Monday, February 8, 2010

Exploring Atom Recovery

In exploring the atom recovery link, I was disappointed.  I read, "Theoretical yield = (moles of limiting reagent)(stoichiometric ratio; desired product/limiting reagent)(MW of desired product)".  That was enough!  That's a language I don't speak and don't understand, and even worse: it's a mathematical equation.  And I've never been good at those.  The tables and the illustrations were simply frightening.  While I appreciate that good mathematicians and chemists might really get excited about working out atom recovery equations, I want to run far, far away.
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3 comments:

  1. katiephysicsFebruary 9, 2010 at 10:50 AM

    I agree! Felt the same way.

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  2. CynthiaFebruary 9, 2010 at 2:05 PM

    I agree Lisa. It was completely confusing. It took me 3 times before I gave in and looked on wikipedia for a more simple explanation :)

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  3. BeegirlFebruary 16, 2010 at 9:57 PM

    I usually dig geeky equations but the problem with them tends to be what you're pointing to--difficulty in translating the meaning of the equation into an accessible format for non-chemist readers.

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