Limiting and Excess Reagent

Additional Example:
1. How many grams of silver bromide (AgBr) can be formed when solutions containing
50.0g of MgBr2 and 100.0g of AgNO3 are mixed? How many grams of the excess
reactant remained unreacted? How much is the actual yield if the reaction yields 89%?
MgBr2(aq) + 2AgNO3(aq) → 2AgBr + Mg(NO3)2(aq)
Step 1 Calculate the grams of AgBr that can be formed from each reactant.
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟 187.8 𝑔𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟2
50.0𝑔 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝒈 𝑨𝒈𝑩𝒓
184.1 𝑔 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟

1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟 187.8 𝑔𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟

100.0𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 = 110.5𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟
169.9 𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟

Step 2 Determine the limiting reactant.

The limiting reactant is MgBr2 because it yields less AgBr; AgNO3 is in excess.
Step 3 Calculate the grams of unreacted AgNO3 that will react with 50.0g of MgBr2.

1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 169.9𝑔𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3

50.0𝑔 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 = 92.3𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3
184.1 𝑔 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑀𝑔𝐵𝑟2 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3

Thus 92.3 g of AgNO3 reacts with 50.0g of MgBr2. The amount of AgNO3 that
remains unreacted is
100.0𝑔𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 − 92.3𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 = 𝟕. 𝟕𝒈 𝑨𝒈𝑵𝑶𝟑 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅

Step 4 Determine the actual yield using the formula

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
% 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 = 𝑥 100
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
89% =
102 𝑔

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
89/100 =
102 𝑔

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
0.89 =
102 𝑔
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 = 0.89 𝑥 102𝑔

𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒚𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 = 𝟗𝟎. 𝟕𝟖𝒈

 Limiting and Excess Reagent

2. Nitric oxide (NO) reacts with oxygen gas to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a dark-brown
gas:
2NO(g) + O2(g) → 2NO2(g)
In one experiment 0.886 mole of NO is mixed with 0.503 mole of O2. Calculate which of
the two reactants is the limiting reagent. Also calculate the number of moles of NO2
produced. What is the percent yield if the actual yield is 0.586 mol of NO2?
Step 1 Calculate the amount of product produced using the number of moles given

2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑂2
0.886 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑂 = = 0.886 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑂2
2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑂

2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑂2
0.503 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑂2 = = 1.01 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑁𝑂2
1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂2

Step 2 Determine the limiting reactant.

NO is the limiting reagent; it limits the amount of product produced. The amount
of product produced is 0.886 mole NO2.
Step 3 Determine the actual yield using the formula
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
% 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 = 𝑥 100
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑

0.586 𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 𝑥 100
0.886 𝑚𝑜𝑙

= 𝟔𝟔. 𝟏𝟒 %