Question

In the laboratory, 3.50 grams of salicylic acid were reacted with 7.20 ml of acetic anhydride (density equal to 1.08 g/ml). Determine the limiting reagent.


Calculate the theoretical yield of the product, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), produced in the above reaction.

Answer 1

I work these by working two simple stoichiometry problems.
mols SA = grams/molar mass
g AH = volume x density, then
mols AH = grams/molar mass

Convert mols SA to mols product.
Conevrt mols AH to mols product.
The SMALLER number is the correct value of the product to use and the reagent producing that value is the limiting reagent.