By Alliyah Beltran
In chemical reactions, there are specific factors such as limiting reagents, percent yield, theoretical yield, and actual yield. The limiting reagent – or component, of a balanced chemical formula, is the reactant which confines the amount of product – or yield, that may be formed.
The limiting reagent can be found by multiplying the necessary ratios obtained from the chemical reaction. In chemistry, the limiting reactant is whatever chemical has the least number of moles. The leftover reactants are referred to as the excess reactants. They are left after the limiting reagent is used completely.
The limiting component gives the smallest yield of product calculated from the reagents that are given in a chemical reaction. The smallest yield which is estimated from the given chemical expression is referred to as the theoretical yield. It is also the maximum amount of product that can be produced. Finding the limiting reagent or theoretical yield are examples of stoichiometric calculations.
Stoichiometry is when one uses a balanced chemical equation to calculate amounts of reactants and products; it is a vital method to use when calculating limiting reactants or theoretical yield. It is also crucial when the equation is balanced, for if it is not, then the mole ratios will be incorrect as well as the final solution.
There are specific numbers called “stoichiometric coefficients.” These coefficients are the numbers used to make sure the chemical equation is balanced. Ratios can be made with the stoichiometric coefficients, and the ratios will convey the relative proportions of the chemicals in the equation. This may be referred to as the mole ratio or the stoichiometric ratio. Mole ratios can be used to convert quantities. They may be converted to molecules, grams, litres, or moles.
The actual yield is already calculated in grams in the laboratory, and it was usually given beforehand when searching for the percent yield. The actual yield can change based on factors such as the stability of reactants and products, or the purity of the chemicals used. The percent yield of a chemical reaction is the percent of the product formed based upon theoretical and actual yield. It expresses the percentage of the theoretical yield obtained from the initial chemical formula.
To calculate the percent yield, the actual yield must be divided by the theoretical yield, then the quotient is multiplied by 100%. The percent yield must range from zero to 100, for it is a percentage.