Theoretical Yield Calculator
Calculate the maximum product mass a reaction can produce from the limiting reactant.
About Theoretical Yield Calculator
Theoretical yield assumes complete conversion with no losses, so it is an upper bound. A percent yield above 100 always indicates impurity or residual solvent rather than a genuinely better reaction. Percent yield is the standard measure of a preparation’s success and is the figure reported in every synthetic procedure.
Formula
Theoretical Yield
Theoretical yield = limiting moles × (product ÷ reactant coefficient) × product molar mass
- theoretical yield
- Maximum possible mass if the reaction went entirely to completion
Worked example
With the default values below, Theoretical Yield Calculator returns Theoretical Yield of 27.0225. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Moles of limiting reactantminimum 0 mol
- 1.5 mol
- Coefficient of the limiting reactantaccepts 1–20
- 2
- Coefficient of the productaccepts 1–20
- 2
- Molar mass of the productminimum 0 g/mol
- 18.015 g/mol
- Actual yield obtainedminimum 0 g
- 22 g
Results
- Theoretical Yield
- 27.0225 g
- Theoretical Moles of Product
- 1.500000 mol
- Percent Yield Achieved
- 81.414%
- Shortfall Against Theory
- 5.0225 g
- Verdict
- Good yield
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Theoretical Yield
- 3Theoretical Yield= 27.0225 g
- 4Theoretical Moles of Product= 1.500000 mol
- 5Percent Yield Achieved= 81.414
- 6Shortfall Against Theory= 5.0225 g
- 7Verdict= Good yield
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 6 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Theoretical Yield calculated?
Theoretical yield = limiting moles × (product ÷ reactant coefficient) × product molar mass Theoretical yield assumes complete conversion with no losses, so it is an upper bound. A percent yield above 100 always indicates impurity or residual solvent rather than a genuinely better reaction.
Why does Theoretical Yield matter?
Percent yield is the standard measure of a preparation’s success and is the figure reported in every synthetic procedure.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Moles of limiting reactant, Coefficient of the limiting reactant, Coefficient of the product, Molar mass of the product, Actual yield obtained. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.