Excess Quantities and Limiting Reactants

Weekly Chemistry Cat

So far, we have just been balancing equations and using that to do all calculations.  A balanced equation, is only what should happen (assume everything works out perfectly and everything bonds together).  Sometimes it is necessary to add more then the equation predicts because not every atom or molecule can come together.  So it is necessary to adjust our calculations to be aware of this (especially when considering how much product there will be).

General Process
Convert both reactants to the desired product and the smaller amount of product will actually be produced

1. make a balanced equation
2. convert each reactant to its corresponding product
3. Determine Excess quantity/limiting reactant 

Example Problem

For some more practice:

http://web.gccaz.edu/~mvillarb/chm150/LimitingReagentProblems.pdf