Atom Economy Calculator

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter the molecular weight of your reactant(s) in the "Reactant Molecular Weight" field. If multiple reactants are used, their weights should be combined.
2. Enter the molecular weight of your desired product in the "Desired Product Molecular Weight" field.
3. If the reaction produces byproducts, enter their molecular weight in the "Unwanted Byproduct Molecular Weight" field.
4. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the atom economy.
5. The calculator will display the total reactant weight, atom economy percentage, and an interpretation of the result.

Understanding Atom Economy

Atom economy is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction in terms of atom utilization. It is calculated as:

Atom Economy = (MW of Desired Product / MW of Total Reactants) × 100%

A higher atom economy indicates a more efficient reaction where more reactant atoms are incorporated into the desired product. The theoretical maximum atom economy is 100%, which occurs when all reactant atoms end up in the desired product with no byproducts.

Practical Applications

• Assessing the environmental impact of chemical processes
• Comparing different synthetic routes for the same product
• Identifying areas for process optimization
• Teaching fundamental green chemistry principles

Example Calculation

For the reaction:

C₃H₈ + 5O₂ → 3CO₂ + 4H₂O

With molecular weights:

• Reactant (Propane): 44.10 g/mol
• Product (Carbon Dioxide): 44.01 g/mol
• Byproduct (Water): 18.02 g/mol

The calculation would be:

Atom Economy = (44.01 / (44.10 + 18.02)) × 100% = 84.8%