Question

The theoretical yield of a reaction is the amount of product obtained if the limiting reactant is completely converted to product.

Consider the reaction:
P2O5(s) + 3 H2O(l) → 2 H3PO4(aq)
If 11.61 g P2O5 is mixed with 13.20 g H2O, calculate the theoretical yield (g) of H3PO4 produced by the reaction.

Answer 1

The theoretical yield of H3PO4 produced by the reaction is 16.106 g.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theoretical yield of a reaction is the maximum amount of product that can be formed from the reactants in a chemical reaction. It is calculated based on the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. To calculate the theoretical yield, we need to identify the limiting reactant, which is the reactant that is completely consumed and determines the amount of product that can be formed. In this case, the reactant that is present in the least amount is the limiting reactant.

Let's calculate the moles of P2O5 and H2O:

1. Moles of P2O5 = mass of P2O5 / molar mass of P2O5 = 11.61 g / 141.94 g/mol = 0.082 moles
2. Moles of H2O = mass of H2O / molar mass of H2O = 13.20 g / 18.015 g/mol = 0.733 moles

According to the balanced chemical equation, the stoichiometric ratio between P2O5 and H3PO4 is 1:2. Therefore, the theoretical yield of H3PO4 can be calculated as follows:

Theoretical yield of H3PO4 = moles of limiting reactant (P2O5) * (2 moles of H3PO4 / 1 mole of P2O5) * molar mass of H3PO4 = 0.082 moles * (2 * 98.00 g/mol) = 16.106 g

Therefore, the theoretical yield of H3PO4 produced by the reaction is 16.106 g.