What is the Difference Between Atom Economy and Percentage Yield?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between atom economy and percentage yield lies in their definitions and how they are calculated. Here are the key differences:
- Atom Economy:
- Measures the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how much of the reactants are converted into desired products.
- Calculated using the relative molecular masses of reactants and products.
- A higher atom economy indicates a less wasteful and more environmentally friendly reaction.
- Assumes a 100% yield for all the products involved.
- Factors in the amount of side products created in a reaction, which can affect the atom economy.
- Percentage Yield:
- Measures the effectiveness of a reaction, showing how much of the reactants have been successfully converted into products.
- Calculated using the masses of a product and its theoretically possible mass.
- Represents the actual yield obtained from a chemical synthesis reaction with respect to the theoretical yield.
- An experimental value calculated based on obtained results.
In summary, atom economy focuses on the efficiency of a reaction in terms of resource usage and waste, while percentage yield measures the effectiveness of a reaction in terms of how much product is actually produced. Both are important factors to consider when assessing the efficiency and practicality of chemical reactions, as they provide insights into the environmental impact and cost-effectiveness of a process.
Comparative Table: Atom Economy vs Percentage Yield
Atom economy and percentage yield are two different ways to measure the efficiency of a chemical reaction. Here is a table comparing the key differences between the two:
| Atom Economy | Percentage Yield |
|---|---|
| Theoretical value, calculated using the ratio of the mass of desired product to the total mass of reactants. | Experimental value, calculated using the ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield and multiplied by 100. |
| Measures the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how many atoms of reactants are used to form the desired product. | Measures the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how much product is obtained compared to the maximum possible yield. |
| Takes into account the atoms in reactants compared to atoms in useful products. | Takes into account the actual yield obtained in an experiment compared to the theoretical yield. |
| Can be calculated using the equation: $$Percentage\ Atom\ Economy = \frac{Mass\ of\ Desired\ Product}{Total\ Mass\ of\ Reactants} \times 100$$. | Can be calculated using the equation: $$Percentage\ Yield = \frac{Actual\ Yield}{Theoretical\ Yield} \times 100$$. |
| Values are theoretical and have no link to experimental measurements. | Values are experimental and can be affected by practical methods and how a reaction is carried out. |
In summary, atom economy measures the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how many atoms of reactants are used to form the desired product, while percentage yield measures the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how much product is obtained compared to the maximum possible yield. Both concepts are important for understanding the efficiency and sustainability of chemical reactions.
- Percent Yield vs Percent Recovery
- Theoretical Yield vs Actual Yield
- Mass Percent vs Percent Composition
- Atom vs Compound
- Atom vs Molecule
- Yield vs Return
- Yield vs Coupon
- Percent vs Percentage
- Cell vs Atom
- Molecule vs Atom
- Current Yield vs Yield to Maturity
- Dividend vs Dividend Yield
- Atomic Mass vs Average Atomic Mass
- Percentile vs Percentage
- Mole Fraction vs Weight Percent
- Yield to Maturity vs Coupon Rate
- Atoms vs Elements
- Atomic Weight vs Atomic Mass
- Atomic Number vs Atomicity