Atom economy
Atom economy
Formula
Atom economy (%) = (Mr of desired product / ΣMr of all reactants) × 100
Real World
The industrial production of ethanol by fermentation (C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH + 2CO₂) has a low atom economy because CO₂ is a wasted by-product, unlike direct hydration of ethene.
Exam Focus
Use Mr values from the balanced equation, not masses actually used — atom economy is a property of the reaction, not the experiment.
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