A student prepares a sample of zinc sulfate crystals by reacting zinc carbonate with dilute sulfuric acid. The student's calculated theoretical yield was 12.5 g, but they only obtained an actual yield of 9.1 g, giving a percentage yield of 72.8%.
Give two reasons why the actual yield in a practical chemical preparation like this is usually less than the theoretical yield.
Practise Edexcel GCSE Chemistry Quantitative analysis with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 100 questions, matched to the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.