Question

If the iron powder you employed in the experiment during the lab was originally contaminated with small quantity of a Fe2+ salt (FeSO4), the percent (%) yield of copper metal produced should be: Notes: Remember you added an excess of CuSO4 solution in the process. Consider no further oxidation of the Fe2+ salt.

a) Lower than the expected

b) The same as the expected

c)Higher than the expected

Answer 1

a) lower than the expected

Explanation

Fe²⁺ will not not further oxidize, so possiblity of formation of metallic copper from the reaction between FeSO4 and CuSO4. So, actual yield will be reduced and the percentage yield of metallic copper will be lower than the expected.

Percent yield = (Actual yield/Theoretical yield) ×100

Theoretical yield is calculated quantity of product to be be produced based balanced chemical equation and no of moles of reactants.