Question

I have a buddy who recycles electronics, and isolates metals from the connector pins electrical boards. He isolates gold, for example, and purifies it the best he can, then sells it along with his other scrap metal. This last go around he was able to isolate 3.00 g of Au with a process he claims results in a 80.0% yield. If he is correct, what is his theoretical yield? In other words, he got 3.00 g, but what should he have been able to get?

Answer 1

In the process to isolate gold that has a 80 percent yield, a 3.00 g of Au is being isolated.

That is, the actual yield of Au is 3. 00 g

Therefore, we need to find the theoretical yield.

As we know,

`$\text{percent yield}=\frac{\text{actual yield}}{\text{theoretical yield}} * 100$`

`$\text{theoretical yield}=\frac{\text{actual yield}}{\text{present yield}} * 100$`

As actual yield = 3.00 g

percent yield = 80 %

So, theoretical yield =
`$(3.00)/(80) * 100$`

= 3.75 g

Thus he should be able to get 3.75 g which is the theoretical yield of Au.