Limiting Reactants

PRE-LAB ASSIGNMENTS:
To be assigned by your lab instructor.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Making calculations based upon the stoichiometry of a reaction
Performing an acid- base titration
Endpoint
Limiting reactant
Indicators
Equivalence point
EXPERIMENTAL GOALS:
The limiting reactant in an acid-base reaction ill be identified e!perimentally" and the amount
of e!cess reactant remaining after the reaction ill be determined by titration. These data ill be
used to e!plore the limiting reagent concept.
INTRODUCTION:
#hen e are given a reaction beteen to or more reactants" one may be completely
consumed before the other$s%. The reaction stops at this point, and no further product is made.
The reactant that e run out of first is knon as the limiting reactant" because it limits the
amount of product$s% that can form. The amount of product$s% that are made based on the
limiting reactant is the te!retical "iel#. The other reactants are present in excess" because some
amount of those reactants ill still be present hen the reaction stops.
&or e!ample" suppose e ere making standard '-door cars" and e had the folloing
very incomplete list of (ingredients.) *o many cars could e make+
' engines ' steering heels ' rear-vie mirrors
, headlights , license plate holders , indshield ipers
' drivers- seats ./ doors .. heels
&rom the ' engines" , headlights $one on each side%" ' driver-s seats" ' steering heels" , license
plate holders $one in front and one in back%" ' rear-vie mirrors" and , indshield ipers $one
on each side%" e can make ' cars. *oever" if e have ./ doors" and e need ' per car" e can
only make 0 complete cars. The (yield) of cars is even further reduced hen e consider the
heels1 if e have .. heels" and need ' per car" e ill only be able to make 2 complete cars.
Thus" in this e!ample" the heels are the limiting reactant" and the theoretical yield is 2 cars.
.30
4o" let-s consider a chemical e!ample. 5mmonia" 4*0" is synthesi6ed from nitrogen
gas" 42" and hydrogen gas" *2" in the *aber process by the folloing reaction1
42$g% 7 0*2$g% 24*0$g%
Example 1: 8uppose e mi! ..99 moles of 42 and /.99 moles of *2. #hat is the
ma!imum amount of 4*0 that can be produced+ *o much *2 ill be left over+
In this e!ample" figuring out the limiting reactant and theoretical yield is straight-
forard1 according to the stoichiometry of the reaction" . mole of 42 requires 0
moles of *2. 8ince e have /.99 moles of *2" only 0.99 moles of the *2 can react
ith the ..99 moles of 42" hich ill produce 2.99 moles of 4*0" and there ill
be 2.99 moles of *2 left over.
Example 2: 8uppose e mi! 2../ moles of 42 and :../ moles of *2. #hat is the
theoretical yield of 4*0+ *o much of the e!cess reactant ill be left over+
In this case" e-re not dealing ith hole numbers" so e need to do some math.
To figure out the limiting reactant" e ill consider each reactant" and see ho
much of the product is formed
Assuming the N2 reacts completely, how much N! can "e made#
0
2
0
2
4* mol '.09
4 mol .
4* mol 2
4 mol 2../ =
Assuming the 2 reacts completely, how much N! can "e made#
0
2
0
2
4* mol '..9
* mol 0
4* mol 2
* mol :../ =
8ince the *2 produces the smallest amount of 4*0" *2 is the limiting reactant" and
the theoretical yield of 4*0 is '..9 moles.
The 42 ill be present in e!cess. To figure out ho much is left over" first" e
need to figure out ho much ill react1
2
2
2
2
4 mol 2.9/
* mol 0
4 mol .
* mol :../ =
8ince 2.9/ moles of 42 react" and e have 2../ moles of 42 available" the amount
left over ill be1
2../ mol 42 initially ; 2.9/ mol 42 reacted < 9..9 mol 42 left over
.3'
4otice that in E!ample 2" even though there are more moles of *2 present than 42" the *2 is still
the limiting reactant. $t%s not enough to loo& at 'ust the num"er of moles of the reactants that are
present ( we have to consider the stoichiometric ratio in which they react.
In this e!ample" there as only one product" but the same logic applies to reactions ith
more than one product1 e figure out hich reactant produces the smallest number of moles $or
grams% of one of the products" and that reactant is the limiting reactant. 8ince e are dealing
ith balanced chemical reactions" the limiting reactant for one product is the limiting reactant for
all of the products.
4o" let-s look at an e!ample involving grams of reactants and products" since that-s
hat e ould actually measure in the laboratory.
Example !: =utane" >'*.9" undergoes combustion ith o!ygen" ?2" to form
carbon dio!ide and ater1
$C%&'()g* + ',O$)g* -CO$)g* + '(&$O)g*
/,..2 g@mol 02.99 g@mol ''.9. g@mol .,.92 g@mol
If .99. g of >'*.9 and 2/9. g of ?2 are mi!ed"
a. #hich of the to reactants is the limiting reagent" and hat is the theoretical yield of
>?2+
b. #hat is the theoretical yield of *2?+
c. *o many grams of e!cess reagent are left over+
d. If the actual yield of >?2 had been .// g" hat ould be the percent yield of the
reaction+
a. 8ince e-re asked ho many grams of >?2 ill be formed" e-ll convert grams of
each one of the reactants to grams of >?21
2
2
2
.9 '
2
.9 '
.9 '
.9 '
>? g 090
>? mol .
>? g ''.9.

