MOLE CONCEPT LECTURE-5

LIMITING REAGENT:
Whenever there are more than one
reactants in a reaction mixture and their
initial amounts taken are not in their
stoichiometric ratios, then some reactant
is exhausted first and the other reactant is
left unreacted.
The reactant which is consumed first and
limits the amount of product formed into
the reaction, and is therefore called
limiting reagent.
Limiting reagent is present in least
stoichiometric amount and therefore controls
amount of product.
The remaining or left out reactant is called the
excess reagent.
Warning: Do not think that
species having less moles is the
limiting reagent. The following
figure explains that.

Remember: When you are dealing

with balance chemical equation then
if number of moles of reactants are not in the ratio of stoichiometric
coefficient of balanced chemical equation, then there should be one
reactant which should be limiting reactant.
Case I Three mole of Na2CO3 is reacted with 6 moles of HCl solution. Find the volume of CO 2 gas
produced at STP. The reaction is
Na2CO3 + 2HCl ⎯⎯ → 2 NaCl + CO2 + H2O
Sol. From the reaction: Na2CO3 + 2HCl ⎯⎯ → 2 NaCl + CO2 + H2O
given moles 3 mole 6 mole
given mole ratio 1 : 2
Stoichiometric coefficient ratio 1 : 2
 See here given moles of reactant are in stoichiometric coefficient ratio therefore none reactant left
over. Now use Mole-mole analysis to calculate volume of CO2 produced at STP.
Moles of Na 2 CO3 Mole of CO 2 Produced
=
1 1
Moles of CO2 produced = 3
Volume of CO2 produced at STP = 3 × 22.4 L = 67.2 L

1
 MOLE CONCEPT LECTURE-5
Case II 6 moles of Na2CO3 is reacted with 4 moles of HCl solution. Find the volume of CO 2 gas produced
at STP. The reaction is
Na2CO3 + 2HCl ⎯⎯ → 2 NaCl + CO2 + H2O
Sol. From the reaction: Na2CO3 + 2HCl ⎯⎯ → 2 NaCl + CO2 + H2O
given mole of reactant 6 : 4
give molar ratio 3 : 2
Stoichiometric coefficient ratio 1 : 2
 See here given number of moles of reactants are not in stoichiometric coefficient ratio. Therefore
there should be one reactant which consumed first and becomes limiting reagent.
But the question is how to find which reactant is limiting; it is not very difficult you can easily find
it. According to the following method.

HOW TO FIND LIMITING REAGENT:

Step: I Divide the given moles of reactant by the respective stoichiometric coefficient of that reactant.
Step: II See for which reactant this division come out to be minimum. The reactant having minimum value
is limiting reagent for you.
Step: III Now once you find limiting reagent then your focus should be on limiting reagent
From Step I & II Na2CO3 HCl
6 4
=6 = 2 (Division is minimum)
1 2
 HCl is limiting reagent
From Step III
Mole of HCl Moles of CO 2 produced
From =
2 1
 mole of CO2 produced = 2 moles
 volume of CO2 produced at S.T.P. = 2 × 22.4 = 44.8 lt.
Examples on limiting reagent:
ICE 1 For a hypothetical reaction with given moles in beginning, find final moles of all reactants and
products.
2A + 3B ⎯⎯ → C + 4D
t=0 (a) 4 6 0 0

(b) 2 4 0 0

(c) 5 6 1 0

(d) 3 7 0 2

ICE 2 The reaction 2C + O 2 ⎯⎯ → 2CO is carried out by taking 24g of carbon and 96g O 2 ,
find out:
(a) Which reactant is left in excess?
(b) How much of it is left?
(c) How many mole of CO are formed?
ICE 3 For the reaction 2P + Q → R, 8 mole of P and 5 mole of Q will produce
(A) 8 mole of R (B) 5 mole of R (C) 4 mole of R (D) 13 mole of R
2
 MOLE CONCEPT LECTURE-5
ICE 4 X + Y → X3 Y4
Above reaction is carried out by taking 6 moles each of X and Y respectively then
(A) X is the limiting reagent
(B) 1.5 moles of X3 Y4 is formed
(C) 1.5 moles of excess reagent is left behind X + Y → X3 Y4
(D) 75% of excess reagent reacted
ICE 5 A + B → A3B2 (unbalanced)
A3B2 + C → A3B2C2 (unbalanced)
Above two reactions are carried out by taking 3 moles each of A and B and one mole of C. Then
(A) 1 mole of A3B2C2 is formed (B) 1/2 mole of A3B2C2 is formed
(C) 1 mole of A3B2 is formed (D) 1/2 mole of A3B2 is left finally
ICE 6 50.0 kg of N2 (g) and 10.0 kg of H2 (g) are mixed to produce NH3 (g) Calculate the NH3 (g) formed.
Identify the limiting reagent in the production of NH3 in this situation.
= 56.1 ×103 g NH 3 = 56.1 kg NH 3
ICE 7 CS2 and Cl2 in the weight ratio 1 : 2 are allowed to react according to equation
CS2 + Cl2 ⎯⎯ → CCl4 + S2Cl2
Find the fraction of excess reagent left behind.
ICE 8 From a sample of pure Fe, what percentage of iron should get converted to Fe2O3 so that there is a
10% increment in mass.
ICE 9 27 gm Al is heated with 49 ml of H2SO4 (sp. gr = 2) produces H2 gas. Calculate the volume of
H2 gas at S.T.P. and % of Al reacted with H2SO4.

