An industrial chemist synthesises a sample of hydrated zinc sulfate crystals, ZnSO4⋅7H2O\text{ZnSO}_4 \cdot 7\text{H}_2\text{O}ZnSO4⋅7H2O, by reacting excess zinc carbonate with dilute sulfuric acid.
After filtration, crystallisation, and drying, the mass of the pure crystals obtained is significantly lower than the theoretical maximum mass calculated from the limiting reactant.
Give two distinct practical reasons why the percentage yield of these dry crystals is less than 100%.
258 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry Calculations involving masses. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.