* > mol 2
>? mol ,

* > g /,..2
* > mol .
* > g .99. =
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
>? g 2.2
>? mol .
>? g ''.9.

? mol .0
>? mol ,

? g 02.99
? mol .
? g 2/9. =
8ince ?2 produces the smallest amount of >?2" ?2 is the limiting reactant" and the
theoretical yield of >?2 is 2.2 g.
b. If ?2 is the limiting reactant for the formation of >?2" it is also the limiting reactant
for the formation of *2?1
.3/
? * g .9,
? * mol .
? * g .,.92

? mol .0
? * mol .9

? g 02.99
? mol .
? g 2/9.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
=
c. To figure out ho many grams of >'*.9 are left over" e first need to figure out ho
many grams ill react ith the ?21
.9 '
.9 '
.9 '
2
.9 '
2
2
2
* > g 39.9
* > mol .
* > g /,..2

? mol .0
* > mol 2

? g 02.99
? mol .
? g 2/9. =
4o" e take the difference beteen the amount e started ith and the amount that
ill react1
.99. g >'*.9 initially ; 39.9 g >'*.9 reacted < 09. g >'*.9 left over
.
d. The percent yield of >?2 is the actual yield divided by the theoretical yield1
30..A .99
>? g 2.2
>? g .//
yield percent
2
2
= =
In this e!periment" e ill e!plore the concept of limiting reactant as it relates to a
reaction beteen a strong acid and a strong base. Bou ill be using acid-base indicators and
titrations to accomplish this. In acid-base titrations" an indicator dye is often used to determine
hen the titration is complete. &or most indicators" the endpoint occurs hen the solution
changes color $e.g." clear solution pink solution or vice versa%.
Cemember that titrations compare the moles of reactants on the basis of the reaction-s
stoichiometry" hich is determined from the balanced chemical reaction. &or e!ample" if to
substances" 5 and =" react in a 21. stoichiometric ratio
2
" then one mole of = reacts ith 2 moles
of 5. If e kno the moles of one substance $i.e" 5%" then this ratio permits us determine the
concentration of the other $=% at and only at the point here both reactants are limiting $neither
is in e!cess%D this point is referred to as the e./i0alence 1!int of the titration. The titration must
be stopped as close to the equivalence point as possible. This e!perimentally determined point is
referred to as the en#1!int. If the volume of the titrant measured at the endpoint is belo or
above the volume required to achieve an e!act equivalence point" the results ill be inaccurate.
Provided that a suitable indicator is used" there is very little difference beteen the end
point and the equivalence point. These organic dye compounds e!hibit a change in color over a
narro p* range. The table belo lists the color changes hich are observed for several
.
Is this the right number of significant figures+ $int: Cemember the rules for addition and subtraction.%
2
Cemember that for chemical reactions" the stoichiometric ratio is simply the ratio of the stoichiometric coefficients
of the to substances in the balanced chemical reaction. In the above e!ample" 25 7 = products" the
stoichiometric ratio of 5 to = is 21..
.3:
indicators over a particular p* range. $5n acidic solution has a p* of less than 3" a basic
solution has a p* of greater than 3" and a neutral solution has a p* of 3.%
In#icat!r 1& Range C!l!r Cange
Ethyl Ced '.9-/., >olorless to red
>resol Ced 3.9-,., Bello to red
=romothymol blue :.9-3.: Bello to blue
