LIMITING & EXCESS

REAGENTS
General Chemistry 1
Gr. 12 STEM (Campos)
Q1 Week 5 MELC 13
November 4-5, 2020
 Most Essential Learning Competency 13
Explain the concept of limiting reagent in a chemical
reaction.
Identify the excess reagents.
Calculate the amount of product/s formed based on the
limiting reagent in a chemical reaction.
Calculate the amount of excess reagent, left after the
reaction, based on the limiting reagent in a chemical
reaction.
Calculate the % Yield of product/s using the concept of
limiting reagent in a chemical reaction.
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
• The main goal with chemical reactions, especially in
manufacturing plants, is to produce the maximum quantity
of useful products from the original materials at the
minimum cost.
• An excess of one of the original materials is usually supplied
to ensure that the more expensive raw material is
completely used up.
• Once one of the reactants is consumed, no more product can
be formed.
• Consequently, any excess of the other original materials will
be left unreacted at the end of the reaction.
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
Limiting reactant – completely used up first in the reaction
Limits the amount of the other reactant consumed and the
amount of product formed in a chemical reaction
Excess reactant – the substance that is not completely used up
in the reaction
Note: This is also a type of stoichiometric problems; the
difference with the problems in MELC 11 is that only one
amount of either the product or reactant is given, but here the
amounts of both the reactants are all given
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
Examples:
1) Steel wool is made of pure iron metal and burns with oxygen gas (O2)
to produce ferric oxide (Fe2O3) in the reaction
4Fe(s) + 3O2(g) 2Fe2O3(s)
If there are 1.25 mol of Fe and 1.25 mol of O2,
a) how many mol of Fe2O3 will be produced? What is its mass?
Step 1: Check if the equation is balanced or not.
Chemical reaction: 4Fe(s) + 3O2(g) 2Fe2O3(s)
Step 2: Solve the amount of the product/s based on the amounts of both reactants to
determine the limiting reagent.
From Fe: 1.25 mol Fe x = 0.625 mol Fe2O3 formed
From O2: 1.25 mol O2 x = 0.833 mol Fe2O3 formed
Step 3: The limiting reagent is determined by which a lesser amount of product is
formed. In this case, 0.625 mol Fe2O3 is formed(lesser) from Fe.
Therefore, Fe is the limiting reagent and will base the amount of product/s from Fe not
from O2.
a. The number of moles Fe2O3 produced is 0.625 moles.
b. 0.625 mol Fe2O3 x = 100 g Fe2O3 produced
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
Examples:
2) In an experiment, 3.25 g of NH3 are allowed to react with 3.50 g of O2 in the reaction
NH3 + O2 NO + H2O
a. Which reactant is the limiting reagent?  
Balance the chemical reaction.
4 NH3 + 5 O2 4 NO + 6 H2O
Note: Calculation based on amount of NO since the question is amount NO formed; then the stoichiometric
ratio is between NH3 and NO & O2 and NO
From NH3: 3.25 g NH3 x x = 0.1912 mol NO produced
From O2: 3.50g O2 x x = 0.0875 mol NO produced
The limiting reagent is O2 since the amount of NO produced is lesser.
b. How many grams of NO are formed?  
0.0875 mol NO x = 2.63 g NO produced
c. How much of the excess reactant remains after the reaction?  
NH3 is the excess reagent.
Based on the limiting reagent, O2, determine the amount of NH3 used up
3.50 g O2 x x x = 1.49 g NH3 that reacted or used up
Amount of NH3 left after the reaction: 3.25 g – 1.49 g = 1.76 g
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
Examples:
3. If 4.95 g of ethylene (C2H4) are combusted with 3.25 g of oxygen.
a. What is the limiting reagent?  
Balanced equation: C2H4 + 3O2 2 CO2 + 2H2O
(Note: Combustion always gives CO2 and H2O.)
CO2 formed from C2H4 :
4.95 g C2H4 x x = 0.3536 mol CO2 formed
CO2 formed from O2 :
3.25 g O2 x x = 0.0677 mol CO2 formed
Limiting reagent (LR): O2 because the amount of CO2 formed is lesser
b. How many grams of CO2 are formed? 
Based on LR which is O2 :
0.0677 mol CO2 x = 2.98 g formed
c. How much excess reactant was left after the reaction?
3.25 g O2 x x x = 0.95 g C2H4 used up
Amount C2H4 that remained after the reaction: 4.95 g - 0.95 g = 4.00 g C2H4 left
Limiting and Excess Reactants
4. Consider the reaction of C6H6  + Br2             C6H5Br + HBr
• Balance the reaction first:
C6H6  + Br2             C6H5Br + HBr (already balanced)
a. What is the theoretical yield of C6H5Br (bromobenzene) if 42.1 g of
C6H6 react with 73.0 g of Br2?  
C6H5Br formed fr. C6H6: 42.1 g C6H6 x x
= 0.5397 mol C6H5Br formed
C6H5Br formed fr. Br2: 73.0 g Br2 x x
= 0.4563 mol C6H5Br formed
LR is Br2.
Theoretical yield: 0.4563 mol C6H5Br x = 71.64 g formed
b. If the actual yield of C6H5Br is 63.6 g, what is the percent yield?  %
Yield = x 100
= 88.78%
 Limiting and Excess Reactants
5. Use the following reaction:
C4H9OH + NaBr + H2SO4             C4H9Br + NaHSO4 + H2O
(Note: The equation is already balanced.)

