Chemistry101 Chapter3

LIMITINGREACTANT

When 2 or more reactants are combined in non-stoichiometric ratios, the amount of

product produced is limited by the reactant that is not in excess (limiting
reactant).

Analogy:

The number of sundaes possible is limited by the amount of syrup, the limiting reactant.

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

LimitingReactant(Reagent)Problemsalwaysinvolve2steps:

1. IdentifytheLimitingReactant(LR)
convertallmassestomoles
compareactualmoleratiotomoleratiogivenbythethebalancedchemicalequation

OR
calculatethenumberofmolesobtainedfromeach reactantinturn.
ThereactantthatgivesthesmalleramountofproductistheLimitingR.eactant.

2. CalculatetheamountofproductobtainedfromtheLimitingReactant

Example1
SodiumhydrogencarbonateispreparedfromNaClandammoniumhydrogencarbonate,
accordingtotheequation:

NH4HCO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) NaHCO3(aq) + NH4Cl(aq)

If0.300molesofNH4HCO3 arereactedwith0.2567molesofNaCl,howmanygramsof
NaHCO3 areobtained?

1NH4HCO3(aq)+ 1NaCl(aq) 1NaHCO3(aq) + 1NH4Cl(aq)

0.300moles 0.2567moles ?g

L.R.

1moleNaHCO3 84.01gNaHCO3
?gNaHCO3 =0.2567molesNaClx x
1moleNaCl1moleNaHCO3

=21.57gNaHCO3

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

Example2
A1.4gsampleofmagnesiumistreatedwith8.1gofhydrochloricacidtoproducemagnesium
chlorideandhydrogengas. Howmanygramsofhydrogenareproduced?

Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)

1.4g 8.1g ?g

Changemassesofreactantsinmoles:

1Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) 1MgCl2(aq)+1H2(g)

1mole1mole
1.4gx 8.1gx
24.31g 36.46g

0.0576moles 0.222moles
L.R.
requires 2x0.0576molesHCl=0.115molesHCl
(0.222molesHCl)available
HClisanexcess!

1moleH2 2.02gH2
?gH2 =0.0576molesMgx x =0.12gH2
1moleMg1moleH2

L.R.

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

Solutionrecommendedbytextbook:

1Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) 1MgCl2(aq)+1H2(g)

1mole1mole
1.4gx 8.1gx
24.31g 36.46g

0.0576moles 0.222moles

Calculatethenumberofmolesobtainedfromeachreactantinturn. Thereactantthatgivesthesmaller
amountofproductistheLimitingReactant.

1moleH2 2.02gH2
?gH2 =0.222molesHClx x = 0.22gH2
2molesHCl1moleH2

1moleH2 2.02gH2
?gH2 =0.0576molesMgx x =0.12gH2
1moleMg1moleH2 smaller!
(correctanswer)

SinceMgproducesthesmalleramountofproduct,MgistheL.R.

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

THEYIELDCONCEPT

Quantitiesofproductcalculatedrepresentthemaximumamountobtainable(100%yield)

Mostchemicalreactionsdonotgive100%yieldofproductbecauseof:

sidereactions(unwantedreactions)

reversiblereactions(reactants products)

lossesinhandlingandtransferring

ActualYield
PercentYield= x100
TheoreticalYield

ActualYield: Amountofproductactuallyobtained(experimental)

TheoreticalYield: Maximumamountofproductobtainable(calculatedfromequation)

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

Example1
A35.0gsampleofcalciumhydroxideisreactedwithexcessphosphoricacid,accordingtothefollowingbalancedchemicalequation:

3Ca(OH)2(aq) + 2H3PO4(aq) 1Ca3(PO4)2(s) + 6H2O(l)

(a)Howmanygramsofcalciumphosphatecanbeproduced?

1moleCa(OH)2 1moleCa3(PO4)2 310.3gCa3(PO4)2

?gCa3(PO4)2 =35.0gCa(OH)2 x x x =48.9gCa3(PO4)2
74.10gCa(OH)2 3moleCa(OH)2 1moleCa3(PO4)2

(b)If 45.2gramsofcalcium phosphateareactuallyobtainedinalaboratoryexperiment, whatisthepercentyield?

ActualYield 45.2g
PercentYield= x100= x100=92.4%
TheoreticalYield48.9g

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Chemistry101 Chapter3

Example2
SodiumhydrogencarbonateispreparedfromNaClandammoniumhydrogencarbonate,accordingtotheequation:

NH4HCO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) NaHCO3(aq) + NH4Cl(aq)

If0.300molesofNH4HCO3 arereactedwith0.2567molesofNaCl,and10.45gofNaHCO3 areobtained,whatisthepercentyield?

1. Firstcalculatethemaximumamountobtainable(theoreticalyield)fromthegiven quantities(theoreticalyield)

1NH4HCO3(aq)+ 1NaCl(aq) 1NaHCO3(aq) + 1NH4Cl(aq)

0.300moles 0.2567moles ?g

L.R.

1moleNaHCO3 84.01gNaHCO3
?gNaHCO3 =0.2567molesNaClx x =21.57gNaHCO3 (theoreticalyield)
1moleNaCl 1moleNaHCO3

2. Second,calculate%yieldfromactualandtheoreticalyield

ActualYield 10.45g
PercentYield= x100= x100=48.45%
TheoreticalYield 21.57g

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