What is the formula for calculating percent purity?

The formula for calculating percent purity is: (Mass of pure substance / Total mass of substance) x 100.

Percent purity is a concept used in chemistry to denote the amount of pure substance present in a sample. It is usually expressed as a percentage. The formula for calculating percent purity is quite straightforward: you divide the mass of the pure substance by the total mass of the substance, and then multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage.

For example, if you have a 10g sample of a substance, and you determine that 8g of that sample is the pure substance you're interested in, you would calculate the percent purity as follows: (8g / 10g) x 100 = 80%. This means that the sample is 80% pure.

It's important to note that the 'mass of pure substance' refers to the amount of the desired substance, while the 'total mass of substance' includes both the desired substance and any impurities. This calculation is often used in the field of chemistry to determine the purity of a sample, whether it's a natural sample or a sample that has been synthesised in a laboratory.

In practical terms, you might use this calculation to determine the purity of a sample of a chemical you've synthesised in the lab. If you know the total mass of the sample and the mass of the pure chemical in the sample, you can calculate the percent purity. This can help you determine how successful your synthesis was, and whether you need to refine your process to increase the purity of your product.