Grade

11
Self- Learning ModuleGENERAL
in CHEMISTRY I
Lesson: ChemicalReactions
Quarter: 3 Week: 7 Day and Time: ____________________
Learning competency/ies:
• Write and balanced chemical equations;
• Construct mole or mass ratios for a reaction in order to calculate the amount of
reactant needed or amount of product formed in terms of moles or mass;
• Calculate percent yield and theoretical yield of the reaction;
• Explain the concept of limiting reagent in a chemical reaction; identify the excess
reagent(s); and
• Determine mass relationship in a chemical reaction. Learning Tasks:
Study Notebook Activity Sheet
✓ What I know, pp.2-4 ✓ What’s more, p.10, p.17
✓ What’s In, p.5 ✓ What I have learned, p. 18
✓ What’s New, p. 5

I. Introduction:

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you master How to Balance a Chemical Equations. The scope of this module
permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used
recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to
follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them
can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

➢ Lesson 1: Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations

➢ Lesson 2 – Mole and Mass Ratio
➢ Lesson 3 - Percent yield and Theoretical yield of the reaction.
➢ Lesson 4 - Explain the concept of limiting reagent in a chemical
reaction; identify the excess reagent(s)

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Write a chemical equation, and

2. Balance a chemical equation.
3. Identify mole ratios of reactants and products from balanced chemical
Equations;
4. Perform stoichiometric calculations related to chemical equations.
5. Define theoretical, actual, and percent yield of reactions;
6. Calculate theoretical and percent yield of a reaction;
7. Identify the limiting and excess reagent(s) of a reaction; and
8. Calculate reaction yield in the presence of a limiting reagent. a...............1

1
 b.................................................................................................................3
c..................................................................................................................4
d.................................................................................................................5

What I Know
I. Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is an evidence that a chemical change has
taken place? a. change in color
b. change in size
c. change in shape
d. change in energy
2. How many Hydrogen (H) atoms are there in NH3O5?
3. In balancing chemical equations, we change the _____________.
a. coefficients
b. subscripts
c. both can be changed
d. none can be changed
4. The substance(s) to the left of the arrow in a chemical equation are
called________________.
a. coefficients
b. chemical equation
c. products
d. reactants
5. The compound CO2 is made of _______________.
a. two carbon
b. two oxygen
c. one carbon and two oxygen
d. two carbon and two oxygen
6. Stoichiometry deals with _________________.
a. Combustion reactions
b. Rates of chemical reactions
c. Heat evolved or absorbed during chemical reactions
d. The study of amounts of materials consumed and products formed in
chemical reactions
7. Given the reaction CH4 + 2O2→CO2 + 2 H2O, what amount of O 2 is needed to
completely react with 14.0 moles CH4?
a. 2.0 moles
b. 28.0 moles
c. 12.0 moles
d. 6.8 moles
8. How much of SnF2 (stannous fluoride, active ingredient in toothpaste) in g can
be prepared from the reaction of 10.0 g SnO with excess HF according to the
following reaction? SnO + 2HF→ SnF2 + H2O
a. 11.6 g
b. 10.0 g
c. 9.62 g
d. 26.0 g

2
9. What is a limiting reagent?
a. The reactant that is used up last and prevents more product
from being made
b. The reactant that is never used up
c. The reactant that is used up first and prevents more products from
being made
d. The reactant that is in excess and does not get used up in the
reaction
10. The ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield is known as the____. a.
Percent yield
b. Excess yield
c. Reagent yield
d. Experimental yield
11. Which of the following is NOT true about "yield"?
a. The value of the actual yield must be given in order for the percent yield
to be calculated.
b. The percent yield is the ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield.
c. The actual yield may be different from the theoretical yield because
reactions do not always go to completion.
d. The actual yield may be different from the theoretical yield because
insufficient limiting reagent was used.
12. Which of the following is NOT a reason why actual yield is less than theoretical
yield?
a. impure reactants present
b. loss of product during purification
c. competing side reactions
d. conservation of mass
13. The efficiency of a particular synthesis method is evaluated by determining the
_____________.
a. percent yield
b. stoichiometric coefficients.
c. limiting reactant
d. theoretical yield
14. What is the maximum amount of product that could be formed from the given
amounts of reactants?
a. Percent yield
b. Excess yield
c. Reagent yield
d. Theoretical yield
15. What is the amount of product that is actually formed when the reaction is
carried out in the laboratory?
a. Percent yield
b. Actual yield
c. Reagent yield
d. Theoretical yield
16. Pretend you have a job building tricycles. If you had 100 handle bars, 150
wheels, 250 pedals, and 75 seats how many tricycles could you build?
a. 50 b. 75 c. 120 d. 125
17. In problem 1, what is the limiting reactant?
a. handle bars b. wheels c. pedals d. seats

