Basic Chemistry

Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry
-The central activity of chemistry is to understand chemical changes
-Chemical changes specifically chemical reactions, have a profound effect on our lives
-The quantities of materials consumed and produced in chemical reactions will be our
focus for this section. This area of study is referred to as Chemical Stoichiometry
-In order to understand stoichiometry we must first understand the concept of relative
atomic masses
Atomic Masses
-By observing the proportions in which elements combine to form various compounds,
chemists were able to calculate the relative atomic masses of the elements
-The modern system of atomic masses is based on 12C as a standard. In this system, 12C is
assigned a mass of exactly 12 atomic mass units (amu) and the masses of all other atoms
are then given relative to this standard
-Now, most accurate method currently available for comparing the masses of atoms
involves the use of a Mass Spectrometer instrument
- Atomic mass of an element is approximately equal to the sum of the number of protons
and the neutrons in the nucleus of that element (electrons are not accounted for since they
are very light by comparison)
-Each element in the periodic table has several isotopes present in nature
Example: Carbon is present as 12C (98.89%), 13C (1.11%), and 14C (very low)
The average atomic mass of natural carbon can then be calculated as
follows:
98.89% of 12 amu + 1.11% of 13 amu
=(0.9889)(12) + (0.0111)(13)
= 12.01 amu
this average atomic mass is the atomic mass or weight that we see in the periodic
table for the element carbon
-For Stoichiometric purposes, we consider carbon to be composed of only one type of
carbon with a mass of 12.01, so do all the rest of the elements in the periodic table
The Mole
-Since samples of matter typically contain so many atoms, a unit of measure called the
mole has been established for use in counting atoms.
-Modern techniques which allow us to count atoms very precisely, have been used to
determine the following number: Avogadros number = 6.022 x 1023 , which is the
number of atoms contained in exactly 12 grams of 12C.
-Therefore, 1 mole of a certain element, consists of 6.022 x 1023 units (or molecules) of
that element
Simple example: 1 mole of eggs 6.022 x 1023 eggs (VERY BIG AMOUNT)
1 mole of Na 6.022 x 1023 Na atoms
-Since atoms are so tiny, a mole of an atom is a perfectly manageable quantity to handle
and use in a chemical reaction
-The mole refers to the atomic mass of the atom in grams

Example:

A silicon chip used in integrated circuit of a microprocessor has a mass of

5.68 mg. how many silicon (Si) atoms are present in this chip?

1) we need to convert mg g: 5.68 mg Si x (1 g Si) / (1000 mg Si) = 5.68 x 10-3 g Si

2) we need to convert g to moles 5.68 x 10-3 g Si x (1 mol Si) / (28.09 g Si)
= 2.02 x 10-4 mol Si
3) we need to convert moles to atoms (or molecules) of Si
2.02 x 10-4 mol Si x (6.022 x 1023 atoms) / (1 mol Si) = 1.22 x 1020 atoms
Molar Mass
-Molar Mass of a compound or molecule, is the sum of masses of each individual atom
present in 1 mole of that molecule
Example:
CH4, methane
Contains 1 atom of Carbon and four atoms of Hydrogen
We can then say that 1 mole of CH4 contains: 1 mole of C and
4 moles of H
The molar mass is then the sum of the masses of each individual
atom in 1 mol of the molecule:
(1 mol)(12.011 g/mol C) + (4 mol)(1.008 g/mol H)
= 16.043 g/mol
Therefore, the molar mass of CH4 is 16.043 g/mol
Example:

Isopentyl acetate (C7H17O2), a compound that has the scent of bananas.

Interestingly, bees release about 1g (1 x 10-6 g) of this compound when
they sting so to attract other bees to join the attack.
a) How many molecules of isopentyl acetate are released in a typical bee
sting?
b) How many carbon atoms are present?

