LABORATORY REPORT

CHM138 - BASIC CHEMISTRY

RAS1131E

EXPERIMENT: 3
TITLE: LIMITING REAGENT OF REACTION

PREPARED BY:
NAME STUDENT ID
MUHAMMAD FARID BIN MAT RAHIM 2022621066

LABORATORY PARTNERS:
NAME STUDENT ID
MUHAMMAD ILHAN SHAMSIR BIN AZRI SHAMSIR 2022451462

EXPERIMENT DATE: 7th November 2022

SUBMISSION DATE: 28th November 2022

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Syed Zhafer Firdaus Bin Syed Putra

a. Objectives:
1. To determine the limiting reagent from the reaction between sodium carbonate and
calcium nitrate tetra hydrate.
2. To calculate the percentage yield of calcium carbonate.
b. Introduction:
The limiting reagent is the reactant that completely used up in a reaction and thus
determines when the reaction stops. From stoichiometry, one can calculate the exact
amount of reactant needed to react with another element. If the reactants are not mixed
in the correct stoichiometry proportions (as seen in the balanced chemical equation),
then one of the reactants will be entirely consumed while another will be left over in
excess. The limiting reagent is the one that is totally consumed. The limiting reagent
limits the reaction from continuing because there is none left to react with the excess
reactant.

For this experiment, the reaction is between sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ and calcium
nitrate tetrahydrate, Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O. The colour of products obtain is white solid of
calcium carbonate, CaCO₃. At the end of the experiments, students will be able to
determine the limiting reactant and calculate the percentage yield of the products using
the formula below.

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
Percent Yield = 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 × 100

Actual Yield: Amount of product actually obtained (experimental)

Theoretical Yield: Maximum amount of product obtained (calculated from chemical
equation)
c. Apparatus:
i. Beakers (100mL)
ii. Measuring cylinder (10mL)
iii. Filter funnel
iv. Conical flask (100mL)
v. Filter paper
vi. Glass rod
vii. Petri dish
viii. Oven
d. Chemicals:
i. Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃
ii. Calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O
iii. Distilled water
e. Procedure:
1. The mass of a dry piece of filter paper was obtained and the mass recorded.
2. Two solutions prepared:
 a. Solution A: 0.50g Na₂CO₃ in a clean was weighed and 100mL beaker was dried.
10mL of distilled water into the beaker was added.
b. Solution B: 1.00g Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O in a clean was weighed and 100mL beaker
was dried. 10mL of distilled water into the beaker was added.
3. Solution A and Solution B mixed and then the mixture with a glass rod stirred.
4. After complete mixing, a filter funnel sat up. Use filter paper, fold as instructed
(Figure 2). The filter paper in the funnel placed and the sides wetted with distilled
water.
5. The mixture filtered through the filter funnel and filter paper. Passing solution
continued through the funnel until the solution in conical flask became clear. (This
may require you to rinse the reaction beaker with distilled water several times).
6. The filter paper placed on the petri dish and put them in the oven at 70°C. the filter
paper and the solid dried for 30-35 minutes. The mass of the filter paper and the
solid recorded.
7. The filter paper and solid discarded in the trash can.

f. Results:
i) Data:
Mass of Na₂CO₃ (g) 0.5060
Mass of Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O (g) 1.019
Mass of filter paper (g) 0.348
Mass of Ca₂CO₃ precipitate + filter paper 1.4780
(g)
Mass of Ca₂CO₃ precipitate (g) 1.13
ii) Calculations:
1. Write a balanced chemical equation including phases for the reaction.
Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O + Na₂CO₃ → CaCO₃ + 2NaNO₃ + 4H₂O
2. Determine the limiting reagent for the reaction.
Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O Na₂CO₃
i) Mol given 1 1
ii) Calculated mol 1.0191 0.5060
182 106
=5.60×10⁻3 =4.77×10⁻3
 iii) Ratio of 5.60 × 10⁻3 4.77 × 10⁻3
calculated mol 4.77 × 10⁻3 5.60 × 10⁻3
=1.17 =0.85
iv) Ratio of mol 1 1
given 1 1
=1 =1
v) Step iii-iv 1.17-1 0.85-1
=0.17 =-0.15
Limiting reagent= Na₂CO₃

3. Calculate the expected mass of CaCO₃ produced from the masses of

Na₂CO₃ and Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O.
𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑂₃
Mass of CaCO₃=𝑁𝑎₂𝐶𝑂₃ × mol Na₂CO₃ × RMM CaCO₃
1 0.5060
=1× 106
×100
=0.48g
𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑂₃
Mass of Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O= × mol Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O × RMM CaCO₃
𝐶𝑎(𝑁𝑂₃)₂•4𝐻₂𝑂
1 1.019
=1× 182 ×100
=0.56g
0.48+0.56=1.04g
4. Determine the percentage yield CaCO₃.
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
Percent yield= × 100
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑
1.13
=1.04×100
=108.65%
g. Discussion:

From the experiment limiting reagent of reaction, the result was obtained in this experiment
were different from the theory said. The mass of Na₂CO₃ was 0.5060g and the mass of
Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O was 1.0191g. The mass of filter paper was 0.348g. After heating process, mass
of CaCO₃ precipitate + filter paper was 1.4780g and the mass of CaCO₃ precipitate after
substrate was 1.13g.

h. Conclusion:
In conclusion of the experiment, I can determine the limiting reagent from the reaction
between sodium carbonate and calcium nitrate. Besides that, I can calculate the
percentage yield of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate.
i. Questions:
1. Determine type of reaction occurred in this experiment
Double displacement
2. If the mass of Na₂CO₃ was doubled and the mass of Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O was held
constant, would you have the same limiting reactant? Show calculations to support
your answer.
Na₂CO₃ Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O
i) Mol given 1 1
 ii) Calculated mol 2(0.5060) 1.0191
106 182
=9.55×10¯3 =5.60×10⁻3
iii) Ratio of 9.55 × 10¯3 5.60 × 10¯3
calculated mol 5.60 × 10⁻3 9.55 × 10¯3
=1.71 =0.59
iv) Ratio of mol 1 1
given 1 1
=1 =1
v) Step iii-iv 1.71-1 0.59-1
=0.71 =-0.41
No, Na₂CO₃ become the excess reactant and Ca(NO₃)₂•4H₂O is the limiting reactant
j. References:
- Lecturer

Along this ongoing experiment we were got information from the lecturer himself, DR
SYED ZHAFER FIRDAUS BIN SYED PUTRA