Final answer:
The actual yield is the amount of product obtained after drying and is typically less than the theoretical yield due to various factors. It is crucial for calculating the percent yield, which measures the efficiency of the reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of product obtained in the laboratory once the sample is dried is referred to as the actual yield. This is measured after the completion of the experimental procedures, such as centrifugation and evaporation, and once the residuum has been reconstituted if necessary.
It is important to differentiate between theoretical yield, which is the calculated maximum amount of product that could be generated from the given amounts of reactants according to stoichiometry, and the actual yield, which is often less due to various practical factors such as incomplete reactions, side reactions, and losses during product transfer or purification.
For example, after doing all the operations including drying, if a chemist weighs the solid product and obtains 7.98 grams when the theoretical yield was calculated to be 8.044 grams, this measurement represents the actual yield. The difference between the theoretical and actual yields is often used to calculate the percent yield, which is a measure of the efficiency of the reaction. The percent yield is calculated using the formula: (actual yield)/(theoretical yield) 100. Therefore, in our example, the percent yield would be (7.98 grams / 8.044 grams) 100, which equals approximately 99.20%.