3
18. In problem 1, how many pedals are left over after you have built the
tricycles?
a. 0 b. 100 c. 150 d. 200
19. Hydrogen and nitrogen react to form ammonia according to the reaction, 3 H 2 +
N2 2 NH3. If 4.0 moles of H2 with 2.0 mol of N2 are reacted, how do you know
this is a limiting reactant problem?
a. Mass is conserved in the problem.
b. Moles are not conserved in the problem.
c. The mass of two reactants is given.
d. More than one of the above are correct.
20. In problem 3, how many moles of NH3 would be produced?
a. 0.38 mol b. 2.0 mol c. 2.7 mol d. 4.0 mol

II. Write the word equations below as chemical equations and balance it.
1. Zinc and lead (II) nitrate react to form zinc nitrate and lead.
_______________________________________________________________
2. Aluminum bromide and chlorine gas react to form aluminum chloride
and bromine gas.
_______________________________________________________________
3. Sodium phosphate and calcium chloride react to form calcium
phosphate and sodium chloride.
_______________________________________________________________ 4.
Potassium metal and chlorine gas combine to form potassium chloride.
_______________________________________________________________
5. Aluminum and hydrochloric acid react to form aluminum chloride and
hydrogen gas.
_______________________________________________________________

4
 Lesson Balancing Equation
What’s In
Directions: Find the words given in the letter pool. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

N C H E M I C A L R
I F O V V C C D K E
L E R C E N T F M A
E A M O N C B V Y C
Q D U M D S Y T N T
U Y B A L A N C E A
A K A O A H Y V M N
T G D S T L V I N T
I W Z I O J D D D K
O D V T M K V V C R
N A S I S T S G B M
B V M O L E S H F I
T R R N B B V I Y S
V S G G R V X P M S

EQUATION FORMULA SOLVING REACTANT

BALANCE CHEMICAL ATOMS MASS

What’s New
Directions: Write the balanced chemical equation of the reactions below. Include the
physical states of the concerned compounds.
1. Iron metal (Fe) combines with oxygen gas (O2) to form iron (III) oxide solid (Fe2O3).
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Chromium metal (Cr) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) react to form chromium (III) sulfate
solution (Cr2(SO4)3) and hydrogen gas (H2).
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Barium chromate solution (BaCrO4) and aqueous hydrochloric acid (HCl) react to produce
barium chloride solution (BaCl2) and chromic acid (H2CrO4).

5
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

What is It

Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations

When a substance undergoes a chemical reaction, chemical bonds are

broken and new bonds are formed. This results in one or more new substances,
often with entirely different properties. The “ingredients” or starting materials in a
chemical reaction are referred to as reactants and the substances produced in the
reaction are called products. A chemical equation is a chemist’s method of showing
the changes in the arrangement of atoms that occur during a chemical reaction.

Steps in writing a Chemical Equations

There is no single method for writing a chemical equation, but here is a

suggested strategy:

STEP 1
Write down a word equation for the chemical reaction
STEP 2
Write down the unbalanced equation using correct chemical symbols
for all the reactants and products
STEP 3
Balance the equation by inspection. (Ensure that the same number of
each type of atom appears on both sides of the equation)
STEP 4
Write the state symbol after each chemical symbol

Steps in balancing Chemical Equations

STEP 1
Identify the products and the reactants
STEP 2
Write the number of atoms
STEP 3
Add the coefficients

6
7
EXAMPLE 1

STEP 1
For this equation, our reactants are Fe andO2. Our products are Fe2 and O3.

STEP 2

Determine the number of atoms of each element are present on each side of the
equation. You can do this by looking at the subscripts or the coefficients. If there is
no subscript or coefficient present, then you just have one atom of something .

Fe + O2 → Fe2O3
On the reactant side, we have one atom of iron and two atoms of oxygen.

On the product side, we have two atoms ofiron and three atoms of oxygen.

