percent yield of 36 g of magnesium chloride 42.1 g

To calculate the percent yield of a reaction, you need to compare the actual yield (in this case, 36 g of magnesium chloride) to the theoretical yield. The theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that can be formed based on the stoichiometry of the reaction.

To determine the theoretical yield, you need to balance the chemical equation for the reaction and use the molar ratios between the reactants and products.

Assuming the reaction is:
Mg + 2 HCl -> MgCl2 + H2

The molar ratio between magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and magnesium (Mg) is 1:1. Therefore, the theoretical yield of magnesium chloride is equal to the mass of magnesium (42.1 g).

Now you can calculate the percent yield using the formula:
Percent Yield = (Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield) * 100

Plugging in the values:
Percent Yield = (36 g / 42.1 g) * 100

Percent Yield = 85.5%

Therefore, the percent yield of the reaction is approximately 85.5%.