Question

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) reacts with isopentyl alcohol (C5H12O) to yield the ester isopentyl acetate which has the odour of bananas. If the yield from the reaction is 45%, how many grams of isopentyl acetate are formed when 3.90 g of acetic acid and 6.28 grams of isopentyl alcohol are reacted?

CH3COOH + C5H12O → C7H14O2 + H2O

I was wondering do i have to do anything with the 45%?

Answer 1

Yes. This is a limiting reagent problem and we know that because amounts for BOTH reactants are given. Determine the limiting reagent. work out the theoretical yield (the amount of product you SHOULD obtain), then multiply that by 0.45 for the amount actually obtained.

Answer 2

I found the limiting reactant. What numbers do i use to calculate the theoretical yield?

Answer 3

I use one of the reagents (ignore the second) and solve for moles of the product. Then I use the second reagent (ignore the first) and solve for moles of the product. Of course this gives you two different values for the product and both can't be correct; the correct one in limiting regent problems is ALWAYS the smaller one. However, since you've already determined the limiting reagent, use that reagent and the number of grams, convert to moles, then convert to moles of the product. That will be the theoretical yield, in moles. Convert moles to grams, then multiply by 0.45. That will give you the actual yield.

Answer 4

how do i convert the reagent and the number of grams into moles?