PERCENTAGE YIELD
When reaction is not fully complete as predicted theoretically, even when we mix requisite
amount of reactants.
The reasons for incomplete extent can be anything from wastage of reactants in some industrial
supply leak or the reaction is reversible in nature. In any case we have a defined a factor called
PEERCENTAGE YIELD = ACTUAL YIELD EXPERIMENTALLY/THEORITICAL YIELD
ICE 10 A2 + B → AB
AB + C → AB2C + AC
The reaction is started by introducing 3 moles of A 2, 5 moles of B and 7 moles of C. If percentage
yield of each reaction is 80, then find final moles of AB2C present.
ICE 11 Three moles of Phosphorus is reacted with 2 moles of iodine to form PI3 according to the reaction
P + I2 → PI3
PI3 formed in the above reaction is further reacted with 27 g of water. According to the reaction.
PI3 + H2O → H3PO3 + HI
HI formed in the above reaction is collected in the gaseous form. At higher temperature HI
dissociates 50% then find the molecules of H2 gas liberated.
HI → H2 + I2

SOLUTIONS

ICE 3 (C)

ICE 4 B, C, D
Sol. 3X + 4Y → X3Y4
6 mole 6 mole
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 MOLE CONCEPT LECTURE-5
6 – 4.5 0 1.5 mole formed
1.5 mole
left
ICE 5 B, C, D
Sol. 3A + 2B → A3B2
3 mole 3 mole 1 mole formed
A3B2 + 2C ⎯⎯ → A3 B2 C2
1 mole 1 mole
0.5 mole 0 0.5 mole
ICE 6 N 2 ( g ) + 3H 2 ( g ) 2 NH 3 ( g )
1000 g N 2 1mol H 2
Moles of N 2 = 50.0 kg N 2 × × = 17.86 × 10 2 mol
1kg N 2 28.0 g N 2
1000 g H 2 1mol H 2
Moles of H2 = 10.0 kg H 2 × × = 4.96 × 103 mol
1kg H 2 2.016 g H 2

3mol H 2 ( g )
17.86 ×102 mol N 2 × = 5.36 ×103 mol H 2
1mol N 2 ( g )
3 molNH3 (g)
4.96  103 mol H 2 ( g )
3 molH2 (g)
3
= 3.30 × 10 mol NH3 (g) is obtained.
17.0 gNH 3 (g)
3.30 ×103 mol NH 3 ( g )  = 3.30  103 17 g NH 3 ( g )
1molNH 3 (g)
= 56.1 ×103 g NH 3 = 56.1 kg NH 3
ICE 7 CS2 + 3Cl2 ⎯⎯ → CCl4 + S2Cl2
w 2w
76 71
limiting reagent = CS2
2 moles of CS2 react with 3 mole of Cl2
1 mole of CS2 react with 1.5 mole of Cl2
w
moles of CS2 react with 3 mole of Cl2
76
Mole of Cl2 left
2w 3w
−
2w 3w 71 2 x 76
− fraction of CS2 left =  100 = 0.299
71 2 x 76 2w
71
ICE 8 CHOCOLATE
ICE 9 Vol of H2 = 0.5 × 22.4 = 22.4 lt
Al related = 66.66%
ICE 10 1.6 moles
ICE 11 PI3 formed in the above reaction is further reacted with 27 g of water. According to the
reaction.
PI3 + H2O → H3PO3 + HI
HI formed in the above reaction is collected in the gaseous form at higher temperature HI
dissociated 50% then find the molecules of H2 gas liberated
HI → H2 + I2