Given: Mass of the compound = 1 x 10-6 g

Find: Number of molecules
Number of carbon atoms
Solution:
a)

First we need to calculate the molar mass of the compound (C7H17O2), find the
number of moles from the given mass, and then find how many molecules there
are.

i) Molar Mass (1 mole of C7H17O2 contains):

(7 moles C) (12.011 g/mol) =
(14 moles H) (1.0079 g/mol) =
(2 moles O) (15.999 g/mol) =
Mass of 1 mol of C7H17O2 =

84.077 g C
14.111 g H
+
31.998 g O
130.186 g/mol

ii) now we must find how many moles are in the 1 x 10-6 g of C7H17O2.
1 mol C7H17O2
130.186 g/mol
X
1 x 10-6 g
X = 7.7 x 10-9 moles of C7H17O2
2

iii) now we should convert the moles to atoms or number of molecules by using
Avogadros number:
we know that: 1 mol of C7H17O2
6.022 x 1023 molecules
7.7 x 10-9 moles
X
X = 4.6 x 1015 molecules of C7H17O2
b) We need to find the number of carbon atoms that are contained in the 4.6 x 1015
molecules of C7H17O2.
We found that we have 4.6 x 1015 molecules of C7H17O2
Each individual molecule contains 7 carbon atoms
Therefore, (7) (4.6 x 1015 molecules of C7H17O2)
= 3 x 1016 Carbon atoms
Technical Terms
Molar Mass = Molecular Weight = the mass in grams of 1 mole of a compound
For ionic compounds, since they are not considered molecules, they are rather a
collection of ions (attracted to each other by opposite charges) we use the term Molar
Mass instead of molecular weight!
Percent Composition of Compounds
-It is often useful to know the composition of a compound in terms of the masses of the
elements that it contains
-This information can be obtained from the formula of the compound by comparing the
mass of each element present in the compound to the total mass of 1 mole of the whole
compound
Example:
Ethanol, C2H5OH
Mass of C = (2 mol) (12.011 g/mol) =
24.022 g
Mass of H = (6 mol) (1.008 g/mol) =
6.048 g
+
Mass of O = (1 mol) (15.999 g/mol) =
15.999 g
Molar Mass of C2H5OH
=
46.069 g/mol
Now, in order to find the percent composition of each element in ethanol, we must
do the following:

) (100 %)

) (100 %)

) (100 %)

Percent Composition of C = (24.022 g) / (46.069 g)

= 52.144 %
Percent Composition of H = (6.048 g) / (46.069 g)
= 13.13 %

Percent Composition of O = (15.999 g) / (46.069 g)

= 34.728 %

In order to make sure that the calculations are correct, if we add up all three
Percentages, the sum should be 100%.

Practice example:

Solution:

Penicillin was discovered in 1928. It is an antibiotic with the

Following formula: C14H20N2SO4
Calculate the Mass percent (percent composition) of each element.

i) in order to find the mass percent of each element in this compound, we

must first find the mass of each element and then the total mass
(Molar Mass of the compound)
1 mol of this compound contains:
C:
14 mol x 12.011 g/mol
H:
20 mol x 1.008 g/mol
N:
2 mol x 14.007 g/mol
S:
1 mol x 32.07 g/mol
O:
4 mol x 15.999 g/mol
Therefore, Molar Mass of C14H20N2SO4

=
=
=
=
=
=

168.15 g
20.16 g
28.014 g +
32.07 g
63.996 g
312.39 g/mol

ii) Having found the masses of each individual atom in the compound as
well as the total mass of the compound, we can then use these values to
calculate the percent composition of these elements in Penicillin.

) (100 %)

) (100 %)

) (100 %)

Percent Composition of C = (168.15 g) / (312.39 g)

= 53.827 %
Percent Composition of H = (20.16 g) / (312.39 g)
= 6.453 %

Percent Composition of N = (28.014 g) / (312.39 g)

= 8.968 %

Percent Composition of S = (32.07 g) / (312.39 g)

= 10.27 %

) (100 %)
)(

Percent Composition of O = (63.996 g) / (312.39 g) 100 %

= 20.486 %
Always double check that the sum of these percentages adds up to 100%
Determining the Formula of a Compound

-The formula of a newly prepared compound is usually the first item of interest because it
tells us what and how much of each element is found in the compound
-The formula is often determined by weighing accurately a sample of the compound and
either decomposing it into its individual components or by reacting it with oxygen to
produce substances such as CO2, H2O, and N2 which are then collected and weighed
-Analysis of this type provide the mass of each type of element in the compound which
can be used to determine the Mass Percent of each element present

Example:

When 0.1156 g of an unknown compound containing C, H, and N is

Allowed to react with Oxygen, 0.1638 g of CO2, and 0.1676 g of H2O
are collected. Determine the formula of the compound.

