Atom Economy Flashcards

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What is atom economy in a chemical reaction?

Atom economy is a measure of how many of the atoms in the reactants end up in the desired product.

How do you calculate atom economy?

Atom economy = (Mr of desired product ÷ total Mr of all products) × 100%.

In atom economy, what is meant by the desired product?

The desired product is the main chemical we want to make, not the waste or by-products.

What does a high atom economy tell you about a reaction?

A high atom economy means most of the atoms from the reactants end up in the desired product, so there is little waste.

What is the highest possible atom economy and what does it mean?

The highest possible atom economy is 100%. It means all the atoms in the reactants become the desired product, with no waste products.

If a reaction makes a lot of unwanted by-products, is its atom economy high or low?

It has a low atom economy, because many of the atoms form waste instead of the desired product.

Why is a high atom economy good for the environment?

A high atom economy is good for the environment because it makes less chemical waste and uses raw materials more efficiently.

Why is a high atom economy useful for industry and cost?

High atom economy means more useful product and less waste to treat, so the process can be cheaper and more efficient.

Does atom economy depend on the balanced equation or on the actual yield?

Atom economy depends only on the balanced symbol equation and Mr values, not on the actual yield made in the experiment.

What is the key difference between atom economy and percentage yield?

Atom economy shows how well atoms are used to make the desired product, while percentage yield compares how much product you actually get to the maximum you could get.

Revision Notes
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