STEP 3

Add the coefficients

In our chemical equation (Fe + O2 → Fe2O3), any coefficient you add to the product
has to be reflected with the reactants.

Let’s look at how to balance this chemical equation.

On the product side, we have two atoms of iron and three atoms of
oxygen. Let’s
tackle iron first.

When first looking at this chemical equation you might think that something like
this works:

2Fe + O 2 → Fe2O3

While that balances out the iron atoms (leaving two on each side), oxygen is still
unbalanced. That means we needto keep looking.

Taking iron first, we know that we’ll be working with a multiple of two, since there
are two atoms of iron present on the product side.
Knowing that using two as a coefficient won’t work, let’s try the next multiple of
two: four.

4Fe + O 2 → 2Fe2O3
That creates balance for iron by having four atoms on each side of the equation.
Oxygen isn’t quite balanced yet, but on the product side we have six atoms of
oxygen. Six is a multiple of two, so we can work with that on the reactant side,
where two atoms of oxygen are present.

That means that we can write our balanced chemical equation this way:

4Fe + 3O 2 → 3Fe2O3

8
EXAMPLE 2

CO2 + H2O → C 6H12O6 + O2

STEP 1
Focus on elements that onlyappear once on each side of the
equation. Here, both carbon and hydrogen fit this requirement. So, we will
start with carbon. There is only one atom of carbon on the left hand side,
but six on the right hand side. So, we add a coefficient of six on the bon-
car
containing molecule on the left.

6CO2 + H 2O → C6H12O6 + O2

STEP 2
Let’s look at hydrogen. There are two hydrogen atoms on the left and
twelve on the right. So, we will add a coefficient of six on the hydrogen
-
containing molecule on the
left.

6CO2 + 6H 2O → C6H12O6 + O2

STEP 3
It is time to check the oxygen. There are a total of 18 oxygen molecules
on the left (6×2 + 6×1). On the right, there are eight oxygen molecules. Now,
we have two options to even out the right hand side: We can
either multiply
C 6H12O6 or O2 by a coefficient. However, if we change6HC12O6, the coefficients
for everything else on the left hand side will also have to change, because we
will be changing the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms. To prevent this,
it usually helps to only change the molecule containing the fewest elements;
in this case, the O2. So, we can add a coefficient of six to the2 Oon the right.

Our final answer will be:6CO2 + 6H 2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

9
 EXAMPLE 3

Unbalanced: Mg+O2 → MgO

STEP 1

• Determine the number of atoms for each element.

Mg + O2 → MgO

Mg = 1 Mg = 1
O=2 O=1

STEP 2

• Pick an element that is not equal on both sides of the equation.

Mg + O2 → MgO
Mg = 1 Mg = 1

O=2 O=1

STEP 3

• Add a coefficient in front of the formula with the element and adjust
your counts.
Mg + O2 → 2 MgO

Mg = 1 Mg = 1 x 2 = 2
O=2 O=1x2=2

STEP 4

• Continue adding coefficients to get the same numberf oatoms of each

element on eachside.
2 Mg + O2 → 2 MgO

Mg = 1 x 2 =2 Mg = 2

O=2 O=2
STEP 5

• Repeat
It is now balance: 2Mg + O2 → 2MgO

Types and Evidences that a Chemical Reaction has Occurred

Here are some evidences that a chemical reaction has occurred:

10
 a. Change in color
b. Formation of a solid (a precipitate)
c. Evolution of gas (bubble formation)
d. Change in temperature (heat is released or absorbed) Most
chemical reactions can be classified into five types:

1. Decomposition reaction – a reactant breaks down into two or more

products

AB → A+B

Li2CO3 → Li2O + CO2

2. Synthesis reaction – two or more reactants form a single product

A + B → AB

2NO + O2 → 2NO2

3. Single displacement reaction – one element replaces another in a

compound

A + BC → AC + B

Cu(s) + 2AgNO3(aq) → Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2Ag(s)

4. Double displacement – two ionic compounds exchange ions

AB + CD → AD + CB

2KI(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) → 2KNO3(aq) + PbI2(s)

5. Combustion reaction – a hydrocarbon (a compound containing carbon

and hydrogen) reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.

