Limiting Reactant Formula
Limiting Reactant Formula
A chemical reaction continues as long as there are reactants to sustain it. If one does not use one of the reactants, then the chemical reaction will stop there. Furthermore, since it limits the number of products that can be formed, the initial reactants used therein are also called limiting reactant equations and the Limiting Reactant Formula must be retained for successfully conducting reactions. Detection of limiting reactants in chemical reactions can be done in many different ways. Simply looking at the amount of each reactant and choosing the smaller amount is not enough. However, stoichiometry plays a major role and plays an important role in determining which reactants are truly limiting here.
What is Limiting reactant?
Iron (III) sulphate formula or ferrous sulphate is an inorganic salt of the formula Fe2(SO4)3. It is yellow and water-soluble. This molecule is composed of Fe+3 cations and SO4-2 anions. It is found in a variety of minerals, but the most prominent are marcasite and pyrite. Ferrous sulphate is mainly obtained from nature, but it can also be produced by treating ferrous sulphate with sulfuric acid at high temperatures. In this article, one can learn about the formula of ferric sulphate and its chemical structure, properties, and uses. For more information about Limiting Reactant Formula, students can visit Extramarks.
The Steps to Determine the Limiting Reagent or the Limiting Reactant is as Follows:
To determine the Limiting Reactant Formula or reactant:
If it is not in a balanced form, then one must first balance the chemical formula.
Next, one must find out the number of moles of each reactant in the course of the reaction.
Further, one must calculate the number of products obtained from a complete reaction.
One decides which reactant produces the least amount of product, and that is the Limiting Reactant Formula.
Method 1st
- Comparison of reactant amounts:
This method works best when there are only two reactants in the reaction. Here, one reactant A is chosen and the balanced equation helps determine the amount of the other reactant B required to react with A. However, if the amount of B actually present increases the required amount, then B is in excess and A is the limiting reactant. If the amount of B present does not need to be very high, then B is the limiting reactant here. Students are advised to learn Limiting Reactant Formula on Extramarks.
Method 2nd
- Comparison of product quantities that can be formed from a single starting material:
In this technique, chemical formulas help calculate the amount of one product that can be produced with the amount of each reactant present. The limiting reactant here is the one that can produce the smallest amount of the product under consideration. This method is much easier to extend to any number of reactants than the first. Students can peruse the Limiting Reactant Formula on Extramarks.
Limiting Factor
A limiting factor is basically a variation in a system that results in noticeable changes in the performance or other measures of some kind of structure when small changes are made. Factors that do not constrain a particular range of initial conditions may constrain other ranges of initial conditions that include the factor. Limiting Reactant Formula and other formulas are available on Extramarks.
Solved Example for You
Question: Identify and recognise the limiting reactants when 5.43 moles of Na react with 4.25 moles of O2 in the following equation.
4Na + O2 → 2Na2O
Solution: One of the simplest and easiest ways to identify the limiting reactant is to compare the amount of product produced by each reactant. Stoichiometry is used to create the ratio of reactants and products present in the chemical formula as follows:
5.43 mol Na x 2 mol Na2O/4 mol Na = 2.72 mol Na2O
(5.43 mol Na gives 2.72 mol Na2O)
4.25 moles O2 x 2 moles Na2O/1 mole O2 = 8.50 moles Na2O
(4.25 mol O2 gives 8.50 mol Na2O)
In the above reaction, Na produces less Na2O than O2. So Na is the limiting reactant or reagent here. Note that the initial amount of Na is actually higher than the initial amount of O2. However, stoichiometry indicates that Na runs out before that. For more information about Limiting Reactant Formula and other academic reference materials students must visit the website of Extramarks.
