Question

Explain what is wrong with the statement “My percent recovery was 85%. This means that the crude sample contained 15% impurities.”

Answer 1

If the percent recovery is 85 %, then does not mean that the crude sample contained 15 % impurities. Because there can be a error in your process or performance.

There are two types of error:

Random error due to lack of precison and are indertemined errors

And systematic errors i.e. determinate , caused due to the error in procedure or instrument.

SO, even if we have 100 % pure crude product even than the recovery will be less due to these two kind of errors.