ABSTRACT

This experiment is about limiting reactant. When there is not enough of one reactant in
a chemical reaction, the reaction stops abruptly because there is too little of one reactant. To
figure out the amount of product that is produced, we must first find which reactant will limit
the chemical reaction (the limiting reagent) and which reactant will be in excess (the excess
reagent). One way of finding the limiting reagent is by calculating the amount of product
formed by each reactant; the one that produces less amount of product is the limiting reagent.
The limiting reagent is the reactant that is completely used up in a reaction and thus
determines when the reaction stops. From stoichiometry, one can calculate the exact amount
of reactant needed to react with another element. If the reactants are not mixed in the correct
stoichiometric proportions, then one of the reactants will be entirely consumed while another
will be left over in excess. The limiting reagent is the one that is totally consumed. The
limiting reagent limits the reaction from continuing because there is none left to react with
the now excess reactant.
The objective of this experiment is to determine the limiting reactant in a mixture of
two soluble salts which are BaCl2 and Na3PO4 and to determine the percent composition of
each substance in the mixture. After the mixture of Na3PO4.12H2O and BaCl2.2H2O is stirred
and warmed, the solution is allow to settle the precipitate and then after the volumes of the
supernatant are separated, the remaining warm solution is filtered. For this experiment, we
use precipitation reaction as a method to determine the limiting reactant and excess reactant.
When test reagent of BaCl2 is added into the supernatant liquid, precipitate is form while
when the test reagent of Na3PO4 is added into the solution, no precipitate is formed. Hence,
we can concluded that the limiting reactant is Ba2+ and PO43- is in excess.

METHODOLOGY
Part A : Precipitation of Ba3(PO4)2 from the salt mixture

1 g of Na3PO4.12H2O and
BaCl2.2H2O is measured and the
mixture is transfered to a labeled
beaker and 200 ml of deionized
water is added. The mixture is
stirred with stirring rod for 1
minute and the precipitate is
allowed to settle.

Thebeaker is covered with a

watch glass and the solution is
warmed (80-90C). After that, the
heat is removed and the
precipitate is allowed to settle.

A filter paper is weighted to filter

the remaining warm solution.

Once the precipitate has

settled,two 50 ml volumes of the
supernatant is decant into separate
beaker 100 ml, labeled Beaker I
andBeaker II.

The filter paper is removed and

precipitate from the funnel and
transfer it on a watch glass and the
precipitate on the filter paper is
heated until dry.

The dry precipitate on the filter

paper is weighted and the weight
of precipitate is determined.

Part B : Determination of Limiting Reactant

2 drops of the test reagent 0.5 M BaCl2 is added to the

50 ml of the supernatant liquid in Beaker I.

2 drops of the test reagent 0.5 M Na3PO4 is added to the 500

ml of the supernatant liquid in beaker II.

RESULT

A. Precipitation of Ba3(PO4)2 from the salt mixture

Weight of filter paper

1.00 g

Weight of filter paper + dry precipitate

2.00 g

Weight of dry precipitate

1.00 g
Table 1

B. Determination of limiting reactant

Beaker

Precipitate

Limiting reactant

Excess reactant

Yes

Ba2+

PO43-

II

No

Ba2+

PO43-

Table 2
C. Determination of percent composition of each substance in the mixture
Equation:
3Ba2+ + 2PO43- Ba3(PO4)2
Thus, 3 moles of Ba2+ are needed to produce each mole of Ba3(PO4)2
Percent composition[4] of Ba2+

Moles of Ba2+ in Ba3(PO4)2

Moles of BaCl2
Mass of Ba3(PO4)2 /Molar mass of Ba3(PO4)
Mass of BaCl2 / Molar mass of BaCl2
3

/ 601 g
1.00 g /208 g

103.83 %

From the above equation, 2 moles of PO43- are needed to produce each mole of Ba3(PO4)2.

Percent composition of PO43-

Moles of PO43- in Ba3(PO4)2

Moles of Na3PO4
2

Mass of Ba3(PO4)2 / Molar mass of Ba3(PO4)2

Mass of Na3PO4 / Molar mass of Na3PO4

/601 g
1.00 g /164 g

54.58 %

DISCUSSION
Based on the result, the weight of the dry precipitate and filter paper is 2.00 g. The net weight
of the product is 1.00 g.
For Part B precipitation occurs in Beaker I, this shows that PO43- is in excess and Ba2+ is the
limiting reactant. In Beaker I, only some of the original PO43- remains because all of the Ba2+
has finish reacted in the Part A to form Ba3(PO4)2. When the test reagent 0.5 M BaCl2 is
added to the supernatant liquid in Beaker I, the Ba2+ from the test reagent react with the
remaining PO43- in the supernatant liquid to Ba3(PO4)2 form which is a precipitation. [1]
Theoretically,
3Ba2+ + 2PO43- Ba3(PO4)2
From the equation above, 3 moles of Ba2+ can produce 1 mole of Ba3(PO4)2.
1 g of BaCl2 contains 4.81 x 10-3 moles of Ba2+.
The number of moles of Ba3(PO4)2 which can be produced from 4.81 x 10-3 moles of Ba2+ is
as follows:
1 mol Ba3(PO4)2

4.81 x 10-3 mol Ba2+

1.60

mol Ba3(PO4)2

3 mol Ba2+
Similarly, 2 moles of PO43- can produce 1 mole of Ba3(PO4)2.
1 g of Na3PO4 contains 6.10 x 10-3 moles of PO43-.
The number of moles of Ba3(PO4)2 which can be produced from 6.10 x 10-3 moles of PO43- is
as follows:
1 mol Ba3(PO4)2

mol PO43-

3.05

2 mol PO43-

mol Ba3(PO4)2

Thus, a smaller amount of Ba3(PO4)2 is produced when all Ba2+ of is reacted. At the end of
the reaction, only the product, Ba3(PO4)2, and some of the original PO43- remains. For this
reason, we say that PO43- is the excess reactant and Ba2+ is the limiting reactant because it
limits the amount of the product that can be obtained. In this case, the maximum amount of
Ba3(PO4)2 that can be produced is 1.60 x 10-3 moles.

