1-why should the maximum percent yield never be above 100%?
More than 100% anything is not possible. If you have 5 oranges, what percentage of them can you eat? You can eat 1(1/5 = 20%), 2(2/5 = 40%), 3(60%), 4(80%), or 5(100%) BUT you can't eat 6 (greater than 100%) because you don't have 6 to eat. Right?
why should the maximum percent yield never be above 100%?
The maximum percent yield should never be above 100% because percent yield is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction. It represents the ratio of the actual yield (the amount of product obtained in an experiment) to the theoretical yield (the amount of product that would be obtained if the reaction went to completion, based on stoichiometry calculations).
A percent yield greater than 100% would imply that you obtained more product than is theoretically possible. This goes against the fundamental principles of chemistry and the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. It's not physically or chemically possible to obtain a yield greater than what is predicted by stoichiometry.
If the percent yield is greater than 100%, it suggests that there may have been errors in the experimental procedure or measurements, such as incomplete reaction or impurities in the product. It could also indicate that some other reaction occurred, leading to the presence of additional compounds that contribute to the observed yield.
To calculate percent yield, you need the actual yield (measured amount of product) and the theoretical yield (calculated amount based on stoichiometry). The formula for percent yield is:
Percent Yield = (Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield) x 100%.
If the actual yield is greater than the theoretical yield (leading to a percent yield greater than 100%), it indicates that there were errors or factors influencing the experiment. It is important to analyze and troubleshoot these errors to improve experimental techniques and obtain accurate results.