Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I did the experiment, turn milk into plastic. When doing the average yield, are you to just add and divide, or are you to do a chemistry equation and come up with the theoretical yield, so you can get a percent yield. I don't know if I am over thinking or making this bigger than what is asked. Please help!

Hi Lexi -
In my opinion the empirical yield is more important that attempting to determine the theoretical yield. On the web site: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... stic.shtml, under the sub heading "For Further Exploration", it is suggested that you can determine the empirical yield by varying the amount of vinegar used to convert the milk into casein plastic. It also suggests that you should try using other acidic liquids to see how much plastic they can produce from the milk.
However, you might want to consult your teacher if this is what they are expecting.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your project.