Atom Economy

ATOM ECONOMY (atom utilisation) is a measure of the amount of starting materials (reactants) that end up as USEFUL products.

It tells you how EFFICIENT the reaction is in turning reactants into useful products.

You can find the atom economy of a reaction by using the following formula:

Here's an example:

Importance of High Atom Economy

• Reactions with a HIGH ATOM ECONOMY are economically beneficial as there is LESS WASTE which REDUCES COSTS for industries.
• Reactions with LOW ATOM ECONOMY are not only less sustainable but also less profitable due to the high costs associated with waste management and raw material consumption.