Given:

molar mass of compound: 31.06 g/mol

mass of unknown compound: 0.1156 g
mass of CO2 produced: 0.1638 g
mass of H2O produced: 0.1676 g

Find:

Formula of the compound

Solution:

i) Assuming that all the Carbon in the compound has been converted to
CO2, we can determine the mass of C originally present in the 0.1156 g
sample. To do so, we must first find the fraction of C in the CO2 produced:

0.1638 g CO2 x (12.011 g C) / (44.009 g CO2) = 0.04470 g C

this amount of carbon (0.0447 g) is the total mass of C from the
CO2 produced. However, the Carbon in the CO2 originally came
from the 0.1156 g sample.
Therefore, we can now find the Percent Composition of C in the
compound:

Percent Composition of C = (0.04470 g) / (0.1156 g)

= 38.67 % C

) (100 %)

ii) Assuming that all the Hydrogen in the compound has been converted to
H2O, we can determine the mass of H originally present in the 0.1156 g
sample. To do so, we must first find the fraction of H in the H2O produced:

0.1676 g H2O x (2)(1.008g H) / (18.015 g H2O) = 0.01876 g H

this amount of Hydrogen (0.01876 g) is the total mass of H from
the H2O produced. However, the H in the H2O originally came
from the 0.1156 g sample.
Therefore, we can now find the Percent Composition of H in the
compound:

Percent Composition of H = (0.01876 g) / (0.1156 g)

= 16.23 % H

) (100 %)

iii) having found the percent composition of C and H, now it becomes

easier to find the percent composition of N.
Percent Composition of N = 100% - (38.67% C + 16.23% H)
= 45.10% of N
Therefore the compound is made up of : 38.67% C
16.23% H
45.10% N
We can use this data to find the formula of the unknown compound

Since we are working with percentages, we assume that we are working with 100
grams of the compound, therefore we have:
38.67 g of Carbon
16.23 g of Hydrogen
45.10 g of Nitrogen
We then convert these masses to moles for each element:
C:
(38.67 g C) (1 mol C / 12.011 g C) = 3.220 mol C
H:
(16.23 g H) (1 mol H / 1.008 g H) = 16.10 mol H
N:
(45.10 g N) (1 mol N / 14.007 g N) = 3.220 mol N
To find the formula, we must find the smallest whole-number ratio of atoms
in this compound by dividing each of the mole values above by the smallest
amongst them:
C = (3.22) / (3.22) = 1
H = (16.10) / (3.22) = 5
C H5 N
(Empirical Formula)
N = (3.22) / (3.22) = 1
What we have found here is referred to as the Empirical Formula.
The Molecular Formula is some multiple of the empirical formula and it could
be:
CH5N , C2H10N2 , C3H15N3 , etc.
To specify the exact molecular formula we must know the Molar Mass which is
given to be 31.06 g/mol. This molar mass tells us that the sum of the masses of
each individual atom in the compound adds up to 31.06
Therefore, we can start by the simplest empirical formula of CH5N:
C: (1mol) (12.011 g/mol)
=
12.011 g
H: (5 mol) (1.008 g/mol)
=
5.040 g
+
N: (1 mol) (14.007 g/mol) =
14.007 g
Sum (molar mass of CH5N) =
31.06 g
Here the sum turned out to be equal to the given Molar Mass of the
Compound. Therefore, the molecular formula for this compound is:
CH5N