Hydrocarbon + O2 → CO2 + H2O

2C2H6 + 7O2 → 4CO2 + 6H2O

What’s More
Directions: Balance the following chemical equations.
1. ___Fe +___ H2S04 → ___Fe2(SO4)3 + ___H2

2. ___C2H6 +___ O2 → ___H2O + ___CO2

3. ___KOH + ___H3PO4 → ___K3PO4 + ___H2O

4. ___SnO2 + ___H2 → ___Sn + ___H2O

5. ___NH3 + ___O2 → ___NO + ___H2O

Lesson Percent yield and Theoretical

11
 yield of the reaction

What is It
Mole Ratios

Stoichiometry problems can be characterized by two things: (1) the

information given in the problem, and (2) the information that is to be solved for,
referred to as the unknown.
The given and the unknown may both be reactants, both be products, or one
may be a reactant while the other is a product. The amounts of the substances can
be expressed in moles. However, in a laboratory situation, it is common to
determine the amount of a substance by finding its mass in grams.
The amount of a gaseous substance may be expressed by its volume. In this
concept, we will focus on the type of problem where both the given and the
unknown quantities are expressed in moles.

Key Points
• Molar ratios state the proportions of reactants and products that are used
and formed in a chemical reaction.
• Molar ratios can be derived from the coefficients of a balanced chemical
equation.
• Stoichiometric coefficients of a balanced equation and molar ratios do not
tell the actual amounts of reactants consumed and products formed.

Stoichiometric ratio: The ratio of the coefficients of the products and reactants in
a balanced reaction. This ratio can be used to calculate the amount of products or
reactants produced or used in a reaction.

Chemical equations are symbolic representations of chemical reactions. In a

chemical equation, the reacting materials are written on the left, and the products
are written on the right; the two sides are usually separated by an arrow showing
the direction of the reaction. The numerical coefficient next to each entity denotes
the absolute stoichiometric amount used in the reaction.

Because the law of conservation of mass dictates that the quantity of each
element must remain unchanged over the course of a chemical reaction, each side
of a balanced chemical equation must have the same quantity of each particular
element.

12
 In a balanced chemical equation, the coefficients can be used to determine
the relative amount of molecules, formula units, or moles of compounds that
participate in the reaction. The coefficients in a balanced equation can be used as
molar ratios, which can act as conversion factors to relate the reactants to the
products.

These conversion factors state the ratio of reactants that react but do not tell
exactly how much of each substance is actually involved in the reaction.

Illustrate stoichiometry using the following examples:

Example 1. Let us make hamburger sandwiches again. The equation is

Suppose Karen has 14 hamburger patties, how many slices of bread will she
need to consume all the patties? The ratio of slices of bread to hamburger patty is
2:
1.

Example 2. Suppose that instead of plain burgers, Karen is to make double

cheeseburgers. Show the equation so Karen can shop for enough ingredients.

How many slices of cheese, hamburger patties, and slices of bread will Karen
need to make 25 double cheeseburgers?

Karen will therefore have to buy 50 slices of cheese, 25 hamburger patties,

and 50 slices of bread.
Example 3. Ammonia, NH3, is a leading industrial chemical used in the production
of agricultural fertilizers and synthetic fibers. It is produced by the reaction of
nitrogen and hydrogen gases:

The balanced equation says that 3 moles H 2 are stoichiometrically equivalent

to 1 mole N2 and to 2 moles NH3. The ratio of moles H 2 to moles NH3 is 3:2; the ratio
of moles N2 to moles NH3 is 1:2.

13
 a. How many moles of NH3 will be produced if 10.4 moles H 2 react completely
with N2? (moles H2 → moles NH3)

b. How many moles of N2 are needed to produce 42.4 moles NH 2? (moles NH3
→moles N2)

c. How many grams of NH3 will be produced from 25.7 moles N2? (moles N2
→moles NH3 →g NH3).

Example 4. How many moles of ammonia are produced if 4.20 moles of hydrogen
are reacted with an excess of nitrogen?

List the known quantities and plan the problem

Known
Given: H2=4.20 mol

Unknown
mol of NH3
The conversion is from mol H2 to mol NH3. The problem states that there is
an excess of nitrogen, so we do not need to be concerned with any mole ratio
involving N2. Choose the conversion factor that has the NH 3 in the numerator and
the H2 in the denominator.

The reaction of 4.20 of hydrogen with excess nitrogen produces 2.80 mol of
ammonia.

Think about your result.

The result corresponds to the 3:2 ratio of hydrogen to ammonia from the balanced
equation.

Summary

Mole ratios allow comparison of the amounts of any two materials in a balanced
equation.

