Percent Yield Formula:
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Percent yield is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction or process. It compares the actual amount of product obtained (actual yield) to the maximum possible amount that could be produced (theoretical yield) under ideal conditions.
The calculator uses the percent yield formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates what percentage of the theoretically possible product was actually obtained in the reaction.
Details: Percent yield is crucial for evaluating reaction efficiency, optimizing processes, calculating economic viability, and identifying potential issues in chemical synthesis. High percent yields indicate efficient reactions with minimal waste.
Tips: Enter both actual and theoretical yields in grams. Both values must be positive numbers. The calculator will compute the percentage efficiency of the reaction.
Q1: What is considered a good percent yield?
A: In organic chemistry, yields of 90% or higher are excellent, 80-90% are very good, and 70-80% are good. However, this varies by reaction type and complexity.
Q2: Why might percent yield be less than 100%?
A: Common reasons include incomplete reactions, side reactions, loss during purification, measurement errors, and experimental technique limitations.
Q3: Can percent yield exceed 100%?
A: While theoretically impossible, yields over 100% can occur due to impurities in the product, incomplete drying, or errors in theoretical yield calculation.
Q4: How does percent yield differ from atom economy?
A: Percent yield measures experimental efficiency, while atom economy evaluates how many reactant atoms end up in the desired product, assessing theoretical efficiency.
Q5: How can I improve percent yield in reactions?
A: Optimize reaction conditions (temperature, time, catalyst), use pure reactants, minimize side reactions, and improve purification techniques to reduce product loss.