Question

if you were to react 14.00 grams of salicylic acid with 8.50 grams of acetic anhydride, what would your theoretical yield be?


the reaction is
C7H6O3+C4H6O3--> C9H8O4 + C2H4O2

assuming 1:1 ratio.

Answer 1

Convert 14 g salicylic acid to moles. Moles = grams/molar mass.
Convert 8.5 g acetic anhydride to moles the same way.
Since this is a 1:1 ratio, the moles of salicylic acid will be the same as the moles of aspirin produced.
Next, since this is a 1:1 ratio, the moles of acetic anhydride will be the same as the moles of aspirin produced.
Obviously, both moles of aspirin (different numbers) can't be right.
The smaller number will be tell you which is the limiting reagent and that will be the number of moles of aspirin produced. Then multiply moles aspirin by molar mass aspirin to obtain grams aspirin.