⚖️ Molar Master Level 3 · SL+HL · NEW 2025

🎯 Reaction Setup
⚗️ Reaction
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🧮 Your Calculation
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Atom Economy

  • Atom economy = (Mr of desired product / total Mr of all products) × 100%
  • It measures how efficiently atoms from reactants end up in the desired product
  • Addition reactions have 100% atom economy (all atoms → one product)
  • Substitution and elimination reactions produce by-products → lower atom economy
  • Different from % yield: atom economy is theoretical (from equation), yield is experimental

Green Chemistry Connection

  • Principle 2 of Green Chemistry: maximize atom economy to minimize waste
  • High atom economy reduces cost, waste disposal, and environmental impact
  • Industry prefers catalytic reactions (rearrangements, additions) over stoichiometric substitutions
  • Example: making ethanol by addition of H₂O to ethene (100% AE) vs fermentation (produces CO₂ waste)
  • NEW in 2025 syllabus: students must connect atom economy to sustainability

IB Exam Strategies

  • Step 1: Write balanced equation
  • Step 2: Calculate Mr of desired product (considering stoichiometric coefficients)
  • Step 3: Calculate total Mr of ALL products (including by-products)
  • Step 4: AE = Mr(desired) / Mr(all products) × 100
  • Common trap: don't forget to multiply Mr by stoichiometric coefficients!
  • AE vs Yield: atom economy tells you about waste DESIGN; yield tells you about efficiency of execution