LIMITING REACTANT

• The reactant that will be completely

consumed in the reaction.
• To determine which reagent is limiting,
we calculate the amount of product
expected from each reactant. The
reactant that gives the smallest
amount of product is the limiting
reactant.
1. How many grams of barium
sulfate can be produced from 5.0
grams of potassium sulfate and
7.0 grams of barium chloride?
K2SO4 + BaCl2 BaSO4 + 2KCl
Which reactant is limiting?
2. What is the limiting reactant in the
reaction between 3.0 moles of
ammonia and 6.0 moles of
copper(II) oxide? How many grams
of water can be produced from the
reaction?
2NH3 + 3CuO N2+ 3Cu+ 3H2O
 THEORETICAL YIELD
• The calculated yield of a reaction
based on the assumptions that there
is only one reaction involved, that all
the reactants are converted into
products, and all the products are
collected.
 ACTUAL YIELD

• The amount of product that

forms when a reaction is
carried out in the laboratory.
 PERCENT YIELD
• The ratio of the actual yield to the
theoretical yield for a chemical
reaction expressed as a
percentage; a measure of the
efficiency of the reaction.
P.Y. = A.Y. x 100
T.Y.
1. A chemistry student, preparing
copper metal by the reaction of
1.274 grams of copper(II) sulfate
with zinc metal, isolated a yield of
0.392 grams of copper. What was
the percent yield?
CuSO4 + Zn Cu + ZnSO4
2. A sample of CaO, weighing 0.69
grams was prepared by heating 1.31
grams CaCO3. What was the
percentage yield of the reaction?

CaCO3 CaO + CO2

 Chemical Formulas of Compounds
(HONORS only)

• Formulas give the relative numbers of atoms or

moles of each element in a formula unit - always
a whole number ratio (the law of definite
proportions).

NO2 2 atoms of O for every 1 atom of N

1 mole of NO2 : 2 moles of O atoms to

every 1 mole of N atoms

• If we know or can determine the relative number

of moles of each element in a compound, we can
determine a formula for the compound.
 Types of Formulas
(HONORS only)

• Empirical Formula
The formula of a compound that
expresses the smallest whole number ratio
of the atoms present.

Ionic formula are always empirical formula

• Molecular Formula
The formula that states the actual
number of each kind of atom found in one
molecule of the compound.
 To obtain an Empirical Formula
(HONORS only)

1. Determine the mass in grams of each

element present, if necessary.
2. Calculate the number of moles of each
element.
3. Divide each by the smallest number of
moles to obtain the simplest whole
number ratio.
4. If whole numbers are not obtained* in step
3), multiply through by the smallest
number that will give all whole numbers
*
Be careful! Do not round off numbers prematurely