Chemical Reaction Stoichiometry – Important Equations

 Stoichiometric equation: aA + bB  cC + dD,

where a, b, c, and d are stoichiometric coefficients

 The stoichiometric ratio of two molecular species participating in a reaction is the

ratio of their stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced reaction equation.

a mol of A consumed d mol of D generated

Examples: ,
c mol of C generated b mol of B consumed

 Two reactants, A and B, are said to be present in stoichiometric proportion if the

mole of A present
ratio equals the stoichiometric ratio.
mole of B present

 Limiting reactant: the reactant that would run out if a reaction proceeded to
completion; a reactant is limiting if it is present in less than its stoichiometric ratio
relative to every other reactant.

 Excess reactants: the reactants that are left over after a reaction has gone to
completion.

 Stoichiometric requirement,  ni  : the amount of a reactant species i needed to

stoich

react completely with the limiting reactant.

 Fractional excess: the ratio of the excess to the stoichiometric requirement of an

excess reactant.
(n )  (ni ) stoich
fractional excess of i  i feed
(ni )stoich

percent excess of i   fractional excess of i  100%

moles reacted
 fractional conversion: f 
moles fed

percent conversion  f 100%

 Calculating the extent of reaction,  , can be useful in solving balances on reactive

systems:

1
 o Define the variable  i to be the stoichiometric coefficient of the ith
species in a balanced chemical reaction, where  i is negative for reactants,
positive for products, and zero for inert species.
o Using ni 0 (moles of species i fed to a batch reactor) or n i 0 (molar flow
rate of species i into a continuous reactor) for a steady-state process the
following mass balances can be written:

ni  ni 0   i (batch) or ni  ni 0   i  (continuous)

o Then, if the all of the feed quantities, ni 0 , are known and one exit quantity,
ni , is known, the equation for which both ni 0 and ni are known can be
used to calculate  .
o The remaining ni values can then be found by substituting  into each of
the remaining equations.
o A similar process can be used in the case where all exit quantities, ni , and
one feed quantity, ni 0 , is known.

 Writing mass balances using the extent of reaction when multiple reactions occur:

ni  ni 0    ij j
j

 Equilibrium concentrations can be calculated using a given equilibrium relation

and  e , the extent of reaction at equilibrium.

moles of desired product formed

 Yield:
moles of desired product that would have formed if there were no
side reactions and the limiting reactant had reacted completely

moles of desired product formed

moles of reactant fed

moles of desired product formed

moles of reactant comsumed in the reactor

 Selectivity: