Because of the porosity of the filter paper some of the CaC2O4 x H2O precipitate passes through the filter paper. Will the reported percent of the limiting reactant in the original salt mixture be reported too high or too low? explain
low
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To determine whether the reported percent of the limiting reactant in the original salt mixture will be reported too high or too low, we need to understand the concept of a limiting reactant.
In a chemical reaction, the limiting reactant is the substance that is completely consumed, limiting the amount of product that can be formed. The other reactant is called the excess reactant since there is an excess amount of it remaining after the reaction.
In this case, CaC2O4 x H2O is the limiting reactant, and there could be an excess amount of another reactant in the salt mixture. When performing the filtration process with filter paper, some of the precipitate (CaC2O4 x H2O) passes through due to the porosity of the filter paper.
Now, let's consider what effect this has on the reported percent of the limiting reactant. The precipitate that passes through the filter is still composed of the limiting reactant, which would contribute to the measured amount of the limiting reactant. However, since some of it is lost through the filtration process, the reported percent of the limiting reactant would be higher than the actual value.
In other words, the reported percent of the limiting reactant in the original salt mixture would be reported too high because some of the limiting reactant passes through the filter paper, resulting in its underestimation during the analysis.
To obtain a more accurate measurement, it would be necessary to account for the loss of the limiting reactant during the filtration process or use an alternative method that avoids the loss of the precipitate.