If 15.0 g of C4H9OH (1-butanol or n-butyl alcohol) react with 22.4 g of NaBr and 32.7 g of
H2SO4 to yield 17.1 g of C4H9Br (bromobutane), what is the percent yield of this reaction?
C4H9Br formed fr. C4H9OH: 15.0 g C4H9OH x x = 0.2027 mol

C4H9Br formed fr. NaBr: 22.4 g NaBr x x = 0.2175 mol

C4H9Br formed fr. H2SO4: 32.7 g H2SO4 x x = 0.3337 mol

Limiting Reagent: C4H9OH
C4H9Br formed fr. C4H9OH: 0.2027 mol C4H9Br x = 27.77 g

% Yield = x 100 = 61.56%

 % Yield and Reactant Needed
6. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is made by a combining Si and nitrogen gas (N2) at a high
temperature. How much (in g) Si is needed to react with an excess of nitrogen gas to
prepare 125 g of silicon nitride if the percent yield of the reaction is 95.0%?
Balanced Chemical Reaction: 3Si + 2N2 Si3N4

% Yield = x 100
Determine the Theoretical Yield:
0.95 =
X = 131.6 g Si3N4 formed
131.6 g Si3N4 x x x
= 78.96 g Si needed
 Worksheet # 13.1
1. A reaction container holds 5.77 g of P4 and 5.77 g of O2.The following reaction occurs:
P4 + 3O2    P4O6.
          

If enough oxygen is available then the P4O6 reacts further in the following reaction
P4O6 + 2O2    P4O10.
          

a. What is the limiting reagent for the formation of P4O6?

Fr. P4 : 5.77 g P4 x x = 0.0465 mol P4O6 formed

Fr. O2 : 5.77 g O2 x x = 0.0601 mol P4O6 formed

Limiting reagent : P4
b. How much P4O6 are formed?
0.0465 mol P4O6 x = 10.23 g
c. How much O2 reacted with all P4?
5.77 g P4 x x = 0.1396 mol O2 x = 4.47 g
d. How much O2 remained after the reaction?
0.1803 mol – 0.1396 mol = 0.0407 mol x = 1.30 g
 Worksheet # 13.1
e. What is the limiting reagent for the formation of P4O10?
P4 is the limiting reagent in the reaction P4 + 3O2 P4O6, so there’s O2 left from
the reaction (0.0407 mol, which is now the limiting reagent for the 2nd reaction.
P4O6 + 2O2 P4O10
f. What mass of P4O10 is produced?
0.0407 mol O2 x x = 5.78 g
g. What mass of excess reactant is left in the reaction container?
The excess reagent for the 2nd reaction is P4O6.
Based on O2 which is the LR for the 2nd reaction, amount P4O6 used up:
0.0407 mol O2 x = 0.0204 mol
0.0465 mol P4O6 formed from the 1st reaction - 0.0204 mol
= 0.0261 mol left x 220=5.74 g P4O6 (excess reagent)
 Worksheet # 13.1
e. What is the limiting reagent for the formation of P4O10?
P4 is the limiting reagent in the reaction P4 + 3O2 P4O6, so there’s O2 left from
the reaction (0.0407 mol, which is now the limiting reagent for the 2nd reaction.
P4O6 + 2O2 P4O10
f. What mass of P4O10 is produced?
0.0407 mol O2 x x = 5.78 g
g. What mass of excess reactant is left in the reaction container?
The excess reagent for the 2nd reaction is P4O6.
Based on O2 which is the LR for the 2nd reaction, amount P4O6 used up:
0.0407 mol O2 x = 0.0204 mol
0.0465 mol P4O6 formed from the 1st reaction - 0.0204 mol
= 0.0261 mol left x 220=5.74 g P4O6 (excess reagent)
 Worksheet # 13.1