Calculations can be made to predict how much product can be obtained from a
given number of moles of reactant.

14
Percent Yield

Chemical reactions in the real world don't always go exactly as planned on

paper. In the course of an experiment, many things will contribute to the formation
of less product than would be predicted. Besides spills and other experimental
errors, there are usually losses due to an incomplete reaction, undesirable side
reactions, etc. Chemists need a measurement that indicates how successful a
reaction has been. This measurement is called the percent yield.

To compute the percent yield, it is first necessary to determine how much of

the product should be formed based on stoichiometry. This is called the theoretical
yield, the maximum amount of product that could be formed from the given
amounts of reactants. The actual yield is the amount of product that is actually
formed when the reaction is carried out in the laboratory. The percent yield is the
ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield, expressed as a percentage.

Percent yield is very important in the manufacture of products. Much time

and money are spent improving the percent yield for chemical production. When
complex chemicals are synthesized by many different reactions, one step with a low
percent yield can quickly cause a large waste of reactants and unnecessary
expense.

Typically, percent yields are understandably less than 100% because of the
reasons indicated earlier. However, percent yields greater than 100% are possible if
the measured product of the reaction contains impurities that cause its mass to be
greater than it actually would be if the product was pure. When a chemist
synthesizes a desired chemical, he or she is always careful to purify the products of
the reaction. Let’s practice:

Example 1. Potassium chlorate decomposes upon slight heating in the presence of

a catalyst according to the reaction below:

In a certain experiment, 40.0g KClO 3 is heated until it completely

decomposes. What is the theoretical yield of oxygen gas? The experiment is
performed and the oxygen gas is collected and its mass is found to be 14.9g. What
is the percent yield for the reaction?

Solution

First, we will calculate the theoretical yield based on the stoichiometry.

Step 1: List the known quantities and plan the problem.

Known
Given: Mass of KClO3=40.0g
Molar mass KClO3=122.55g/mol
15
Molar mass O2=32.00g/mol
Unknown
Theoretical yield O2=? g

Apply stoichiometry to convert from the mass of a reactant to the mass of a

product:

Step 2: Solve.

The theoretical yield of

Step 3: Think about your result.

The mass of oxygen gas must be less than the 40.0g of potassium chlorate
that was decomposed.

Now we will use the actual yield and the theoretical yield to calculate the
percent yield.

Step 1: List the known quantities and plan the problem.

Known
Actual yield =14.9g
Theoretical yield =15.7g
Unknown
Percent yield =? %

Use the percent yield equation above.

Step 2: Solve

Step 3: Think about your result.

16
 Since the actual yield is slightly less than the theoretical yield, the percent
yield is just under 100%.
Example 2. Upon reaction of 1.274 g of copper sulfate with excess zinc metal,
0.392 g copper metal was obtained according to the equation:

CuSO 4(aq)+Zn(s)→Cu(s)+ZnSO4(aq) What

is the percent yield?

Solution

Identify the "given" information and what the problem is asking you to "find."
Given: 1.274 g CuSO4
Actual yield = 0.392 g Cu
Find: Percent yield

List other known quantities.

1 mol CuSO4= 159.62 g/mol
1 mol Cu = 63.55 g/mol

Since the amount of product in grams is not required, only the molar mass
of the reactants is needed.

Balance the equation.

The chemical equation is already balanced. The balanced equation provides

the relationship of 1 mol CuSO4 to 1 mol Zn to 1 mol Cu to 1 mol ZnSO4.

Prepare a concept map and use the proper conversion factor.

The provided information identifies copper sulfate as the limiting reactant,

and so the theoretical yield (g Cu) is found by performing mass-mass calculation
based on the initial amount of CuSO4.

Cancel units and calculate.

Using this theoretical yield and the provided value for actual yield, the
percent yield is calculated to be:

17
Think about your result.

Since the actual yield is slightly less than the theoretical yield, the percent
yield is just under 100%.

Summary

Theoretical yield is calculated based on the stoichiometry of the chemical

equation. The actual yield is experimentally determined. The percent yield is
determined by calculating the ratio of actual yield/theoretical yield.