Practice Example 1: A white powder was analyzed and was found to contain 43.64%

phosphorus and 56.36% Oxygen by mass. The compound has a

molar mass of 283.88 g/mol.
What are the compounds empirical and molecular formulas?
Given:

Phosphorus: 43.64% by weight 43.64 g of P

Oxygen: 56.36% by weight
56.36 g of O
Molar Mass of 283.88 g/mol

Find:

Empirical and Molecular formulas

Solution:

from the given information, it looks like that this compound is made up
of phosphorus and oxygen. From the given percentages (by weight) we
convert them to masses (see above) then we need to find the number of
moles that they correspond to:
mol of P:
mol of O:

(
) = 1.409 mol P
(56.36 g O) ((1 mol P) / (15.999 g/mol)) = 3.523 mol O
(43.64 g P) (1 mol P) / (30.97 g/mol)

Divide each value by the smallest number of moles to find the

Empirical formula:
P (1.409) / (1.409) = 1 P
PO2.5
O (3.523) / (1.409) = 2.5 O
Since atoms cannot exist as a fraction, all compounds must have
Whole numbers of atoms. Therefore we must multiply by 2 to obtain
the smallest whole number for the oxygen atom:
P2O5

Empirical Formula

To find the Molecular Formula, we know that it is some multiple of the

empirical formula above. Therefore let us first find the Molar Mass of
P2O5:
141.94 g/mol
The given molar mass is 283.88 g/mol, this is 2 times greater than that of
the empirical formula. Therefore, we should multiply the empirical
formula by 2 so to obtain the correct Molecular formula of the compound
Molecular Formula is than: P4O10

Practice Example 2: Caffeine, a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some
medications, contains 49.48 % Carbon, 5.15 % Hydrogen, 28.87 %
Nitrogen, and 16.49 % Oxygen by mass and has a molar mass of
194.2 g/mol.
Determine the molecular formula of caffeine.
Solution:

First, we must figure out the mass of each element in 1 mol (194.2 g) of
caffeine:
C:
H:
N:
O:

((49.48 g) / (100 g)) ((194.2 g/mol)) = 96.09 g C / mol of caffeine

((5.15 g) / (100 g)) ((194.2 g/mol)) = 10.0 g H / mol of caffeine
((28.87 g) / (100 g)) ((194.2 g/mol)) = 56.07 g N / mol of caffeine
((16.49 g) / (100 g)) ((194.2 g/mol)) = 32.02 g O / mol of caffeine

Now we should convert the masses to moles in order to find the molecular formula:

((1mol C) / (12.011 g C)) = 8.000 mol C / mol of caffeine

H: (10.0 g/mol) ((1mol H) / (1.008 g H)) = 9.92 mol H / mol of caffeine
N: (56.07 g/mol) ((1mol N) / (14.01 g N)) = 4.002 mol N / mol of caffeine
O: (32.02 g/mol) ((1mol O) / (16.00 g O)) = 2.001 mol O / mol of caffeine
C: (96.09 g/mol)

8
10
4
2

Therefore, the molecular formula is

C8H10N4O2

Summary:
Determination of the Empirical Formula
since mass percent gives the number of grams of a particular element per 100
grams of a compound, base the calculation on 100 grams of that compound. Each
percent will then represent the mass in grams of that element present in the
compound
Determine the number of moles that corresponds to each one of the masses of the
elements by using their molar masses
Divide each value of the number of moles by the smallest amongst them. If each
resulting number is a whole number, these numbers will represent the subscripts
of the elements in the empirical formula.
If the numbers obtained in the previous step are not whole numbers, multiply each
number by an integer so that the results are all whole numbers

Summary:

Determination of the Molecular Formula

Method 1:

Obtain the empirical formula

Calculate the empirical formulas mass
Calculate the ratio
(molar mass) / (Empirical formulas mass)
The integer from the previous step represents the number of empirical
units in one molecule. When we the empirical formula subscripts are
multiplied by this integer, we obtain the molecular formula

Method 2:

Using the mass percents and the molar mass, determine the mass of
Each element present in 1 mole of compound
Determine the number of moles that correspond to each one of the
elements masses from the previous step
The integers from the previous step represent the subscripts in the
molecular formula

Chemical Equations
Chemical Reactions
-A chemical change involves reorganization of the atoms in one or more substances
-When CH4, methane, combines with O2, oxygen, CO2, carbon dioxide and H2O will be
formed. This process is represented by a chemical equation with reactants on the left side
and products on the right side:
CH4 + O2 CO2 + H2O
-In this reaction, bonds (in CH4) have been broken, and new ones formed. Therefore,
atoms are neither created nor destroyed.
-All atoms present in the reactants must be accounted for (or present) among the products
-The number of each type of atom must be the same on the products side and on the
reactants side
-when both sides contain same number of each type of atom, the equation of the reaction
is then said to be balanced
Example:

The above equation of the reaction is not balanced. Therefore it must be

balanced in order to conserve the atoms:

CH4 + O2

CO2 + H2O
1C

1C
4H

2H
2O

2O
Here we can notice that the reactants contain a total of 4 H atoms, whereas the products
contain only 2. We must multiply H2O by a factor of 2 in order to obtain 4 H. We notice
also, that if we multiply by 2, we also increase the O to a total of 4 O. This can also be
taken care of by multiplying the O2 on the reactant side by a factor of 2, Hence;

CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 + 2 H2O (balanced equation)

-Chemical equation for a particular reaction provides two important types of information
1) the nature of the reactants and products
2) relative numbers of each
-The equation also includes the physical states of the reactants and products:
Solid
(s)
Liquid
(l)
Gas
(g)
Aqueous solution
(aq)
Example:

HCl (aq) + NaHCO3 (s) CO2 (g) + H2O (l) + NaCl (aq)

-The relative numbers of reactants and products in a reaction are indicated by the
coefficients in the balanced equation:
CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)
-The total masses on either side (reactants or products) are always the same. The mass is
said to be conserved
Balancing Chemical Equations
-Whenever dealing with a chemical equation we must ask if it is balanced or not
-Recall that atoms are all conserved in a chemical reaction
-All atoms found on the reactants side, must also be found on the products side
-Most chemical equations can be balanced by simple inspection
-It is always best to start with the most complicated molecules (those containing the
greatest number of atoms) and leaving the simple molecules such as O2 till the end.
Example:

C2H5OH (l) + O2 (g)

CO2 (g) + H2O (g)

2C

1C
6H

2H
3O

3O
here we can see that we do not have the same number of carbon and hydrogen on both
sides. Lets start with the most complicated which is C2H5OH which has 2C, therefore we
must multiply CO2 by 2. multiplying by 2, increases also the O on the products side to
5O. but before dealing with O2 we still need to worry about the H atoms. We must
multiply H2O by a factor of 3 in order to get a total of 6H atoms. Multiplying CO2 by 2
and H2O by 3, we increase the O atom to 7. therefore, we must then multiply O2 by 3 on
the reactants side in order to achieve the same number of O atoms.
Balanced Equation

C2H5OH (l) + 3 O2 (g)

10

2 CO2 (g) + 3 H2O (g)

Summary:
Writing and Balancing the equation for a Chemical Reaction
Determine what reaction is occurring. What are the reactants, the products, and
the states involved.
Write the unbalanced equation that summarizes the above information.
Balance the equation by inspection, starting with the most complicated molecules.
Determine what coefficients are necessary to ensure that the same number of
each type of atom appears on both of the reactants and products sides. Do not
change the identities (formulas) of any of the reactants or products!

Practice Example:

Chromium compounds exhibit a variety of bright colors. When

solid ammonium dichromate (NH4)2Cr2O7 is ignited, a reaction
occurs producing solid chromium(III) oxide, Nitrogen gas and
water vapor.
Write and balance the equation.

