Percent yield is the ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield, expressed as a percentage. It measures the efficiency of a chemical reaction.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Percent yield is calculated using the formula: $\text{Percent Yield} = \left( \frac{\text{Actual Yield}}{\text{Theoretical Yield}} \right) \times 100$.
Actual yield is the amount of product actually obtained from a reaction.
Theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that could be formed from given reactants, based on stoichiometric calculations.
Percent yield can never exceed 100% because it would indicate more product was obtained than theoretically possible, suggesting an error or contamination.
A low percent yield may indicate incomplete reactions, side reactions, or loss of product during recovery.