Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is synthesized from salicylic acid and acetic anh

Question

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is synthesized from salicylic acid and acetic anhydride according to

the following equation:

C7H6O3     +  C4H6O3     = C9H8O4    +   C2H4O2

sali cylic acid ac eti c an hydride aspirin aceti c ac id

Reactions involving organic chemicals often do not give stoichiometric amounts of products

because of competing reactions and incomplete reaction.  Thus the experimental yield is

seldom above 90% of the theoretical amount and is usually lower than 90%.

If 25 g of acetic anhydride had been used in the reaction above, which reagent would have been

limiting and what would the theoretical yield of aspirin have been?

Explanation / Answer

(25g acetic anhydride)(1/102.088 mol/g acetic anhydride)(1mol aspirin/1mol acetic anhydride)(180g Asp/1mol asp) =44.08 grams of aspirin

To find limiting reagant calculate yield of aspirin from salicylic acid also. You didn't provide the grams of salicylic acid used but its the same as above. just multiply the grams used . divide by 138. multiply by 180.

whichever of the two answers gives the least amount of grams of aspirin is the limiting reagant

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