2. The reaction between copper(II) chloride and sodium nitrate

yields copper(II) nitrate and sodium chloride.
a. Write the balanced equation for this reaction.
CuCl2 +    2 NaNO3    Cu(NO3)2 + 2 NaCl
b. If 15 grams of copper (II) chloride react with 20.0 grams of
sodium nitrate, which is the limiting reagent?
Fr. CuCl2 :15 g CuCl2 x x = 0.2224 mol NaCl
Fr. NaNO3 : 20.0 g NaNO3 x x = 0.2353 mol NaCl
Limiting Reagent: CuCl2
 Worksheet # 13.1

2. The reaction between copper(II) chloride and sodium nitrate

yields copper(II) nitrate and sodium chloride.
a. Write the balanced equation for this reaction.
CuCl2 +    2 NaNO3    Cu(NO3)2 + 2 NaCl
b. If 15 grams of copper (II) chloride react with 20.0 grams of
sodium nitrate, which is the limiting reagent?
Fr. CuCl2 :15 g CuCl2 x x = 0.2224 mol NaCl
Fr. NaNO3 : 20.0 g NaNO3 x x = 0.2353 mol NaCl
Limiting Reagent: CuCl2
 Worksheet # 13.1
CuCl2 +    2 NaNO3    Cu(NO3)2 + 2 NaCl

2. How much sodium chloride can be formed?  

Based on LR: 0.2224 mol NaCl x = 13.00g
c. How much of the excess reagent is left over in this reaction?
15 g CuCl2 x x = 0.2224 mol NaNO3 that reacted

20.0 g NaNO3 x =0.2353 mol available – 0.2224 mol used up

= 0.0129 mol left x = 1.0965 g NaNO3 left
  
 Worksheet # 13.1

2d. If 11.3 grams of sodium chloride are

formed in the reaction, what is the percent
yield of this reaction? 

% Yield =  x 100 = 86.92%

Worksheet # 13.1

3. Use the chemical reaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen

gas that yield methanol to solve the following problem.
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) CH3OH(l)
a. Which is the limiting reagent if 12.0 g H2 reacts with 74.5 g CO?
b. Calculate the number of grams of excess reagent?
Worksheet # 13.1

3. Use the chemical reaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen

gas that yield methanol to solve the following problem.
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) CH3OH(l)
a. Which is the limiting reagent if 12.0 g H2 reacts with 74.5 g CO?
Fr. H2 :12.0 g H2 x x = 3 mol CH3OH formed
Fr. CO :74.5 g CO x x = 2.66 mol CH3OH formed
Limiting reagent : H2
Worksheet # 13.1

3. Use the chemical reaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen

gas that yield methanol to solve the following problem.
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) CH3OH(l)
a. Which is the limiting reagent if 12.0 g H2 reacts with 74.5 g CO?
Fr. H2 :12.0 g H2 x x = 3 mol CH3OH formed
Fr. CO :74.5 g CO x x = 2.66 mol CH3OH formed
Limiting reagent : H2
Worksheet # 13.1

3b. How much methanol is produced from the

reaction?
Fr. H2 : 3 mol CH3OH formed x = 96 g
3c. What % yield of methanol will result from the
reaction if 93.4 g of the alcohol is recovered?
% Yield = x 100 = 97.29%