Atom Economy Calculator
Calculate atom economy: AE = (MW desired product / sum of MW all products) x 100.
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Enter the molar mass of the desired product and the sum of molar masses of all products (including byproducts). The calculator divides the desired product mass by the total and multiplies by 100.
About the Atom Economy Calculator
Atom economy is a key concept in green chemistry, introduced by Barry Trost in 1991. It evaluates the efficiency of a reaction by considering what fraction of the total product mass is the useful product. Reactions with high atom economy produce less waste and are more sustainable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is atom economy?
Atom economy measures what percentage of the total mass of all products is the desired product. It is a green chemistry metric that evaluates how efficiently a reaction uses its atoms. Higher atom economy means less waste.
How is atom economy different from percent yield?
Atom economy is theoretical and based on the balanced equation. Percent yield is experimental and measures how much product you actually obtained. A reaction can have 100% atom economy but low percent yield, or vice versa.
What is considered good atom economy?
Addition reactions typically have 100% atom economy because all atoms end up in one product. Substitution and elimination reactions often have lower atom economy because they produce byproducts. In green chemistry, higher atom economy is always preferred.