The Percentage Yield

Percentage yield is a concept used in chemistry to compare the amount of product actually obtained from a reaction (actual yield) to the maximum amount of product that could possibly be created (theoretical yield).
It’s expressed as a percentage, giving a straightforward measure of the efficiency of a reaction.
It’s calculated using the formula: (actual yield / theoretical yield) x 100%.
The actual yield is the amount of product you actually get from a reaction. This can be less than the theoretical yield due to various possible losses during the experimental process.
The theoretical yield is the maximum possible amount of product that can be created from a given amount of reactant. It’s calculated based on the balanced equation for the reaction.
A high percentage yield indicates a successful and efficient reaction, where few reactants are wasted. A low percentage yield suggests inefficiencies in the reaction.
Real life conditions such as side reactions, incomplete reactions, or losses during purification often mean that the actual yield is lower than the theoretical yield, hence percentage yield is usually less than 100%.
Understanding of percentage yield can help in optimizing chemical reactions, reducing waste and costs, and increasing sustainability.
In an industrial context, it’s important to maximize percentage yield in order to make the process economically viable.
In some cases, it’s also important to consider atom economy – a related concept that considers the efficiency of use of all atoms in the reactants.
Working safely in labs and being precise with measurements can maximize the percentage yield.