Calculating Percent Yield in Moles: Is It Different?

[ilovecats]

Is calculating the percent yield in moles different than calculating the percent yield in mass?

I know that to calculate the percent yield in mass, you divide the actual over the theoretical and multiply by 100.

There happens to be a side note in my homework saying that percent yiled can also be calculated by dividing the actual yield in moles by the theoretical yield in moles. Does that mean *without* multiplying it by 100?

 

[symbolipoint]

You can determine the amount of yield in any sensible way that you need. You can choose mole fraction, mole percent, mass fraction, or mass percent. Manage the units and arithmetic fittingly.

 

[Blueshift5]

Calculating the percent yield in moles is different from calculating the percent yield in mass. While both methods involve comparing the actual yield to the theoretical yield, the units used are different. Percent yield in mass is calculated by dividing the actual mass by the theoretical mass and multiplying by 100. On the other hand, percent yield in moles is calculated by dividing the actual number of moles by the theoretical number of moles, without multiplying by 100.

The reason for this difference is that mass and moles are two different ways of measuring the amount of a substance. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while moles are a measure of the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in a substance. Therefore, when calculating percent yield in moles, we are comparing the number of particles produced to the number of particles that should have been produced according to the theoretical yield.

It is important to note that both methods are valid and can be used depending on the situation. If you are interested in knowing the percentage of the actual amount of product obtained compared to the theoretical amount in terms of mass, then percent yield in mass is the appropriate calculation. However, if you want to know the efficiency of the reaction in terms of the number of particles produced, then percent yield in moles is the more relevant calculation.

In conclusion, while both methods involve calculating the percent yield, the units used and the underlying concept are different. it is important to understand the difference and use the appropriate method depending on the context of the experiment.