Key Terms

Actual yield The amount of a specified pure product actually obtained from a given reaction. Compare with Theoretical yield.

Chemical equation Description of a chemical reaction by placing the formulas of reactants on the left and the formulas of products on the right of an arrow. A chemical equation must be balanced; that is, it must have the same number of each kind of atom on both sides.

Concentration The amount of solute per unit volume or mass of solvent or of solution.

Dilution The process of reducing the concentration of a solute in solution, usually simply by adding more solvent.

Limiting reactant A substance that stoichiometrically limits the amount of product(s) that can be formed.

Molarity (M) The number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

Percent by mass 100% multiplied by the mass of a solute divided by the mass of the solution in which it is contained.

Percent yield 100% times actual yield divided by theoretical yield.

Products Substances produced in a chemical reaction.

Reactants Substances consumed in a chemical reaction.

Reaction ratio The relative amounts of reactants and products involved in a reaction; may be the ratio of moles, or masses.

Reaction stoichiometry Description of the quantitative relationships among substances as they participate in chemical reactions.

Sequential reaction A chemical process in which several reaction steps are required to convert starting materials into products.

Solute The dispersed (dissolved) phase of a solution.

Solution A homogeneous mixture of two or more substances.

Solvent The dispersing medium of a solution.

Stoichiometry Description of the quantitative relationships among elements and compounds as they undergo chemical changes.

Theoretical yield The maximum amount of a specified product that could be obtained from specified amounts of reactants, assuming complete consumption of the limiting reactant according to only one reaction and complete recovery of the product. Compare with Actual yield.