Question

If your percent yield of copper were greater than 100%, what are two plausible errors you may have made?

a) Overestimated reactant amounts, underestimated product mass.
b) Used impure reactants, measured product incorrectly.
c) Ignored reaction conditions, miscalculated percent yield.
d) Followed proper procedures, no errors possible.

Answer 1

Typically, percent yields are less than 100% but can be greater if the measured product contains impurities. Two possible errors that could lead to a percent yield greater than 100% are using impure reactants or measuring the product incorrectly.

Step-by-step explanation:

Typically, percent yields are understandably less than 100% because of the reasons indicated earlier. However, percent yields greater than 100% are possible if the measured product of the reaction contains impurities that cause its mass to be greater than it actually would be if the product was pure. When a chemist synthesizes a desired chemical, he or she is always careful to purify the products of the reaction. Two plausible errors that could lead to a percent yield greater than 100% are using impure reactants or measuring the product incorrectly.