Solution:
1) determine what are the reactants and what are the products as well as their states
Reactants:
Products:

(NH4)2Cr2O7 (s)
Cr2O3 (s) , N2 (g), and H2O (g)

2) write the unbalanced equation:

(NH4)2Cr2O7 (s) Cr2O3 (s) + N2 (g) + H2O (g)
2N
8H
2Cr
7O

2N
2H
2Cr
4O

3) we can see that we do not have an equal number of atoms for H and O.
if we multiply the H2O by 4, this will give a total of 7 oxygen atoms on both sides
this also takes care of the H atoms by giving a total of 8 H atoms on the products
sides making both sides of the equation to contain the same number of all atoms
involved.

Therefore, the balanced equation is:

(NH4)2Cr2O7 (s) Cr2O3 (s) + N2 (g) + 4 H2O (g)

11

Stoichiometric Calculations:
Amounts of Reactants and Products
-Recall that coefficients in chemical equations represent numbers of molecules and not
their masses!
-When reactions are needed to be run, the amounts of substances needed cannot be
determined by counting molecules directly and therefore counting is done by weighing.
-The weight can be converted to number of moles which in turn can be converted to
number of atoms
-Here we will see how chemical equations can be used to deal with masses of reacting
substances
Example:

Consider the combustion of propane gas, C3H8. it reacts with O2 gas to

produce CO2 (g) and H2O (g).
What mass of oxygen will react with 96.1 grams of propane?

Solution:

In order to answer this question, we must first know that we need to relate
the amount of C3H8 present with that of the Oxygen. We can relate the
two by first setting up a balanced chemical equation for that reaction:
From the description given we can set up the following reaction:
C3H8 (g) + O2(g) CO2(g) + H2O(g)
3C

1C
8H

2H
2O

3O
Always leave simple atoms till the end, so well leave the O2.
First let us multiply the CO2 on the products side by 3, so they become
equal on both sides. Then we multiply H2O by 4, so they can also become
equal on both sides. We notice by carrying out these multiplications, the
Oxygen in both the CO2 and H2O will also be multiplied automatically and
hence increasing its number to 10 O atoms. Now we turn to the O2 on the
reactants side and we multiply it by 5 so that the O atoms become equal on
both sides. Therefore the balanced equation is:
C3H8 (g) + 5 O2(g) 3 CO2(g) + 4 H2O(g)
Having balanced the chemical equation, we can now find the mass of O2
needed for the reaction by relating the number of moles of C3H8 to the
number of moles of O2.
From the equation, we can see that for every 1 mole of C3H8 we need 5
moles of O2. (ratio of 1 mol C3H8 : 5 mol O2)
We are given the mass used of C3H8, it must be first converted to moles in
order to find out the moles of O2 by using the above ratio.

mol of C3H8 = (96.1 g C3H8) (1mol C3H8) / (44.1 g C3H8) = 2.18 mol
1 mol C3H8
5 mol of O2
12

2.18 mol C3H8

X mol of O2

X= 10.9 mol of O2 are needed!

Mass of O2 = (10.9 mol of O2) (32.0 g/ 1 mol O2) = 349 g of O2

Example Continued:
What mass of CO2 is produced?
Similarly, we can here relate the number of moles of C3H8 to the number of moles
of CO2 by using the chemical equation.
We can see that for every 1 mole of C3H8, 3 moles of CO2 are produced.
1mole C3H8
2.18 moles C3H8

3 moles CO2
X moles CO2

X= 6.54 moles CO2

Mass of CO2 = (6.54 moles CO2) (44.0 g / 1 mol CO2) = 288 g CO2
Summary:

Calculation of Masses of Reactants and Products in Chemical

Reactions
Balance the equation for the reaction.
Convert the known masses of the substances to moles by using their molar
masses.
Use the balanced equation to set up the appropriate mole ratios.
Use the Appropriate mole ratios to calculate the number of moles of the desired
reactant or product.
Convert from moles back to grams if required by the problem.

