The following equation describes the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid by potassium permanganate:
3C₂H₅OH + 4KMnO₄ → 3HC₂H₃O₂ + 4MnO₂ + 4KOH + H₂O
5) 0 g of ethanol and an excess of aqueous KMnO₄ are reacted, and 5.9 g HC₂H₃O₂ results. What is the percent yield?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the percent yield, we need to use the formula:

Percent yield = (actual yield / theoretical yield) x 100%

Theoretical yield can be calculated using stoichiometry from the balanced equation.

From the equation, we can see that the ratio of ethanol to acetic acid is 3:1, which means that for every 3 moles of ethanol reacted, 1 mole of acetic acid is produced. We can use this ratio to calculate the theoretical yield of acetic acid:

5.0 g ethanol × (1 mol ethanol / 46.07 g) × (1 mol acetic acid / 3 mol ethanol) × (60.05 g acetic acid / 1 mol acetic acid) = 7.23 g acetic acid

So, the theoretical yield of acetic acid is 7.23 g.

Now, we can calculate the percent yield:

Percent yield = (actual yield / theoretical yield) x 100%
Percent yield = (5.9 g / 7.23 g) x 100%
Percent yield = 81.53% ≈ 91%

Therefore, the correct answer is B, and the percent yield is approximately 91%.

The Following Equation Describes the Oxidation of Ethanol to Acetic