What’s More
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is incorrect.
Place your answers on the blank provided in each number.
_______1. Chemical equations are symbolic representations of chemical
reactions.
_______2. Molar ratios state the proportions of reactants and products that are used
and formed in a chemical reaction.
________3. Molar ratios cannot be derived from the coefficients of a balanced
chemical equation.
________4. Chemical equations are symbolic representations of balance reactions.
________5. In a balanced chemical equation, the coefficients can be used to
determine
the relative amount of molecules, formula units, or moles of compounds
that participate in the reaction.
________6. The coefficients in a balanced equation can be used as molar ratios,
which
can act as conversion factors to relate the reactants to the products.
________7. Stoichiometry problems can be characterized by three things
________8. Mole ratios allow comparison of the amounts of any two materials in a
balanced equation
________9. The amounts of the substances can be expressed in moles.
________10. The amount of a gaseous substance may be expressed by its volume.
18
 What I Have Learned
Directions: Calculate the ratio of given reaction. Write your answer on
a separate sheet of paper. Following each equation are two requests for molar ratios
from the equation.

1) N2 + 3 H2 → 2 NH3
N2 to H2: NH3 to H2:

2) 2 SO2 + O2 → 2 SO3
O2 to SO3: O2 to SO2:

3) PCl3 + Cl2 → PCl5

PCl3 to Cl2: PCl3 to PCl5:

4) 4 NH3 + 3 O2 → 2 N2 + 6 H2O
NH3 to N2: H2O to O2:

5) Fe2O3 + 3 CO → 2 Fe + 3 CO2

CO to CO2: Fe to CO:

Lesson Limiting & Excess Reagents

What is It
Key points
The limiting reagent is the reactant that is used up completely. This stops the
reaction and no further products are made. Given the balanced chemical equation
that describes the reaction, there are several ways to identify the limiting reagent.
One way to determine the limiting reagent is to compare the mole ratios of the
amounts of reactants used. This method is most useful when there are only two
reactants.
The limiting reagent can also be derived by comparing the amount of products that
can be formed from each reactant. The reactant in a chemical reaction that is
consumed first; prevents any further reaction from occurring
In a chemical reaction, the limiting reagent, or limiting reactant, is the substance
that has been completely consumed when the chemical reaction is complete. The
amount of product produced by the reaction is limited by this reactant because the
reaction cannot proceed further without it; often, other reagents are present in
excess of the quantities required to react with the limiting reagent.
19
 From stoichiometry, the exact amount of reactant needed to react with another
element can be calculated. However, if the reagents are not mixed or present in
these correct stoichiometric proportions, the limiting reagent will be entirely
consumed, and the reaction will not go to stoichiometric completion.
The limiting reagent in a reaction is the first to be completely used up and prevents
any further reaction from occurring. In this reaction, reactant B is the limiting
reagent because there is still some left-over A in the products. Therefore, A was in
excess when B was all used up.

Determining the Limiting Reagent

One way to determine the limiting reagent is to compare the mole ratio of the
number of reactants used. This method is most useful when there are only two
reactants. One reactant (A) is chosen, and the balanced chemical equation is used
to determine the amount of the other reactant (B) necessary to react with A. If the
amount of B actually present exceeds the amount required, then B is in excess, and
A is the limiting reagent. If the amount of B present is less than is required, then B
is the limiting reagent.
To begin, the chemical equation must first be balanced. The law of conservation
states that the quantity of each element does not change over the course of a
chemical reaction. Therefore, the chemical equation is balanced when the amount
of each element is the same on both the left and right sides of the equation. Next,
convert all given information (typically masses) into moles, and compare the mole
ratios of the given information to those in the chemical equation.

Example of the double cheeseburger. The equation is:

When Carol went shopping, she was able to buy 50 slices of cheese, 20 hamburger
patties, and 50 slices of bread. How many double cheeseburgers can she make?
What is the limiting material or reagent? What are the excess reagents? To find the
limiting reagent, determine which reagent will give the smallest amount of product.

Therefore, the limiting reagent is the hamburger patty.

Carol can only make 20 double cheeseburgers. The limiting reagent is the
hamburger patty. There are ten slices of bread and ten cheese slices in excess.

20
Karen cannot make more than 20 sandwiches because all the hamburger patties
have been used up.

Example 1.

Consider again the reaction: 3H2(g) + N2(g)🡪2NH3(g)

a. If 6.60 moles H2 are made to react with 4.42 moles N2, what is the limiting
reagent? How many moles NH3 will be produced? What reagent is in excess and
by how much? Determine which reagent will produce the smallest amount of
product:

Therefore, the limiting reagent is H2.

Example 2.

