1. What is Atom Economy?

Atom Economy is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction. It calculates what percentage of the atoms from the reactants end up in the desired product, which is important for green chemistry and sustainable processes.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Atom Economy formula:

Where:

• \( \text{MW}_{\text{desired}} \) — Molecular weight of the desired product (g/mol)
• \( \sum \text{MW}_{\text{reactants}} \) — Sum of molecular weights of all reactants (g/mol)

Explanation: The equation compares the mass of atoms that are incorporated into the desired product to the total mass of atoms in all reactants.

3. Importance of Atom Economy

Details: High atom economy means less waste and more efficient use of resources. Reactions with 100% atom economy incorporate all reactant atoms into the desired product.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the molecular weight of your desired product and the sum of molecular weights of all reactants. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good atom economy percentage?
A: Ideally 100%, but in practice, values above 70% are considered good. Below 50% suggests room for improvement.

Q2: Does atom economy consider yield?
A: No, atom economy is theoretical and assumes perfect conversion. Actual efficiency also depends on reaction yield.

Q3: How is this different from reaction yield?
A: Yield measures how much product you actually get, while atom economy measures how efficiently atoms are used.

Q4: What reactions have 100% atom economy?
A: Addition reactions typically have 100% atom economy, while substitution or elimination reactions usually don't.

Q5: Can I use this for multi-step syntheses?
A: For multi-step reactions, calculate atom economy for each step or consider the overall transformation.