orgostudent Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I am trying to find the theoretical yield and percent yield in nitrotoluene. The question: Exactly 4.0 mL of toluene (density = 0.87 g/mL) were reacted with excess nitric acid in the presence of excess sulfuric acid, and 3.6 g of nitrotoluene were obtained. So I started with the balanced equation: C7H8 + HNO3 --> C7H7NO2 + H2O Then I calculated the grams of toluene: 4.0mL * 0.87g/mL = 3.48g C7H8 Then I calculated the moles of toluene: 3.48g * 1 mole/92.138g = 0.038 mole C7H8 Then I calculated the moles of nitrotoluene: 3.6g * 1 mole/137.136g = 0.026 mole C7H7NO2 This equation is a 1:1 ratio so I can't multiply by anything, so trying to find the limiting reactant is throwing me off especially since I don't know how much nitric acid is being used. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi for All Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 ! Moderator Note One thread per topic, please. Also, one account per user. If this is two users in the same class using the same computer, please acknowledge or we'll need to delete one of the accounts. Thanks for understanding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi for All Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 ! Moderator Note Please see this thread on the same question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts