Question

Consider the following reaction:

C6H5CL+C2HOCL3=>C14H9CL5+H20

If 1142 g of C6H5CL is reacted with 485 g of C2HOCL3, what mass of C14H9CL5 would be formed?

Answer 1

Since an amount is given for both reactants we know this is a limiting reagent problem. I solve these by solving stoichiometry problems. First I choose one reactant, ignore the other one, and calculate the moles of product formed. Then I choose the the other reactant, ignore the other one, and calculate the moles of product formed. The answers will be different, of course, and both can't be right. The correct answer in limiting reagent problems is ALWAYS the smaller one and the reagent providing that value is the limiting reagent. So how do you do all of this. Here is a worked example of a stoichiometry problem. Just follow the steps.
http://www.jiskha.com/science/chemistry/stoichiometry.html