Enter your Limiting Reagent Mass, Molecular Weights, and Stoichiometric Coefficients for both reagent and product into this Theoretical Yield Calculator, and it will calculate your Theoretical Yield in grams and moles, along with Limiting Reagent Moles — plus Percent Yield if you plug in your Actual Yield.
Theoretical Yield
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Theoretical Yield (Moles)
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Limiting Reagent Moles
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Percent Yield
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Theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that can be formed in a chemical reaction, calculated from stoichiometry and the limiting reagent. It assumes 100% conversion with no side reactions or losses.
Calculate moles of limiting reagent by dividing its mass by molecular weight. Use stoichiometric ratios to find moles of product, then multiply by product molecular weight to get theoretical yield mass.
The limiting reactant is the reagent that is completely consumed first in a reaction. Compare the mole ratios of all reactants to the balanced equation to identify which runs out first.
No, the limiting reactant determines the theoretical yield. The theoretical yield is the amount of product formed, while the limiting reactant is the starting material that gets consumed first.
Theoretical yield depends on the balanced chemical equation, stoichiometric coefficients, molecular weights of reactants and products, and the amount of limiting reagent available.
Actual yield is typically lower due to incomplete reactions, side reactions, product losses during isolation and purification, measurement errors, and non-ideal reaction conditions.
Percent yield = (Actual Yield ÷ Theoretical Yield) × 100%. This measures the efficiency of your reaction and how close you came to the maximum possible product formation.