Question

1. You will be using 1.4 grams of salicylic acid to make aspirin. Salicylic acid is the limiting reagent and one mole of salicylic acid makes one mole of aspirin. Calculate the theoretical yield of aspirin from this week's experiment (i.e. calculate the number of grams of aspirin produced from 1.4 grams of salicylic acid).

Answer 1

salicylic acid + Acetic anhydride ------> aspirin

this is the balanced equation

from this it is clear that one mole of salicylic will give one mole asprin

no of moles of Salicylic acid = weight of salicylic / molar mass of salysicilic acid

= 1.4 g / 138.12 g /mol

= 0.0101 mole

one mole of salicylic acid is giveing on emole of Asprin means

0.0101 mole of salicylic acid will give 0.0101 mole Asprin

now use the formula

moles = weight of Asprin / molar mass Asprin

0.0101 = weight Asprin / 180.1574 g/mol

weight of Asprin = 0.0101 mol x 180.1574 g /mol

= 1.83 grams theritical yield