Limiting Reactants
This lesson covers:
- What a 'limiting' reactant is
- What it means for a reactant to be in 'excess'
- How limiting reactants and excess reactants affect the amount of product produced
What does it mean for a reactant to be a 'limiting reactant'?
It all reacts and limits how much product can be formed
It does not all react, and has no affect on the amount of product formed
|
If 4g of calcium reacts with oxygen from the air, which is most likely to be a limiting reactant, the calcium or the oxygen?
Calcium
Oxygen
|
CaO + H2O ➔ Ca(OH)2
Calcium oxide and water react in a 1: 1 ratio.
In a reaction between 3 moles of calcium oxide and 7 moles of water, what is the limiting reactant?
Calcium oxide
Water
|
What does it mean for a reactant to be 'in excess'?
It does not all react, and has no affect on the amount of product formed
It all reacts and limits how much product can be formed
|
2SO2 + O2 ➔ 2SO3
Sulfur dioxide and oxygen react together in a 2:1 ratio.
In a reaction between 1.8 moles of sulfur dioxide, and 1 mole of oxygen, which reactant will be in excess?
Sulfur dioxide
Oxygen
|