Atom Economy
This lesson covers:
- What 'atom economy' is, and how to calculate it
- Why it's important for chemists to consider atom economy
- How to improve atom economy
What is the atom economy of a reaction?
The actual yield compared to the maximum theoretical yield
A measure of the proportion of starting materials that end up as useful products
The number of atoms that do not end up as useful products
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2H2O2 → 2H2O + O2
Calculate the atom economy when forming oxygen from hydrogen peroxide. Give your answer to 3.s.f.
(Ar of H is 1, Ar of O is 16)
%
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2Na + Cl2 ➔ 2NaCl
Without doing any calculations, what is the atom economy of the above reaction?
%
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Fe2O3 + 3CO ➔ 2Fe + 3CO2
Calculate the atom economy when forming carbon dioxide from iron (III) oxide and carbon monoxide. Give your answer to 3 s.f.
(Ar of Fe is 56, Ar of C is 12, Ar of O is 16)
%
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What are the problems with low atom economy?
(Select all that apply)
It will be less sustainable as it will use more resources
It gives a low percentage yield
The reaction will be slow
There will be more waste products which will have to be disposed of
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Ba(OH)2 + H2SO4 ➔ BaSO4 + 2H2O
Calculate the atom economy when making barium sulfate from barium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. Give your answer to 3.s.f.
(You may need a periodic table)
%
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Identify 3 other factors, besides atom economy, that should be considered when choosing between two different methods of producing a useful product.
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