Homework: Limiting Reagents

For the first problem, each step is outlined for you. You can follow the same pattern to solve the
other problems included!

Asynchronous
1. Define the following terms in your own words:

● Limiting Reagent: The reactant that STOPS a chemical reaction, because it runs out.
Determines the maximum amount of product that can be produced.

● Excess Reagent: Any reactant that is not completely used up in a chemical reaction.
Some will be left over at the end of the reaction.

2. Given the following reaction: C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O

a) If you start with 14.8 g of C3H8 and 3.44 g of O2, determine the limiting reagent.

STEP 1: Find moles of C3H8 Find moles of O2

𝑚 𝑚
𝑛𝐶 𝐻 = 𝑀
𝑛𝑂 = 𝑀
3 8 2

𝑀𝐶 𝐻 = 𝐶3(3 × 12. 001) + 𝐻8(8 × 1. 008) 𝑀𝑂 = 𝑂2(2 × 15. 999) = 31. 998𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 8 2

= 44. 097𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙 3.44𝑔

𝑛𝑂 = 31.998𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙
2
14.8𝑔
𝑛𝐶 𝐻 = 44.097
= 0. 34𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 8

STEP 2: Set up a mole ratio between the reactants by following the template below.
Moles of Reactant A = Moles of Reactant B x Coefficient of Reactant A
Coefficient of Reactant B

1𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐶 𝐻
𝑛𝐶 𝐻 = 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙 × ( 3

5𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑂
8
) = 0. 022𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 8 2

STEP 3: Compare the moles of C3H8 you NEED (found in STEP 2) to the moles of C3H8 you
HAVE (found in STEP 1) to determine the limiting reagent.

· If what you HAVE is MORE than that you NEED, then that is the EXCESS REAGENT.

· If what you HAVE is LESS than that you NEED, then that is the LIMITING REAGENT.

Propane we HAVE: nC3H8 = 0.34mol Propane we NEED: nC3H8 = 0.022mol

❖ The propane we HAVE is ­_______more________ than the propane we NEED.

❖ _________𝑂2_________ is the limiting reagent.

b) Determine the number of moles of carbon dioxide produced.

Step 1: Find moles of CO2 using moles of the limiting reagent

𝑛𝑂 = 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙
2

3𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐻 𝑂
𝑛𝐶𝑂 = 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑂 × ( 5𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑂
2
) = 0. 066𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 2 2

c) Determine the number of grams of H2O produced.

Step 1: Find moles of H2O using moles of the limiting reagent

𝑛𝑂 = 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙
2
 4𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐻 𝑂
𝑛𝐻 𝑂 = 0. 11𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑂 × ( 5𝑚𝑜𝑙)
2
) = 0. 088𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 2 2

Step 2: Find mass of H2O using moles of H2O

𝑚= 𝑛 ×𝑀

𝑛𝐻 𝑂 = 0. 088𝑚𝑜𝑙
2

𝑀𝐻 𝑂 = 𝐻2(2 × 1. 008) + 𝑂(1 × 15. 999) = 18. 015𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙

2

𝑚 = 0. 088𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 18. 015𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 1. 59𝑔

Homework
3. Given the following equation: Al2(SO3)3 + 6 NaOH → 3 Na2SO3 + 2 Al(OH) 3
a) If 10.0 g of Al 2(SO3)3 is reacted with 10.0 g of NaOH, determine the limiting reagent.

Step 1:

𝑚
𝑛𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 𝑀
2 3 3

𝑀𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 𝐴𝑙2(2 × 26. 982) + 𝑆(3 × 32. 06) + 𝑂3(9 × 15. 999) = 294. 135𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3 3

10.0𝑔
𝑛𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 294.135𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3 3

𝑚
𝑛𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 = 𝑀

𝑀𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 = 𝑁𝑎(1 × 22. 990) + 𝑂(1 × 15. 999) + 𝐻(1 × 1. 008) = 39. 997𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙

10.0𝑔
𝑛𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 = 39.997𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0. 25𝑚𝑜𝑙
Step 2:

1𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 )
𝑛𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 0. 25𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 × ( 2

6𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻
3 3
) = 0. 042𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3 3

Step 3:

𝐻𝐴𝑉𝐸𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝐸𝐸𝐷𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 0. 042𝑚𝑜𝑙

2 3 3 2 3 3

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝐻𝐴𝑉𝐸 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑁𝐸𝐸𝐷.

