ammonia gas reacts with copper (ii) oxide at high temperatures to produce elemental nitrogen, copper metal, and water vapor. Assume that 36.2g ammonia reacts with 180.8 g copper ii oxide.

(balanced equation: 2 NH4 (ammonium) (g) + 4 CuO (copper ii oxide) ==> N2 (nitrogen gas) (g) + 4 Cu (copper metal) (s) + 4 H2O (water vapor) (g)

Which species is the limiting reagent?

Please justify your answer! thank you!

First off, ammonia is NH3 and not NH4. Balance the equation.

Convert 36.2 g NH3 to moles. moles = grams/molar mass.
Convert 180.8 g CuO to moles the same way.

Using the coefficients in the balanced equation, convert mols NH3 to mole Cu.
Same process, convert moles CuO to moles Cu.
In limiting reagent problems the smaller value is ALWAYS the correct one and the reactant producing that value is the limiting reagent.

NH4

To determine the limiting reagent in a chemical reaction, we need to compare the amounts of each reactant to their stoichiometric ratios in the balanced equation.

First, we need to convert the given masses of ammonia (NH3) and copper (II) oxide (CuO) into moles. The molar mass of ammonia is 17.03 g/mol, and the molar mass of copper (II) oxide is 79.55 g/mol.

For ammonia:
Mass of ammonia = 36.2 g
Molar mass of ammonia = 17.03 g/mol
Number of moles of ammonia = Mass / Molar mass = 36.2 g / 17.03 g/mol ≈ 2.124 mol

For copper (II) oxide:
Mass of copper (II) oxide = 180.8 g
Molar mass of copper (II) oxide = 79.55 g/mol
Number of moles of copper (II) oxide = Mass / Molar mass = 180.8 g / 79.55 g/mol ≈ 2.271 mol

Next, we compare the moles of each reactant to their stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced equation. The stoichiometric ratio shows the balanced proportion of reactants required to form the products.

From the balanced equation:
2 moles of NH3 react with 4 moles of CuO

Now, let's compare the moles of ammonia and copper (II) oxide to their stoichiometric ratios:

Moles of ammonia (NH3): 2.124 mol
Moles of copper (II) oxide (CuO): 2.271 mol

Since the moles of ammonia are less than the stoichiometric ratio (2:4), it means that ammonia is the limiting reagent. The limiting reagent is the reactant that is entirely consumed and determines the maximum amount of product that can be formed.

In this reaction, since ammonia is the limiting reagent, it will react completely with the available copper (II) oxide to form the products, while there will be some excess copper (II) oxide remaining.