Limiting reagent

In chemistry, the limiting reagent, also known as the "limiting reactant", is the chemical that determines how far the reaction will go before the chemical in question gets used up, causing the reaction to stop. The chemical of which there are fewer moles than the proportion requires is the limiting reagent.

Example

Consider the combustion of benzene:

1.5 mol $C\_6H\_6$ × $frac\{15\; mol\; O\_2\}\{2\; mol\; C\_6H\_6\}=11.25\; mol\; O\_2$

This means that 11.25 mol $O\_2$ is required to react with 1.5 mol $C\_6H\_6$. Since only 7 mol $O\_2$ is present, the oxygen will be consumed before benzene. Therefore, $O\_2$ must be the limiting reagent.

This conclusion can be verified by comparing the mole ratio of $O\_2$ and $C\_6H\_6$ required by the balanced equation with the mole ratio actually present:

required: $frac\{mol\; O\_2\}\{mol\; C\_6H\_6\}$ = $frac\{15\; mol\; O\_2\}\{2\; mol\; C\_6H\_6\}=7.5\; mol\; O\_2$

actual: $frac\{mol\; O\_2\}\{mol\; C\_6H\_6\}$ = $frac\{7\; mol\; O\_2\}\{1.5\; mol\; C\_6H\_6\}=4.7\; mol\; O\_2$

Since the actual ratio is too small, $O\_2$ is the limiting reagent.

Consider a typical thermite reaction:

If 20.0 g of Fe₂O₃ are reacted with 8.00 g Al(s) in the thermite reaction, Which reactant is limiting?.

$Fe\_2O\_3(s)\; +\; 2\; Al(s)\; ightarrow\; 2\; Fe(l)\; +\; Al\_2O\_3(s),$

First, determine how many moles of Fe(l) can be produced fromeither reactant.

"Moles produced of $Fe$ from reactant $Fe\_2O\_3$"

$mol\; Fe\_2O\_3\; =\; frac\{grams\; Fe\_2O\_3\}\{g/mol\; Fe\_2O\_3\},$

$mol\; Fe\_2O\_3\; =\; frac\{20.0\; g\}\{159.7\; g/mol\}\; =\; 0.127\; mol,$

$mol\; Fe\; =\; (2)(0.127)\; =\; 0.254\; mol\; Fe,$

"Moles produced of $Fe$ from reactant $Al$"

$mol\; Al\; =\; frac\{grams\; Al\}\{g/mol\; Al\},$

$mol\; Al\; =\; frac\{8.00\; g\}\{26.98\; g/mol\}\; =\; 0.297\; mol,$

$mol\; Fe\; =\; frac\{(2)(0.297)\}\{2\}\; =\; 0.297\; mol\; Fe,$

Because the moles $Fe$ produced from $Fe\_2O\_3$($0.254\; mol$) is less than the moles $Fe$ produced from $Al$($0.297\; mol$), $Fe\_2O\_3$ is the limiting reagent.

By looking at chemical equation for the thermite reaction, the limiting reagent can be found based on the ratio of moles of one reactant to another and the total atomic mass of the reactant compounds.

Limiting reagent formula

There is a much simpler formula which can be used. However, you must first calculate the moles of both of the reagents in the reaction. Once the number of moles have been figured out, just simply fill in this equation (reagent 1 being the first reactant and 2 being the second):

$mbox\{Moles\; of\; Reagent\; 2\}\; imes\; frac\{mbox\{Coefficient\; of\; Reagent\; 1\{mbox\{Coefficient\; of\; Reagent\; 2\; -\; mbox\{Moles\; of\; Reagent\; 1\}$

When the answer to the formula is less than zero, reagent 1 is the excess reagent. When the answer is larger than zero, reagent 1 is the limiting reagent. The number shows how much in excess one reagent is from another. If the answer for the formula is zero, both reagents are perfectly balanced. The unit of an answer is in "moles".

References

*Zumdahl, Steven S. "Chemical Principals". 4th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. ISBN 0618372067.

ee also

* Limiting factor