Which is the limiting reactant in the following reaction given that you start with 15.5 g of Na₂S and 12.1 g CuSO₄?
Reaction: Na₂S + CuSO₄→ Na₂SO₄ + CuS

Question

Which is the limiting reactant in the following reaction given that you start with 15.5 g of Na₂S and 12.1 g CuSO₄? Reaction: Na₂S + CuSO₄→ Na₂SO₄ + CuS

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine the limiting reactant, we need to calculate how much product each reactant can produce. We use stoichiometry to convert the given masses of reactants to moles, and then use the coefficients of the balanced equation to convert to moles of product. The reactant that produces the least amount of product is the limiting reactant. For Na₂S: Molar mass of Na₂S = 162.49 g/mol Number of moles = m/M = 15.5 g / 162.49 g/mol = 0.0955 mol According to the balanced equation, 1 mole of Na₂S produces 1 mole of CuS, so 0.0955 mol of Na₂S produces 0.0955 mol of CuS. For CuSO₄: Molar mass of CuSO₄ = 159.61 g/mol Number of moles = m/M = 12.1 g / 159.61 g/mol = 0.0758 mol According to the balanced equation, 1 mole of CuSO₄ produces 1 mole of CuS, so 0.0758 mol of CuSO₄ produces 0.0758 mol of CuS. Since the amount of product produced by CuSO₄ is less than that produced by Na₂S, CuSO₄ is the limiting reactant. Therefore, the answer is B.

Which Is the Limiting Reactant in the Following Reaction Given