Phenol red :.'-,.9 Bello to Ced
Phenolphthalein ,.9-E.: >olorless to pink
Thymolphthalein E./-.9.: >olorless to blue
In this lab you ill use phenolphthalein to determine hether the e!cess reactant is the
acid or base. If e!cess acid is present" the resulting solution ill be acidic $#hat color ill the
solution be+%. If the base is in e!cess" the solution ill be basic after the reaction $again" hat
color+%. The number of moles of e!cess acid and base ill be determined by titration using the
same indicator. #hen indicators are used in a titration" the point at hich the indicator changes
color is the titration end point.
The reaction that e ill be using today is the reaction beteen *>l and 4a?*1
*>l 7 4a?* 4a>l 7 *2?
There are some items of information that are necessary for understanding the calculations
in this lab1
The stoichiometric ratio of reactants hich can be obtained from the balanced equation.
The moles of the unreacted e!cess reactant are determined using an acid-base titration.
PROCEDURE:
Safety Information
*>l and *4?0 are strong acids and 4a?* and F?* are strong bases. If you spill any of
these solutions on yourself" flush the area thoroughly ith ater" and inform your
instructor. If your skin comes in contact ith 4a?* or F?* solutions" you ill feel
your skin become (slimy) as oils on your skin are converted to soap. Cinse your hands
ith plenty of ater if you notice this feeling.
>lean up any spills of 4a?* pellets immediately.
>ontact stockroom personnel to help clean up any large spills of acid or base solution.
The addition of 4a?* to ater is an e!othermic processD add the 4a?* sloly" in small
portions to the solution.
A2 Organi3ing Gr!/1 4!r5
.33
Bou ill ork in groups of eight. Each student ill prepare one solution by adding different
masses of 4a?* pellets to 09.99 mL *>l solution and then analy6ing that solution. 5s a group"
you must make sure that the amounts 4a?* used span the range of about 9.2 to 2.2 g 4a?*"
ith the points spaced out somehat evenly across that range.
.3,
B2 Pre1aring te S!l/ti!ns2
.. 5n 4a?* pellet eighs appro!imately 9.2 grams. In a clean dry beaker" eigh out the mass
of 4a?* assigned to you ithin G 9.2 grams. This can be conveniently done by using the
Tare function on the balance.
a. Place a small" empty beaker on the balance" and press the (Tare) buttonD the reading
should go to 9.999" but may vary G 9.992 g.
b. Hsing a spatula" add 4a?* pellets until you get to the desired mass. $Io not handle
the pellets ith your fingers" and clean up any spilled 4a?* pellets.%
c. Cecord the e!act mass of the 4a?*.
d. Make sure that you replace the lid on the 4a?* bottle" since 4a?* is hygroscopic.
2. >lean a 2/9 mL Erlenmeyer flask" and rinse it three times ith small portions of II ater.
Iry the outside of the flaskD it is not necessary to dry the inside $the presence of a small
amount of II ater has no effect on the amount of acid or base present" and therefore no
effect on the titration or results.%. &rom the buret labeled ..9 M *>l" deliver 09.99 mL of
*>l solution into your beaker. =ecause it is important to use the same volume of *>l in
each run" use the folloing procedure1
a. &ill the buret to Just above the 9.99 mark using the ash bottle labeled ..9 M *>l.
b. Irain the buret into a aste container until the meniscus is as close to the 9.99 mark