EXERCISES
1. 1.146g mixture of the solid salts Na2SO4 and Pb(NO3)2 forms an aqueous solution with
the precipitation of PbSO4. The precipitate was filtered and dried and its mass was
determined to be 0.672g. The limiting reactant was determined to be Na2SO4.
a) Write the molecular form of the equation for the reaction
Na2SO4(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) PbSO4(s) + 2NaNO3(aq)
b) Write the net ionic equation for the reaction
Pb2+(aq) + SO42-(aq) PbSO4(s)
c) How many moles and grams of Na2SO4 are in the reaction?
From the equation in (a)
Number of mole of Na2SO4 Number of mole of PbSO4
Number of mole of PbSO4 =

0.672 g
303 g / mol

= 2.22 x 10-3 mol

Number of moles of Na2SO4 = 2.22 x 10-3 mol

Mass of Na2SO4 = Number of moles of Na2SO4 x Molar mass of Na2SO4

= 2.22 x 10-3 mol x 142 g/mol
= 0.315 g
d) What is the percent by mass of each salt in the mixture?
% by mass of Na2SO4 =

0.315 g
100 %
1.146 g

= 27.49 %
% by mass of PbSO4 =

(1.146 0.315 ) g
100 %
1.146 g
= 72.51 %
8

2.

The reaction of iron ore with carbon follows the equation: [2]
2Fe2O3(s) + 3C (s) 4Fe(s) + 3CO2 (g)
You wish to calculate the mass of iron (Fe) that can produced from 200g Fe2O3 and
300g C?

a) How many moles of Fe can be produced from the given mass of Fe2O3?
Number of moles of Fe2O3 =

200 g
159 .6 g / mol

= 1.25 mol
2 moles of Fe2O3 4 moles of Fe
1.25 moles of Fe2O3

4mol
1.25mol
2mol

= 2.50 moles of Fe
200g of Fe2O3 can produce 2.50 moles of Fe.

b) How many moles of Fe can be produced from the given mass of C?

Number of moles of C =

300 g
12 g / mol

= 25 mol
3 moles of C 4 moles of Fe
25 moles of C

4mol
25mol
3mol

= 33.33 moles of Fe
300g of C can produce 33.33 moles of Fe.

c) What is the limiting reactant?

Fe2O3
9

d) How many grams of Fe can be produced?

Maximum Fe that can be produced = 2.5 mol
Mass of Fe = Number of moles of Fe x molar mass of Fe
= 2.5 mol x 55.8 g/mol
= 139.5 g

3. Diborane (B3H6) a useful reactant in organic synthesis may be prepared by following

reaction which occurs in anion-aqueous solvent
3NaBH4 (S) + 4BF3 (g) 2B2H6 (g) + 3NaBF4(s)
If the reaction has 75% yield of dibrone, how many grams of NaBH4 are needed to
make 20.0g of B2H6?
75% = 20.0g of B2H6
100% = ?
Mass of B2H6 if percentage yield is 100% =

100%
20.0 g
75%
= 26.7g

Number of moles of B2H6 =

26 .7 g
27 .6 g / mol

= 0.967 mol
10

2 mole of B2H6 3 moles of NaBH4

0.967 mole of B2H6

3mol
0.967mol
2mol

1.45 moles of NaBH4

Mass of NaBH4 = 1.45 mol x 37.8 g/mol
= 54.81 g
Mass of NaBH4 needed to make 20.0g of B2H6 is 54.81g.

11

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

As conclusion , from the experiment of a mixture of two soluble salts which are BaCl2
and Na3PO4, we can determine the limiting reactant by use precipitation reaction as a method.
The precipitation that formed in Beaker I shows that Ba2+ is the limiting reactant and PO43- is
in excess. The percentage of composition Ba2+ is 103.83 % and the percent composition of
PO43- is 54.58 %.
During the experiment, several errors which can affect the experiment result occur.
Hence, precautions need to be alerted when carrying out the experiment. The mixture of the
solution, have to be well stirred until the solute dissolved in the solution. When we drying the
precipitate on the filter paper in the oven, make sure the oven is not open frequently as it will
longer the time for the precipitation to dry. Next, make sure the precipitate is completely
settled down before dividing the volume of supernatant into separate beaker. Lastly, make
sure the precipitate is completely dry before we weight it.

12

REFERENCES
[1] Petrucci, Ralph H., William S. Harwood, Geoffery F. Herring, and Jeffry D.
Madura. General Chemistry. 9th ed. New Jersey: Pearsin Prentice Hall, 2007.
[2] Staley, Dennis. Prentice Hall Chemistry. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
[3 Limiting reagent for a chemical reaction in solution
http://intro.chem.okstate.edu/chemsource/solutions/a1teacher.html

[4] Percent Composition

http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/majors/tutorialnotefiles/percentcomp.htm

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Total Assessment Marks (198)

14

Score

Total Assessment Marks (198)

15