Final answer:
The reaction is the synthesis of aspirin. The theoretical yield can be calculated using stoichiometry and molar masses. The actual yield can be used to calculate the percent yield.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reaction given in the question is the synthesis of aspirin. The equation for the reaction is:
salicylic acid + acetic anhydride → acetylsalicylic acid
To calculate the theoretical yield of aspirin, we need the balanced equation along with the molar masses of the reactants and products. From the equation, we can see that 1 mole of salicylic acid reacts with 1 mole of acetic anhydride to produce 1 mole of acetylsalicylic acid. So, we calculate the moles of salicylic acid used and convert it to grams to find the theoretical yield of aspirin.
Actual yield refers to the amount of aspirin that is obtained in the reaction. In the given question, the actual yield of aspirin is given as 12.03 g. The percent yield can be calculated by dividing the actual yield by the theoretical yield and multiplying by 100.