What is the limiting reactant?
BaF2 + 2NaNO3 -> Ba(NO3)2 + 2NaF
it’s NaNO3
The options are:
NaNO3
Ba(NO3)2
BaF2
NaF
I know it's not NaF, it was marked wrong when I took the quiz
To determine the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction, you need to compare the amounts of each reactant present and the stoichiometry of the reaction. In this case, you have the balanced equation:
BaF2 + 2NaNO3 -> Ba(NO3)2 + 2NaF
The coefficients indicate the ratio between the reactants and products. From the balanced equation, you can see that you need one mole of BaF2 for every two moles of NaNO3.
To determine the limiting reactant, follow these steps:
1. Convert the given amounts of each reactant to moles. Let's assume you have 5 moles of BaF2 and 8 moles of NaNO3.
2. Calculate the ratio of the stoichiometric coefficients for BaF2 and NaNO3. In this case, the stoichiometric ratio is 1:2 (1 mole of BaF2 to 2 moles of NaNO3).
3. Compare the moles of each reactant with the stoichiometric ratio. Since you have 5 moles of BaF2 and 8 moles of NaNO3, you can determine which reactant is present in excess.
4. Divide the moles of each reactant by their respective stoichiometric coefficients to find the "mole ratio." For example, with 5 moles of BaF2, the mole ratio for BaF2 would be 5/1 = 5. Similarly, for 8 moles of NaNO3, the mole ratio would be 8/2 = 4.
5. The smaller mole ratio determines the limiting reactant. In this case, the smaller mole ratio is 4. Therefore, NaNO3 is the limiting reactant.
In conclusion, NaNO3 is the limiting reactant in the given reaction because there is not enough NaNO3 present to react completely with the available amount of BaF2.