LIMITING REAGENT ● 50.0 g of nitrogen gas (N ) reacts with 10.

0 g of hydrogen gas (H ), what is

● Limiting Reagent - determines the amount of product formed. the limiting reagent?
● Excess Reagent - reactant that remains after the reaction is complete. N2+3H2 → 2NH3
50 g
○ moles of N2 = = 1.78 moles
Steps in Determining Limiting Reagent 28.02 g /mol
● Calculate the moles of each reactant. 10 g
○ moles of H = = 4.95 moles
● Use stoichiometry to calculate the moles of product each reactant could form. 2.02 g /mol
● The reactant that forms the least amount of product is the limiting reagent. ■ 1 mole of N reacts with 3 moles of H
■ For every 1.78 moles of N (3 1.78) = 5.34 moles of H are

Examples required

● 100g of hydrochloric acid is added to 100g of zinc. ■ Only 4.95 moles of H are available, so H is the limiting

Zn (s)+2HCl (aq) →ZnCl2 (aq)+H2 (g) reagent

● 12.0 g of carbon (C) and 50.0 g of oxygen gas (O2) Find the limiting reagent
100 g
○ moles of zinc = = 1. 53 moles and the mass of CO2 produced.
65.38 g /mol
100 g C + O2 → CO2
○ moles of hydrochloric acid = = 2.74 moles
36.46 g /mol 12 g
○ moles of C = = 1 mole
■ 1 mole of Zn reacts with 2 moles of HCl 12.01 g/mol
■ For every 1.53 moles of Zn (2 ✖ 1.53) = 3.06 moles of HCL 50.0 g
○ moles of O2 = = 1.56 moles
are required 32.00 g /mol
■ Only 2.74 moles of HCL are available, so HCL is the ■ 1 mole of C reacts with 1 mole of O2

limiting reagent ■ For every 0.99 moles of C (1 ✖ 1 ) = 1 mole of O2 are

required
■ 1.56 moles of O2 are available, so C is the limiting reagent
 ■ Limiting Reagent : Mg
■ Excess Reagent: HCl

EXCESS REAGENT ● CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2 O

Steps in Determining Excess reagent Given : 1. 000 moles of CH4 | 2.000 moles of O2
● Determine the Limiting Reagent ○ 1 moles of CH4 reacts with 2 moles of O2
● Calculate how much of the excess reagent ○ To react with 1.000 moles of CH4 you need 2 ✖ 2.000 = 4.000 moles
○ Moles of CH4 consumed
Examples moles of CH4 = 2 ✖ 2.000 = 4.000 moles
● 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O ■ Limiting Reagent : 🚫
Given : 5.0 moles of H2 | 2.0 moles of O2 ■ Excess Reagent: 🚫
○ 2 moles of H2 reacts with 1 mole of O2
○ To react with 2.0 moles of O2 you need 2 x 2 = 4.0 moles of H2 4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3
○ Moles of H2 consumed Given : 5.0 moles of Al | 4.0 moles of O2
moles of H2 = 2 ✖ 2. 0 = 4.0 moles ○ 4 moles of Al reacts with 3 moles of O2
■ Limiting Reagent : O2 5.0 mol
✖ 3 = 3.75 moles of O2
■ Excess Reagent: H2 4
4.0 mol
✖ 4 = 5.33 moles of Al
● Mg + 2HCl → MgCL2+H2 3
○ 5.0 moles of Al will require 3.75 moles of O2
Given : 0.98 moles of Mg | 2.74 moles of HCl
■ Limiting Reagent : Al
○ 1 moles of Mg reacts with 2 moles of HCl
O2 = 4.0 moles - 3.75 moles
○ To react with 0.98 moles of Mg you need 2✖ 0.98 = 1.96 moles
■ Excess Reagent: O2 (0.25 moles remaining)
○ Moles of Mg consumed
moles of Mg = 2 ✖ 0.98 = 1.96 moles
 ● Determine the limiting reactant
● Calculate the moles of product
● Convert moles of product to mass
CuCl2 + 2NaNO3 → Cu(NO3)2 + 2NaCl
If 15 grams of copper (II) chloride react with 20 grams of sodium nitrate, what is the Examples
limiting reactant ● 5.00 g of solid sodium hydroxide NaOH | 5.00 g of liquid hydrogen
15 g chloride
○ moles of CuCl2 = = 0.11 moles
134.45 g /mol
1NaOH(s) + 1HCl (l) →1NaCl(s)+1H2 O(l)
20 g
○ moles of NaNO3 = = 0.24 moles ● 0.13 moles of NaOH, 0.14 moles of HCl
85.00 g /mol
■ 1 mole of CuCl2 reacts with 2 mole of NaNO3 Molar Mass of NaCl = 23.0 + 35,5 = 58.5

■ For every 0.11 moles of CuCl2 (1 ✖ 0.11 ) = 0.11 mole of 58.5 g

0.13 = = 7.31 g NaCl
1 g /mol
NaNO3 are required
■ Limiting Reagent : CuCl2
PERCENTAGE YIELD
NaNO3 = 0.24 - 0.11
● Percentage Yield - a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction.
■ Excess Reagent: NaNO3 (0.13 moles remaining)
A .Y .
● P.Y. = ✖ 100
T .Y .
THEORETICAL YIELD
● Theoretical Yield
maximum amount of product that
can be formed in a chemical reaction,
assuming perfect conditions where all the
reactants are completely converted into the
desired product with no side reactions or losses.
How to Calculate Theoretical Yield