STOICHIOMETRY

Chemical equations
⮚ Chemical reaction: a process in which a substance is changed into
one or more new substances.
⮚ Chemical equation uses chemical symbols to show what happens
during a chemical reaction.
⮚ In a chemical reaction atoms are neither created nor destroyed. All
atoms present in the reactants must also be present in the products.
⮚ Reactants: the starting materials in a chemical reaction
⮚ Product: The substance formed in the chemical reaction

A + B C + D

Reactants Products:
 Writing and balancing equation
■ Example: silver nitrate reacts with hydrogen sulfide to produce
silver sulfide and nitric acid. Write a balance equation.
■ Step 1: word equation
silver nitrate + hydrogen sulfide → silver sulfide + nitric acid
■ Step 2: skeleton equation
AgNO3 + H2S Ag2S + HNO3 (unbalanced)

■ Step 3: Balance the equation

2 AgNO3 + H2S Ag2S + HNO3 (unbalanced)

2AgNO3 + H2S Ag2S + 2HNO3 (balanced)

■ Check the number of atoms on both sides → must equal

 Examples
Balance the following equations
a) CH4 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
CH4 (g) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)

b) Na (s) + H2O (l) → NaOH + H2

Na (s) + 2H2O (l) → NaOH (aq) + H2 (g)
Na (s) + 2H2O (l) → 2NaOH (aq) + H2 (g)
2Na (s) + 2H2O (l) → 2NaOH (aq) + H2 (g)
2Na (s) + 2H2O (l) → 2NaOH (aq) + H2 (g)
 Exercise
Balance the following equations
a) Al + HCl → AlCl3 + H2
b) AgNO3 + K2SO4 → Ag2SO4 + KNO3
c) C3H8 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
d) Na3PO4 + Ba(NO3)2 → Ba3(PO4)2 + NaNO3
e) Cr(OH)3 + HClO4 → Cr(ClO4)3 + H2O
Answers:
a) 2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2
b) 2AgNO3 + K2SO4 → Ag2SO4 + 2KNO3
c) C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O
d) 2Na3PO4 + 3Ba(NO3)2 → Ba3(PO4)2 + 6NaNO3
e) Cr(OH)3 + 3HClO4 → Cr(ClO4)3 + 3H2O
 Stoichiometry
⮚ the quantitative study of reactants and products in a chemical
reactions
⮚ The number of moles of one substance is stoichiometrically
equivalent to the number of moles of any other substance

2CO (g) + O2 (g) 2CO2 (g)

2 mol CO ≡ 1 mol O2 ≡ 2 mol CO2

 Calculation from chemical equations
A B

Given one of these find one of these

Grams of A Moles of A Moles of B Grams of B

Use the coefficients

in the balanced
equation
Use molar mass Use molar mass
Examples:

Mole – mole calculation

Q:How many moles of water will be produced by the reaction
of 2.0 mol of glucose (C6H12O6), according to the following
reaction?

C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O

Solution C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

1mol C6H12O6 ≡ 6 mol H2O

Conversion needed: moles C6H12O6 🡺 moles H2O
Moles of water produced:

= 12 mol H2O
 Mass – mole calculation

Q:How many moles of water can be produced by burning 325

g of octane (C8H18)?
2 C8H18 (g) + 25O2 (g) 16 CO2 (g) + 18 H2O (g)
Solution 2 C8H18 (g) + 25O2 (g) 🡪 16 CO2 (g) + 18 H2O (g)

Conversion needed:

Gram C8H18 moles C8H18 moles H2O

molar mass coefficients in the

balanced equation
 Moles of H2O:
⎛ 1 mol C8H1 ⎞ ⎛18 mol H2O ⎞
= (325 g C8H1 ) ⎜ 8 ⎟⎜ ⎟= 25.6 mol
8 ⎝114.2 g C8H1 ⎠ ⎝ 2 mol C8H1 ⎠
8 8
 Mass-mass calculation

Q:Suppose 10.7 g of carbon monoxide react completely with

oxygen to form carbon dioxide. How many grams of CO2
will be formed?

Solution
▪ write the balanced equation:

2CO(g) + O2 (g) 2CO2 (g)

■ Conversion needed: 2CO(g) + O2 (g) 🡪 2CO2 (g)

Grams of moles of moles of grams of

CO CO CO2 CO2

Use the coefficients

Use molar Use molar
mass in the balanced
equation mass
■ Grams CO2:

(10.7 g CO ) ⎛⎜ 1 mol CO ⎞⎟ ⎛⎜2 mol CO2 ⎞⎟ ⎛⎜ 44.01 g CO2 ⎞⎟ = 16.8 g

⎝ 28.01 g CO ⎠ ⎝ 2 mol CO ⎠ ⎝ 1 mol CO2 ⎠
 Exercise
■ How many grams of water are produced in the combustion
of 1.00 g of glucose, C6H12O6
C6H12O6 (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + H2O (l)

■ Solution
Step 1: balance the chemical equation

C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l)

Step 2: convert grams C6H12O6 to moles C6H12O6

moles C6H12O6 = 1.00 g C6H12O6 x 1 mol C6H12O6

180.0 g C6H12O6

= 5.56 x 10-3 mol C6H12O6

 C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l)

Step 3: Use the coefficients in the balanced chemical equation

to convert moles of C6H12O6 to moles of H2O

6 mol H2O
moles H2O = (5.56 x 10 mol C6H12O6 )
-3

1 mol C6H12O6

= 3.33 x 10-2 mol H2O

Step 4: convert moles of H2O to grams of H2O

18.0 g H2O
grams H2O = (3.33 x 10 mol H2O)
-2
1 mol H2O

= 0.600 g H2O
OR

grams H2O =
1 mol C6H12O6 6 mol H2O 18.0 g H2O
1.00 g C6H12O6
180.0 g C6H12O6 1 mol C6H12O6 1 mol H2O

= 0.600 g H2O
 Limiting-reactant
■ Limiting reactant: the reactant used up first in a reaction.