𝐴𝑙2(𝑆𝑂3)3𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡.

b) Determine the number of moles of Al(OH) 3 produced

Step 1:

𝑛𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙

2 3 3

2𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑙(𝑂𝐻)
𝑛𝐴𝑙(𝑂𝐻) = 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) × ( 1𝑚𝑜𝑙 3
) = 0. 06𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 2 3 3 𝐴𝑙2(𝑆𝑂3)3

c) Determine the number of grams of Na2SO3 produced

Step 1:

𝑛𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) = 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙

2 3 3

3𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑁𝑎 𝑆𝑂
𝑛𝑁𝑎 𝑆𝑂 = 0. 03𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑙 (𝑆𝑂 ) × ( 1𝑚𝑜𝑙 2 3
) = 0. 09𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3 2 3 3 𝐴𝑙2(𝑆𝑂3)3

Step 2:

𝑚= 𝑛 ×𝑀

𝑛𝑁𝑎 𝑆𝑂 = 0. 09𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3

𝑀𝑁𝑎 𝑆𝑂 = 𝑁𝑎2(2 × 22. 990) + 𝑆(1 × 32. 06) + 𝑂3(3 × 15. 999) = 126. 037𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3

𝑚 = 0. 09𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 126. 037𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 11. 34𝑚𝑜𝑙

4. Given the following equation: 4Al2O3 + 9Fe → 3Fe3O4 + 8Al

a) If 25.4 g of Al 2O3 is reacted with 10.2 g of Fe, determine the limiting reagent

Step 1:

𝑚
𝑛𝐴𝑙 𝑂 = 𝑀
2 3

𝑀𝐴𝑙 𝑂 = 𝐴𝑙2(2 × 26. 982) + 𝑂3(3 × 15. 999) = 101. 961𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙

2 3

25.4𝑔
𝑛𝐴𝑙 𝑂 = 101.961𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0. 25𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3

𝑚
𝑛𝐹𝑒 = 𝑀

𝑀𝐹𝑒 = 55. 845𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙

10.2𝑔
𝑛𝐹𝑒 = 55.845𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0. 18𝑚𝑜𝑙
Step 2:

4𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑙 𝑂
𝑛𝐴𝑙 𝑂 = 0. 18𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒 × ( 9𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒
2 3
) = 0. 08𝑚𝑜𝑙
2 3

Step 3:

𝐻𝐴𝑉𝐸𝐴𝑙 𝑂 = 0. 25𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝐸𝐸𝐷 = 0. 08𝑚𝑜𝑙

2 3

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝐻𝐴𝑉𝐸 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑁𝐸𝐸𝐷.

𝐹𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡.

b) Determine the number of moles of Al produced

Step 1:

8𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑛𝐹𝑒 = 0. 18𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒 × ( 9𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑙 ) = 0. 16𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐹𝑒

c) Determine the number of grams of Fe3O4 produced

Step 1:

𝑛𝐹𝑒 = 0. 18𝑚𝑜𝑙

3𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒 𝑂
𝑛𝐹𝑒 𝑂 = 0. 18𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒 × ( 9𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐹𝑒
3 4
) = 0. 06𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 4
Step 2:

𝑚= 𝑛 ×𝑀

𝑛𝐹𝑒 𝑂 = 0. 06𝑚𝑜𝑙
3 4

𝑀𝐹𝑒 𝑂 = 𝐹𝑒3(3 × 55. 845) + 𝑂4(4 × 15. 999) = 231. 531𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙

3 4

𝑚 = 0. 06𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 231. 531𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 13. 89𝑔