Acetic acid (CH3CO2H) reacts with isopentyl alcohol (C5H12O) to yield isopentyl acetate (C7H14O2), a fragrant substance with the odor of bananas. If the yield from the reaction of acetic acid with isopentyl alcohol is 45%, how many grams of isopentyl acetate are formed from 3.58 g of acetic acid and 4.75 g of isopentyl alcohol? The reaction is CH3CO2H + C5H12O ---> C7H14O2 + H2O

Verified step by step guidance

1. insert step 1> Determine the molar masses of acetic acid (CH3CO2H), isopentyl alcohol (C5H12O), and isopentyl acetate (C7H14O2) using the periodic table.
2. insert step 2> Convert the given masses of acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol to moles by dividing by their respective molar masses.
3. insert step 3> Identify the limiting reactant by comparing the mole ratio of the reactants to the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation.
4. insert step 4> Calculate the theoretical yield of isopentyl acetate in moles based on the limiting reactant, using the stoichiometry of the reaction.
5. insert step 5> Convert the theoretical yield in moles to grams using the molar mass of isopentyl acetate, and then multiply by the percent yield (45%) to find the actual yield in grams.

Key Concepts

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions based on the balanced chemical equation. It involves using mole ratios derived from the coefficients of the balanced equation to determine how much of each substance is consumed or produced. In this case, understanding the stoichiometric relationships between acetic acid, isopentyl alcohol, and isopentyl acetate is essential for calculating the theoretical yield.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is crucial for converting between grams and moles, allowing for the determination of how many moles of reactants are present in a given mass. In this problem, calculating the molar masses of acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol is necessary to find the number of moles available for the reaction.

Percent Yield

Percent yield is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction, calculated by dividing the actual yield of a product by the theoretical yield and multiplying by 100. It indicates how much of the expected product was actually obtained from the reaction. In this scenario, the given percent yield of 45% will be used to determine the actual amount of isopentyl acetate produced from the theoretical yield calculated from the stoichiometry.