■ Excess reactant: the reactants present in quantities greater

than necessary to react with the quantity of the limiting
reactant.

■ The amount of products formed depends on the limiting

reactant.
 O2 NO NO2

Before reaction has After reaction is

started complete

8 NO molecules react All the NO molecules gone and

with 7 O2 molecules only 3 O2 molecules are left

Limiting reactant : NO
Excess reactant : O2
 Example
silver bromide can be formed when solutions containing 50.0 g MgBr2
and 100.0 g AgNO3 are mixed together.
MgBr2 (aq) + 2AgNO3 (aq) 2AgBr (s) + Mg(NO3)2 (aq)

(a) Calculate the moles of silver bromide formed from the reaction.
Which of the two reactants is the limiting reagent? Why?
(b)Calculate the mass of silver bromide formed.
(c) Calculate the moles of Mg(NO3)2 produced from reaction.
(d)How much excess reagent (in grams) is left at the end of the
reaction?
(e) Calculate the percent yield if 85 g of AgBr was obtained from
reaction.
a) Calculate the moles of AgBr formed from the reaction
Solution
MgBr2 (aq) + 2AgNO3 (aq) 2AgBr (s) + Mg(NO3)2 (aq)

Conversion needed:

g reactant mol reactant mol AgBr

Step 1: Determine which reactant is a limiting reactant

Step 2: Calculate moles of AgBr
 How to determine the limiting reactant ?

Method 1: grams reactant 🡺 moles reactant

Moles MgBr2 :

Moles AgNO3 :
From balanced equation:

1 mol MgBr2 ≡ 2 mol AgNO3

0.272 mol MgBr2 ≡

= 0.544 mol AgNO3

⮚ 0.272 mol MgBr2 react with 0.544 mol AgNO3.

⮚ but, moles of AgNO3 is 0.589 mol (excess)
⮚ Thus, MgBr2 is a limiting reactant
Moles AgBr =
Method 2: grams/moles reactant 🡺 grams/moles product

From 50.0 g MgBr2 :

= 0.543 mol AgBr

From 100.0 g AgNO3 :

⎛ 1 mol AgNO 3 ⎞ ⎛ 2 mo AgBr ⎞

(100.0 g AgNO 3 )⎜ ⎟⎜
l
⎟
⎝ 169.9 g AgNO 3 ⎠ ⎝ 2 mo AgNO 3 ⎠
l
= 0.589 mol AgBr
■ The limiting reactant is MgBr2 because it gives less of
AgBr moles.

■ Thus, the the moles of AgBr formed from the reaction is

0.543 mol
(b) Calculate the mass of silver bromide formed.

= 102 g AgBr

■ The mass of silver bromide formed is 102 g

(c) Calculate the moles of Mg(NO3)2 produced from reaction.

= 0.272 mol Mg(NO3)2

OR
1 mo Mg(N 3 ) 2
0 . 54 mo x
l 2 moO
3 l AgBr
l AgBr
= 0.272 mol Mg(NO3)2
d) How much excess reagent (in grams) is left at the end
of the reaction?

■ Calculate first the grams of AgNO3 (excess reactant) that will

react with 50.0 g of MgBr2 (limiting reactant)

g MgBr2 Mol MgBr2 Mol AgNO3 g AgNO3

Use the coefficients in

the balanced equation
 ⎛ 1 mo MgBr2 ⎞ ⎛ 2 mo AgNO 3 ⎞ ⎛ 169.9 g AgNO 3 ⎞
(50.0 g MgB 2 ) ⎜ l ⎟⎜ l ⎟⎜ ⎟
r ⎝184.1 g MgBr 2 ⎠ ⎝ 1 mo MgBr 2 ⎠ ⎝ 1 mo AgNO 3 ⎠
l l
= 92.3 g AgNO3

■ Only 92.3 g of AgNO3 react with 50.0 g of MgBr2

■ The amount of AgNO3 that remains unreacted:

100.0 g – 92.3 g = 7.7 g AgNO3

 Reaction yield
■ Theoretical yield: the amount of product that would
result if all the limiting reactant reacted.

■ Actual yield: the amount of product actually obtained

from a reaction.

Percent yield = Actual yield x 100%

Theoretical yield
e) Calculate the percent yield if 85 g of AgBr was obtained
from reaction.

First, get the theoretical yield of AgBr. How?

theoretical yield = the amount of product that

calculated from limiting reactant

102 g AgBr

= 83 %

Thus, the percent yield of AgBr is 83 %

 Exercise
1. Consider the following reaction

2Na3PO4 (aq) + 3Ba(NO3)2 → Ba3(PO4)2 (s) + 6NaNO3 (aq)

Suppose a solution containing 3.50 g of Na3PO4 is mixed with a

solution containing 6.40 g of Ba(NO3)2. How many grams of
Ba3(PO4)2 can be formed?
2) A strip of zinc metal weighing 2.00 g is placed in an
aqueous solution containing 2.50 g of silver nitrate,
causing the following reaction to occur:

Zn (s) + AgNO3 (aq) → Ag (s) + Zn(NO3)2 (aq)

a) Determine the limiting reactant

b) Calculate the mass of Ag formed from this reaction
c) Calculate the mass of Zn(NO3)2 formed from this reaction
d) Calculate the mass of excess reactant left at the end of the
reaction