Practice example: Baking Soda, NaHCO3, is often used as an antacid. It neutralizes

excess hydrochloric acid, HCl, secreted by the stomach. Also magnesium
Hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, is an antacid that neutralizes HCl.
Both compounds neutralize HCl according to the following reactions:
1) NaHCO3 (s) + HCl (aq) NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(aq)
2) Mg(OH)2 (s) + 2HCl (aq) 2H2O (l) + MgCl2 (aq)
Which is the more effective antacid per gram of NaHCO3 or per gram of
Mg(OH)2 ?
Solution:

First we need to make sure that both reaction are balanced

Next we need to compare the number of moles of NaHCO3 and Mg(OH)2
With the number of moles of HCl.
From the given information, we know that we have 1 g of each substance.
We need to convert these masses to number of moles:

mol NaHCO3 = (1 g of NaHCO3) (1 mol NaHCO3) / (84.01 g NaHCO3)

= 1.19 x 10-2 mol NaHCO3
13

mol Mg(OH)2 = (1 g of Mg(OH)2) (1 mol Mg(OH)2) / (58.32 g Mg(OH)2)

= 1.71 x 10-2 mol Mg(OH)2
From the chemical equations, we can figure out the amount of acid that can be
neutralized by either compound.

From equation 1, NaHCO3 and HCl are in a 1:1 ratio, therefore,

mol of HCl
using
NaHCO3

1 mol NaHCO3
1.19 x 10-2 NaHCO3

1 mol HCl
X mol HCl

X= 1.19 x 10-2 mol HCl

mol of HCl
using
Mg(OH)2

1 mol Mg(OH)2
1.71 x 10-2 Mg(OH)2

2 mol HCl
X mol HCl

X= 3.42 x 10-2 mol HCl

We can see that by using 1 g of Mg(OH)2 , more HCl can be neutralized than using 1 g of
NaHCO3
Therefore, Mg(OH)2 is a more effective antacid

Calculations Involving a Limiting Reactant

-When dealing with chemical reactions, one important factor is to see which chemical in
the reactants is the limiting reagent and which ones will be in excess when the reaction is
over
-Which substance is used up completely and which one is left over. The limiting reactant
is the substance that is all used up (consumed) during the reaction
Example:

N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2NH3 (g) , the Hydrogen used in this reaction comes
from the following reaction:
CH4 (g) + H2O (g) 3 H2(g) + CO (g)
What mass of water is required to react with exactly 2.5 x 103 kg of
methane?

Solution:

Working with the second equation, and making sure that it is balanced, we
will notice that methane and water are present at a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.
Given that the mass of methane is 2.5 x 103 kg, it should be converted to
moles, and since the ratio is 1:1, the number of moles will be the same for
water! If we carry out the calculations, we will get 2.81 x 103 kg of water.
When the reaction finishes, there will be no leftover methane or water.
We can say that the reactants are mixed in stoichiometric quantities

If however, we mix 2.5 x 103 kg of methane with 3.00 x 103 kg of water, we can expect
that the methane will all be consumed before the water runs out. Therefore the water will
be in excess while the methane will be referred to as the limiting reagent. Therefore, the

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quantity of products formed will be determined by(depends on) the quantity of methane
present.
Example:
N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2NH3 (g)
Assume that 5N2 molecules and 9H2 molecules are placed in a flask. Is this
a stoichiometric mixture of reactants, or will one of them be consumed
before the other runs out?
Solution:

from the above balanced equation when can see that 1 mol of N2 requires
3 moles of H2 (stoichiometric ratio). Therefore, the required ratio is:
3 H2
1 N2
In the question, we are given that 5 moles of N2 are mixed with 9 moles of
H2. therefore, the molar ratio here is:
9 H2 = 1.8 H2
5 N2

1 N2

Comparing both ratios, we find that:

3 H2
1 N2

clearly see
limiting

1.8 H2
1 N2

the amounts given in the question give a molar ratio that is smaller than
the ratio present in the stoichiometric equation. We can also
that the number of moles of H is smaller, thus making it the
reagent for this reaction.