as possible.
c. Place your Erlenmeyer flask under the buretD open the stopcock and drain the buret to
the 09.99 mL mark. 8ince some liquid may cling to the sides of the buret" ait about
one minute" and if the meniscus is above the 09.99 mL mark" open the stopcock and
again drain it to the 09.99 mark.
d. Cecord the e!act concentration of the *>l.
0. )lowly add the 4a?* pellets to your flask" sirling the flask gently as you do so. $The
dissolution of the 4a?* and its reaction ith the acid produce a lot of heat" hich may cause
splattering if the pellets are added all at once.% 8irl the flask to completely dissolve the
4a?*. Make sure that you label your flasks in order to avoid confusion.
C2 Set/1 6!r te Titrati!ns2
.. #orking as a group" obtain appro!imately ./9 mL of ..9 M *4?0 and ./9 mL of ..9 M
F?* in to separate beakers. *a&e sure that you record the actual concentration of the
N+! and ,+ from the la"els on the stoc& "ottles.
2. &ill to burets ith the *4?0 solution" and to ith the F?* solution. Make sure to first
rinse the burets ith to 0-/ mL portions of the solution you are filling them ith. Label the
burets as F?* or *4?0 so that they can be identified later.
.3E
D2 Determining te Limiting Reagent an# Per6!rming te Titrati!n2
Each member of your group must record the data for their titration during this portion of the lab.
Each student should titrate their solution according to the folloing procedure.
.. 5dd 0 drops of phenolphthalein to the solution being titrated. =ased on the color of the
indicator in your solution" determine hether your solution is acidic or basic" hether *>l or
4a?* is the e!cess reagent" and hether you ill use *4?0 or F?* to titrate your solution.
If you are uncertain of this choice" check ith your instructor before titrating. Cecord your
conclusions in section I of the Lab Ceport. If you fail to add the phenolphthalein" it ill be
difficult to perform this e!perimentK
2. =ring your flask to the buret required for your titration. =efore starting each titration" the
buret used should be filled to near the 9.9 mark. Cemove any bubbles from the stopcock by
draining a small amount of solution into a aste container. Cecord the position of the
meniscus as the initial volume.
0. Titrate your solution to the appropriate endpoint $from clear to pink if titrating ith F?*"
and from pink to clear if titrating ith *4?0%. In each case" a permanent transition should
occur ith the addition of no more than one drop of solution.
'. Cecord the final volume on the buret.
E2 Anal"sis !6 In#i0i#/al Titrati!n Res/lts
>omplete this section of your lab report" shoing any required calculations. Bou can consult
ith your partner or other group members" but you should do your on calculations and give
your on observations and ansers.
72 Anal"sis !6 Gr!/1 Data
>omplete the group analysis section of your lab report.
.,9
.,.
LAB REPORT
Limiting Reactants
4ame LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Iate LLLLLLLLL Ceport Mrade LLLLLL
Partner LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 8ection LLLLLLLLL
A2 Organi3ing Gr!/1 4!r5
4ame N mass 4a?* 4ame N mass 4a?*
88888888888888888888 8888888888 88888888888888888888 8888888888
88888888888888888888 8888888888 88888888888888888888 8888888888
