Mass Participation in Chemical Reaction

A
balanced chemical equation and the law of conservation of mass help determine either the amount
of a product that can be formed from a given amount of reactant, or the amount of reactant
required to produce a certain quantity of a product.

Those quantitative relationship is called Stoichiometry

WHAT IS MASS RELATIONSHIP?

Relating the mass of any substance A to the mass of another substance B in a reaction may be done
in three steps as depicted in the diagram

1. Convert the mass of the given substance A to the number of moles using its molar mass

2. Calculate the mole of the sought substance B from the mole of the given substance A using the
mole ratio derived from the coefficients of the involved substances in a balanced equation. For
instance, in the reaction

2 H 2 ( g ) +O2 →2 H 2O(I)
2 mol H 2 :1 mol O2
2 mol H 2 : 2mol H 2 O
1 mol O 2 :2 mol H 2 O
3. Convert the mole of sought substance B to mass using its molar mass.
Sample Problem

The combustion of the mineral pyrite ( FeS2) produces another mineral hematite ( Fe2 O3) and sulfur
Dioxide ( SO 2).

Fe S 2(s) + O2(g)  Fe2 O 3 ( s ) +SO 2 (g)

a. How many grams of O 2( MM= 32.0 g/mol) will completely react with 75.0 grams of FeS2( MM= 119.85
g/mol)?
b. How many grams each of Fe2 O3 ( MM= 159.7 g/mol) and SO2( MM = 64. 0 g/mol) will be produced from
the reaction ogf 75.0 grams of FeS2, with 55.1 grams of O 2?

Solution:
Try to balance the equation to arrive at the same equation below

1 mol Fe S 2 11 mol O2 32 g O2
a. Mass O2 to react with Fe S 2 = 75.0 g Fe S 2 × × × ¿ 55.1 g
119.85 g Fe S 2 4 mol Fe S 2 1 mol O2

1 mol Fe S2 2 mol Fe2 O3 159.7 g Fe 2 O3

b. Mass Fe2 O3 produced = 75.0 g Fe S 2 × × × ¿ 50.0 g
119.85 gFe S2 4 mol Fe S2 1 mol Fe2 O3
 1 mol Fe S 2 8 mol S O2 64.0 g S O2
Mass SO 2 produced = 75.0 g Fe S 2 × 119.85 g Fe S × 4 mol Fe S × 1 mol S O ¿ 80.1 g
2 2 2

Since the law of conservation of mass applies to any reaction, the sum of the amounts of
the reactants and that of the products should be equal.

(s) + 11 (g)  2 (g)

75.0 g + 55.1 g  50.0 g +80.1 g

Exercise 1:

The neutralization reaction between hydrocholic acid (HCI) and calcium hydroxide
[Ca( Ho)¿¿ 2] ¿ produces calcium chloride (CaCI ¿¿ 2)¿ and water.

+ Ca (g)  2 (ag)

If 0.75 grams of Ca(Ho)2 is used in then reaction, determine the following:

a. Number of moles of HCI(MM=36.46 g/mol) needed to completely react with Ca(Ho
The molar mass of of Ca(Ho)2 is 74.10 g/mol

b. Mass of CaCI 2(MM= 110.98 g/mol) formed in the reaction.

 Theoretical Yield

The theoretical yield is the maximum possible mass of a product that can be made in a chemical

reaction.
It can be calculated from:

*the balanced chemical equation

*the mass and relative formula mass of the limiting reactant,

*the relative formula mass of the product

In sample Problem 4.8, the amount of Fe2 O 3 (50.0 g) or SO 2 (80.1 g) calculated from the
given amount Fe S 2, is considered as the theoretical yield ( or 100% yield or reaction yield)
of the reaction . Under ordinary laboratory conditions, however, tis theoretical yield is not
obtained because of several factors that affect the efficiency of the reaction. Oftentimes,
the actual yield, is less than the theoretical yield. The ratio ( in percent) between the actual
yield and theoretical yield is referred to as the percent yield given by:

actual yield (¿ grams)

percent yield = theoretical yield (¿ grams)
×100

From Sample Problem 4.8, suppose 41.3 grams of Fe2 O3 , was produced during
experiment. What is the percent yield of the reaction?
actual yield (¿ grams)
percent yield = theoretical yield (¿ grams)
×100

= 82.6%
 LIMITING AND EXCESS REAGENTS
The calculations performed in the previous examples were based on a given
amount of one reactant.

If the reaction is to start with given amounts of two reactants, the

substance that limit the formation of the product should be identified first.
This substance, referred to as limiting reagent, is consumed completely in the
reaction. Once the reagent is used up, the reaction no longer proceeds and so
does the formation of products. This other reactant, which will have some
unreacted amount after the reaction, is the excess reagent. The theoretical
yield is obtained based on the amount of the limiting reagent

Sample Problem

 Consider the production of phosphorus trichloride ( PCI ¿¿ 3)¿ from phosphorus (P¿¿
and cholorine (CI ¿ ¿1).¿

P4 (s) + 6 CI ( g ) → 4 PCI (I )
2 3

If 25.o grams of P4 (MM = 123.88 g/mol and 25.0 grams of C 1 (MM = 70.9 g/mol)
are used In the reaction, which is the limiting and the excess reagent? What is
the theoretical yield of the reaction? The molar mass of PCI 3 is 137.32 g/mol
 1 mol P4 6 mol CI 2 70.9 CI 2
mass CI 2needed = 25.0 g P4 ×
123.88 g P 4
×
1 mol P4
×
1 mol C2
¿ 85. 8 g

1 mol CI 2 1 mol P4 123.88 g P 4

amount P4 needed = 25.0 g CI 2 × ×
70.9 g CI 2 6 mol CI 2
×
1 mol P4
¿ 7.3 g

1 mol CI
2 3 4 mol PCI 3 137.32 g PCI
amount PCI 3 produced = 25.0 g CI 2 × 70.9 g CI × 6 mol CI × 1 mol PCI ¿ 32.3 g
2 2 3

To check if the reaction is consistent with the law of conservatio

(l)

25.0 g +7.3 g=32.3 g

 The second approach to solving the problem require calculating the reaction yield
from each of the given amount of the reactants

1 mol CI 2 4 mol PCI 3 137.32 g P CI 3

amount PCI 3 produce ¿ C2 = 25.0 g CI 2 × × × =32.3 g
70.9 g C 2 6 mol C 2 1mol PCI 3

1 mol P4 4 mol PCI 3 137.32 g PCI 3

amount PCI 3 produce ¿ P4 = 25.0 g P 4 × × × =110.8 g
123.88 g P4 6 mol P 4 1mol PCI 3

The reactant that gives a lower reaction yield is the limiting reagent . In this case, it is CI 2 .
The reaction yield is therefore 32.3 g of PCI 3. The excess reagent is .
 Exercise 2
Phosphoric acid ( H 3 PO 4 )
can be prepared from phosphorus triiodide ( PI 3 ¿ ,
according to the reaction:

PI 3 ( s ) + H 2 (l ) → H 3 PO 4 ( aq ) + HI ( g)

Balance the equation. If 50 grams of PI 3 (MM = 411.7 g/mol) is added

to 250 milliliters of H 2 O (MM= 18.01 g/mol, p = 1.00 g/mL),
identify the limiting and excess reagents.
How many grams of H 3 PO 4 (MM= 97.99 g/mol) will be theoretically produced?