yield divided by the theoretical yield.
-
Theoretical Yield: The maximum quantity of product predicted from a reaction, assuming complete conversion of the limiting reactant.
-
Actual Yield: The actual amount of product obtained from a reaction, which can vary due to numerous factors.
-
Limiting Reactant: The reactant in a chemical reaction that is entirely consumed when the reaction goes to completion, limiting the amount of product generated.
Examples & Applications
If a reaction has a theoretical yield of 30 grams and you collect 24 grams, the percent yield would be calculated as follows: (24 g / 30 g) * 100 = 80%.
For a synthesis reaction with a theoretical yield of 100 grams and an actual yield of 85 grams, the percent yield is (85 g / 100 g) * 100 = 85%.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
For yield that’s percent, think of what you get, compare it to the best, and see what's left unmet.
Stories
Imagine a baker trying to make 12 cupcakes but only bakes 10. The baker learns to check if the recipe went wrong, determining their 'percent yield' for next time.
Memory Tools
To remember the percent yield formula, use 'A/T' for Actual over Theoretical times 100.
Acronyms
Use 'YAP' - Yields Actual over Theoretical Percent, to recall how percent yield is calculated.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Percent Yield
The ratio of actual yield to theoretical yield, expressed as a percentage.
- Theoretical Yield
The maximum amount of product that can be produced from a chemical reaction based on the balanced equation.
- Actual Yield
The measured amount of product obtained from a chemical reaction.
- Limiting Reactant
The reactant that is completely consumed first in a reaction, determining the maximum yield of product.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.