88888888888888888888 8888888888 88888888888888888888 8888888888
88888888888888888888 8888888888 88888888888888888888 8888888888
DATA ANAL9SIS PER7ORMED B9 EAC& STUDENT ON T&EIR SOLUTION
B2 Pre1aring te S!l/ti!ns: C2 Set/1 6!r te Titrati!ns2
5ctual Mass of 4a?* used LLLLLLLLLLLL Moles of 4a?* used LLLLLLLLLLLL
Oolume of *>l LLLLLLLLLLLL >oncentration of *>l LLLLLLLLLLLL
>oncentration of *4?0 LLLLLLLLLLLL >oncentration of F?* LLLLLLLLLLLL
D2 Determining te Limiting Reagent an# Per6!rming te Titrati!n2
>olor of indicator added to solution LLLLLLLLLLLL
Is the solution acidic or basic+ LLLLLLLLLLLL
#hich reagent is in e!cess+ LLLLLLLLLLLL
This reagent ill be titrated ith *4?0 or F?* $circle one%
-$f you are uncertain of this choice, chec& with your instructor "efore titrating..
I6 "!/r e;cess reagent is NaO&< g! t! secti!n E' )12 '-(*2
I6 "!/r e;cess reagent is &Cl< g! t! secti!n E$ )12 '-'*2
.,2
E'2 Anal"sis !6 In#i0i#/al Titrati!n Res/lts )NaO& in e;cess*
$n this procedure, you will "e titrating unreacted Na+.
>oncentration of *4?0 Titrant LLLLLLLLLLLL
Initial Oolume of *4?0 LLLLLLLLLLLL
&inal Oolume of *4?0 LLLLLLLLLLLL
Oolume of *4?0 LLLLLLLLLLLL
Hse the titration data recorded above to complete the folloing section.
.. >alculate the total number of moles of 4a?* that ere added to your reaction mi!ture.
2. Hse the volume and concentration of the *4?0 used during the titration to determine ho
many moles of the 4a?* ere left over after the reaction beteen the *>l and the 4a?*.
0. *o many moles of the 4a?* ere consumed during the reaction beteen *>l and 4a?*+
'. &rom the moles of 4a?* that ere consumed $calculated in step 0%" determine the number of
moles and grams of 4a>l that ere produced during the reaction beteen *>l and 4a?*.
.,0
E$2 Anal"sis !6 In#i0i#/al Titrati!n Res/lts )&Cl in e;cess*
$n this procedure, you will "e titrating unreacted /l.
>oncentration of F?* Titrant LLLLLLLLLLLL
Initial Oolume of F?* LLLLLLLLLLLL
&inal Oolume of F?* LLLLLLLLLLLL
Oolume of F?* LLLLLLLLLLLL
Hse the titration data recorded above to complete the folloing section.
.. >alculate the total number of moles of *>l that ere added to your reaction mi!ture.
2. Hse the volume and concentration of the F?* used during the titration to determine ho
many moles of the *>l ere left over after the reaction beteen the *>l and the 4a?*.
0. *o many moles of the *>l ere consumed during the reaction beteen *>l and 4a?*+
'. &rom the moles of *>l that ere consumed $calculated in step 0%" determine the number of
moles and grams of 4a>l that ere produced during the reaction beteen *>l and 4a?*.
.,'
72 Anal"sis !6 Gr!/1 Data
.. Mroup Iata Table1
4ame
Target g
4a?*
5ctual g
4a?*
Moles
4a?*
Oolume
*>l
solution
Moles
*>l
Indicator
color
Limiting
Ceactant
Titrant
Oolume
Moles
4a>l
formed
Moles
e!cess
4a?*
Moles
e!cess
*>l
.,/
2. ?n the graph paper provided" plot the moles of 4a?* used on the x-a!is versus the folloing
quantities on the y-a!is1
moles of 4a>l formed
moles of e!cess 4a?*
moles of e!cess *>l
0. E!plain the observed trends in your graph in light of the concept of the limiting reagent.
'. =riefly sketch ho your graph ould have looked if this e!periment ould have been carried
out using a fi!ed amount of 4a?* and varying the amount of *>l.
.,:
4ame LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
.,3