We can interpret the molar ratio in several ways:

1) when we have a fraction of the moles, if the ratio is greater than that of the
stoichiometric one (required), than we can say that the numerator has been
increased while the denominator has been decreased
2) if the ratio is smaller than that of the stoichiometric one, than we can say that the
numerator has been decreased while the denominator has been increased (see
above)

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Example:

Suppose that 25.0 kg of N2 and 5.00 kg of H2 are mixed and reacted to

form ammonia.
How do we calculate the mass of ammonia produced when this reaction is
run to completion (in other words, the amount of ammonia produced
depends on the limiting reagent. Which one of the reactants is the limiting
reagent)

Solution:

We must first write the balanced equation. From the description given in
the question, the reaction is as follows;
N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2 NH3 (g)
Here, the amount of ammonia produced, will depend on the limiting
reagent (one of the reactants). Therefore, we must first find the number of
moles for each reactant and relate them to the stoichiometric ratio from the
equation:
For 25 kg N2 (25000 g N2) ( 1mol N2 / 28.0 g N2) = 8.93 x 102 mol N2
For 5 kg H2 (5000 g H2) ( 1mol H2 / 2.016 g H2) = 2.48 x 103 mol H2
From the stoichiometric ratio of the reaction, if we compare the molar
ratio of N2 to H2 we get:
1 mol of N2
8.93 x 102 mol N2

3 mol H2
X mol H2 needed

X= 2.68 x 103 mol of H2 are needed!

Required = 2.68 x 103 mol of H2

actual value = 2.48 x 103 mol H2

Since the calculated value from the given amounts of reactants yielded a smaller
amount than that of the theoretical amount, the limiting reagent is then, H2.
Therefore, we use the number of moles of H2, in order to figure out the amount of
NH3 produced:
3 mol of H2
2.48 x 103 mol H2
X= 1.65 x 103 mol of NH3

2 mol of NH3
X mol of NH3

Having the number of moles of NH3 produced, we can then use its molar mass to
convert the mol to mass of NH3:
(1.65 x 103 mol NH3) ( 17.0 g NH3 / 1 mol NH3) = 2.8 x 104 g of NH3
= 28 kg of NH3

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Practice Example1: Nitrogen gas can be prepared by passing gaseous ammonia over
solid copper(II) oxide at high temperatures. The other products of
the reaction are solid copper and water vapor.
If 18.1 g of ammonia is reacted with 90.4 g of copper(II) oxide,
how many grams of nitrogen gas will be formed?
Solution:

-First lets write and balance the equation of the reaction described in the
question:
-next, from the given information, we can calculate the number of moles
for NH3 and CuO:

-then we compare either the NH3 or CuO moles to the required moles of
CuO or NH3 respectively using the reaction equation:
lets compare NH3 to CuO:

-now we must use the amount or moles of CuO available to figure out
what mass of N2 is produced;

-Mass of N2:
Percent yield
-The percent yield of a given product depends on the actual experimental yield versus the
required or theoretical yield and is usually calculated by using the following:
(Actual yield)
x 100% = Percent yield
Theoretical yield
Example: if the above reaction actually produced 6.63 g of N2 instead of 10.6, the percent
yield will be:

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(6.63 / 10.6) x 100% = 62.5 %

Summary:

Solving a Stoichiometry problem involving masses of reactants and

products
Write and Balance the equation for the reaction.
Convert the known masses of the substances to moles by using their molar
masses.
By comparing the mole ratio of reactants required by the balanced equation to
the mole ratio of reactants actually present, determine which reactant is the
limiting reagent
Use the amount of the limiting reactant and the appropriate mole ratios, compute
the number of moles of the desired product.
Convert from moles back to grams if required by the problem.

Practice Example 2: Potassium chromate is produced by the reaction of solid chromate

ore (FeCr2O4) with solid potassium carbonate and gaseous oxygen
at high temperatures. The other products of the reaction are solid
iro(III) oxide and gaseous carbon dioxide. In a particular
experiment, 169 kg of chromate ore, 298 kg of potassium
carbonate, and 75.0 kg of oxygen were sealed in a reaction vessel
and reacted at high temperature.
The amount of potassium chromate obtained was 194 kg. calculate
the percent yield of potassium chromate.

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