In order to determine the limiting reagent, we need to calculate the amount of product that can be formed by each reactant and compare. Let's start with the given masses of both reactants:
- Calcium chloride (CaCl2): 25.0 g / 110.98 g/mol = 0.2250 mol
- Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3): 25.0 g / 105.99 g/mol = 0.2354 mol
Now let's use the balanced equation to calculate the theoretical yield of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that can be formed by each reactant:
- From 0.2250 mol of CaCl2: 0.2250 mol CaCO3
- From 0.2354 mol of Na2CO3: 0.1177 mol CaCO3 (note: this is half of the theoretical yield since the coefficient of Na2CO3 is 1/2)
Since calcium chloride can produce more calcium carbonate than sodium carbonate, it is the limiting reagent. Therefore, all of the calcium chloride will be consumed in the reaction and some of the sodium carbonate will be left over.
25.0 g of calcium chloride reacts with 25.0 g of sodium carbonate to form calcium carbonate and sodium chloride.
CaCl2+ Na2CO3 → CaCO3 + 2NaCl (Molar mass: Ca 40g/mol; O 16 g/mol; C 12 g/mol; Cl 35.5 g/mol)
Determine the limiting reagent.
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