At least one plausible explanation for why a student might achieve more
than 100% yield in the titration of aspirin tablets.
There are a few possible explanations for why a student might achieve more than 100% yield in the titration of aspirin tablets:
1. Contamination: If the equipment used in the titration was not properly cleaned or rinsed before the experiment, there could have been some residual material left in the equipment that reacted with the aspirin tablets. This could result in a higher amount of product being measured than actually present.
2. Incomplete reaction: The reaction between the aspirin tablets and the titrant may not have reached completion. This could be due to factors such as insufficient mixing or reaction time. If the reaction is incomplete, it may appear as though there is more product than there actually is.
3. Experimental errors: Errors during the titration process, such as incorrect measurements or misjudgment of color change indicators, can lead to inaccurate results. These errors could contribute to a higher measured yield than expected.
4. Impurities in the sample: The aspirin tablets used in the titration could contain impurities or additional compounds that react with the titrant. These impurities could contribute to an overestimation of the yield.
It is important to note that achieving more than 100% yield in a titration is generally not possible in a theoretically perfect experiment. Therefore, if a student does achieve more than 100% yield, it is likely that one or more of the above explanations are contributing to the discrepancy.