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Chapter 3: Problem 23

Which (if any) of the following is(are) true regarding the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction? a. The limiting reactant has the lowest coefficient in a balanced equation. b. The limiting reactant is the reactant for which you have the fewest number of moles. c. The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of moles available/coefficient in the balanced equation. d. The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of coefficient in the balanced equation/moles available. Justify your choice. For those you did not choose, explain why they are incorrect.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The correct statement regarding the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction is: c. The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of moles available/coefficient in the balanced equation. This is true because dividing the moles available by their respective coefficient in the balanced equation helps determine which reactant will be consumed the fastest according to the stoichiometry of the reaction, indicating the limiting reactant.

Step by step solution

01

Statement a

The limiting reactant has the lowest coefficient in a balanced equation. This statement is not always true. The coefficients in a balanced equation give the stoichiometric ratio between the reactants and products in a reaction. However, the limiting reactant depends on both the stoichiometric ratio and the actual amounts of the reactants in the reaction. Therefore, the reactant with the lowest coefficient is not necessarily the limiting reactant.
02

Statement b

The limiting reactant is the reactant for which you have the fewest number of moles. This statement is also not always true. While the limiting reactant can be the one with the fewest moles, the difference in molecular weight between the reactants is essential. If the molecular weight of a reactant is much larger than the others, it might still be the limiting reactant even if there are more moles of it.
03

Statement c

The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of moles available/coefficient in the balanced equation. This statement is true. To determine the limiting reactant, we can divide the amount of each reactant (in moles) by its respective coefficient in the balanced equation. The reactant with the lowest resulting quotient is the limiting reactant, as this indicates that it will be consumed the fastest according to the stoichiometry of the reaction.
04

Statement d

The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of coefficient in the balanced equation/moles available. This statement is incorrect. If we were to compute this ratio (coefficient/moles available) and identify the reactant with the lowest ratio as the limiting reactant, we would select the reactant with the highest ratio of moles available/coefficient instead. This is the opposite of what we want because the limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of moles available/coefficient, not the highest. In conclusion, the correct statement regarding the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction is: c. The limiting reactant has the lowest ratio of moles available/coefficient in the balanced equation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Adipic acid is an organic compound composed of 49.31\(\% \mathrm{C}\) , $43.79 \% \mathrm{O},$ and the rest hydrogen. If the molar mass of adipic acid is 146.1 \(\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mol}\) , what are the empirical and molecular formulas for adipic acid?

A compound contains 47.08\(\%\) carbon, 6.59\(\%\) hydrogen, and 46.33\(\%\) chlorine by mass; the molar mass of the compound is 153 g/mol. What are the empirical and molecular formulas of the compound?

A 9.780 -g gaseous mixture contains ethane $\left(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6}\right)\( and propane \)\left(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{8}\right) .$ Complete combustion to form carbon dioxide and water requires 1.120 \(\mathrm{mole}\) of oxygen gas. Calculate the mass percent of ethane in the original mixture.

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A common demonstration in chemistry courses involves adding a tiny speck of manganese(IV) oxide to a concentrated hydrogen peroxide $\left(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2}\right)$ solution. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes quite spectacularly under these conditions to produce oxygen gas and steam (water vapor). Manganese(IV) oxide is a catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and is not consumed in the reaction. Write the balanced equation for the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide.
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