Question

Calculate the theoretical yield of grams of sodium acetate in the chemical equation: NaHCO3 + CH3COOH -> NaCH3COO + H2O + CO2

Answer 1

you need to know the masses of the reactants you start with in order to find a theoretical yield

Answer 2

It's 1 gram.

Answer 3

one gram of which reactant?

Answer 4

Both.

Answer 5

then this is a limiting reactant problem

Answer 6

you need to consider each reactant separately. Find the yield of sodium acetate using 1g of NaHCO3, then separately find the yield of sodium acetate using 1g of CH3COOH. One of those two will be less than the other. That's the theoretical yield

Answer 7

How would you go about setting up the equation to do that then?

Answer 8

just like you would a simple stoichiometry problem . i guarantee you've done a simple one before doing this more complicated one.

the question to solve is: how much sodium acetate can be made from 1g of NaHCO3?

Answer 9

So you would have to convert grams of NHCO3 to moles, to moles of C2H3NaO2, then to grams of C2H3NaO2?

Answer 10

yup

Answer 11

then do the same thing with 1g of CH3COOH and compare the amounts of CH3COONa that you get between both reactants. the lesser amount is the theoretical yield