J.R. S. answered • 04/26/18
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A lot of things affect atom economy. Temperature, pressure, catalysts, technique, side reactions, by-products, etc.
J.R. S.
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By-products are products of the chemical reaction that were not wanted or needed, and they "waste" atoms so the atom economy is reduced. For example, if mixing A and B makes C which is the desired product, but it also makes D, then the reaction is A + B ==> C + D. D is a by-product and the atoms that go into making D are wasted.
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04/26/18
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04/26/18