Synthesis of Aspirin
...9g C4H6O3)*(1mol C9H8O4 / 1mol C4H6O3) = 0.053 mol C9H8O4 Theoretical Moles of Product Produced from C7H6O3- (3.89g C7H6O3)*(1mol C7H6O3 / 138.12g C7H6O3)*(1mol C9H8O4 / 1mol C7H6O3) = 0.0282 mol C9H8O4 Because of these two answers we can see that the salicylic acid (C7H6O3) is the limiting reagent, producing the least product. Now, using the amount of product produced by the salicylic acid as the theoretical yield, I will calculate the percent yield by dividing it into the actual yield that I measured. Before I make this calculation I will convert the theoretical moles of acetylsalicylic acid to grams. (0.0282 mol C9H8O4)*(180.15g C9H8O4 / 1mol C9H8O4) = 5.08g C9H8O4 % yield = (3.25g / 5.08g)*(100) = 64.0 % Error Analysis: Theoretical yield is the amount of product produced if all of the limiting reagents reacted and everything goes perfectly. Actual yield is the amount of the product I produced myself in the lab, which is always less than the theoretical yield. Some of the product was still in solution and was lost when the precipitate was aspirated from the solution. Also, getting the product out of the aspirator cup without loosing any proved tricky, and some was possibly lost in the cup. Also, getting all the precipitate out of the flask could be an area where some products was lost. Of course measurement error always exists and could be a factor. Conclusion: By combining salicylic acid with acetic anhydride, and then acetic acid, we created a precipitate of acetylsalicylic ...