Atom Economy Calculator
Shows how much of the starting mass ends up in the product you want.
Atom economy
— %
Share sends a link that reopens these numbers. Copy details pastes the full breakdown as a list.
Total mass of reactants — g/mol
Mass of wanted product — g/mol
Mass of other products — g/mol
Reading this —
The formula
atom economy = (coefficient × molar mass of wanted product) ÷ Σ (coefficient × molar mass of reactants) × 100
The share of the reactants’ mass that could end up in the wanted product.
What to watch out for
The default values are CaCO₃ → CaO + CO₂, with calcium oxide as the wanted product. A reaction with one product has an atom economy of 100%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the atom economy of making calcium oxide from calcium carbonate?
56.0%, since the carbon dioxide counts as waste unless it has a use.
Is atom economy the same as percent yield?
No. A reaction can have a high yield and a poor atom economy if it always makes a large by-product.