Percent Yield Calculator
Calculate percent yield from actual and theoretical yield of a reaction.
How It Works
Enter the actual yield (mass you obtained) and the theoretical yield (maximum possible mass). The calculator divides actual by theoretical and multiplies by 100 to give percent yield.
Formula
Examples
Actual 4.5 g, Theoretical 5.0 g → 90% yield | Actual 2.8 g, Theoretical 4.0 g → 70% yield
Frequently Asked Questions
What is percent yield?
Percent yield measures the efficiency of a chemical reaction: how much product you actually obtained versus the theoretical maximum. 100% yield is ideal but rarely achieved.
Can percent yield exceed 100%?
Percent yield should not exceed 100%. If it does, the product may be impure (contains water or other impurities), or the theoretical yield was calculated incorrectly.
What is a good percent yield?
In academic labs, 70-90% is considered good. Industrial processes may accept lower yields if the raw materials are cheap, or aim for 95%+ with optimized conditions.