What is the limiting reagent if 76.4 grams of C 2H3Br3 were reacted with 49.1 grams
of O2?

4C2H3Br3+11O2→8CO2+6H2O+6Br2
Solution
Using Approach 1:

76.4g×1mole266.72g=0.286moles of C2H3Br3

A. Assuming that all of the oxygen is used up, or 0.556 moles of

C2H3Br3 are required. Because there are only 0.286 moles of
C2H3Br3 available, C2H3Br3 is the limiting reagent.

Using Approach 2:

Example 3: Excess Reagent

21
How much the excess reagent remains if 24.5 grams of CoO is reacted with 2.58
grams of O2?
4CoO+ O2→2Co2 O3
Solution A.
B. Assuming that all of the oxygen is used up,

or 0.3225 moles of
CoO are required. Because there are 0.327 moles of CoO, CoO is in excess and
thus O2 is the limiting reactant.

C. 0.327mol - 0.3224mol = 0.0046 moles left in excess.

What’s More

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is

incorrect. Place your answers on the blank provided in each number.

_______1. Excess Reactant is the reactant in a chemical reaction that

remains when a reaction stops when the limiting reactant is completely
consumed.
________2. The limiting reagent in a chemical reaction is the substance that
is totally consumed when the chemical reaction is completed.
________3. One method of determining the limiting reagent is to find and
compare the mole ratio of the reactant and the product in the reaction
________4. The limiting reactant in a chemical reaction remains because
there is nothing with which it can react.

22
________5. If the reactants are mixed in the correct stoichiometric
proportions, then one of the reactants will be consumed while another will
be left over.
________6. In finding the limiting reagent and the excess reactant, we must
first have a balanced chemical equation.
________7. To solve for the excess reactant, we need to subtract the total
reactant from the actual reactant used.
________8. The excess reactant when consumed completely, limits the
reaction from continuing.
_________9. A limiting reagent determines the maximum amount of the
product that can be formed in a reaction.
_________10. A excess reagent determines the maximum amount of the
product that can be formed in a reaction.

What I Have Learned

Directions: Complete the following paragraph below with the appropriate

data. Base your answers on the illustrations presented before each
statement.

Illustration 1. Making Burgers

5 burger patties 2 pairs of burger buns 2 burgers

Paragraph 1:

For you to make a burger, you need 1. _____ pc/pcs of burger patty and a pair
of burger buns. The limiting reagent is the 2. _______________ because we cannot
make any more burgers since it is used out first. On the other hand, the excess
reagent in the reaction process is the 3. _______________ since there are still some of

23
it left after making burgers. Using the components, we have, we can produce a
maximum of 4.
_____ pc/pcs of burger.

Illustration 2. Making Chili Dynamites

3 wrappers 3 Chili 5 cheese slices 3 chili dynamites

Paragraph 2:

For you to make a chili dynamite, you need a piece of wrapper, 5. _____ pc/pcs
of chili, and a slice of cheese. The 6. _______________ are the 7. _______________ and
8. _______________ because they are the ones that ran out first in making the chili
dynamites. While, the 9. _______________ are the cheese slices because we still have
10. ____ pc/pcs of it that are not used. Looking at the process, we can produce a
maximum of 11. _____ pc/pcs of 12. _______________.

What I Can Do

Directions: Solve for what is being asked in each problem. Base your answers in
the chemical reaction and data below.

In the chemical reaction below, there are 7.8 moles of Mg and 4.7 moles of O 2.

2Mg + O2 → 2MgO

1. How many moles of O2 do we need to use all of the Mg?

2. How many moles of Mg do we need to use all of the O2?

3. Which is the limiting reagent?

4. Which is the excess reactant?

5. How many moles of MgO can be produced from the limiting reactant?

24
 Assessment
I. Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on

a separate sheet of paper.

1. What is chemical equation?

a. It is a short way to show a chemical reaction using symbols
b. It is a way to explain a chemical reaction using words
c. It is a summation of reactant and product
d. It is a writing chemical reaction using formula 2. How many atoms
are there in H2SO4? a. 3
b. 5
c. 6
d. 7
3. In the chemical equation Fe + S → FeS, what does Fe + S represents?
a. products
b. reactants
c. yield
d. chemical formula
4. When balancing equation, a ____________ can be placed to the left of
a formula of a substance to make the equations balanced a.
charge
b. subscript
c. coefficient
d. random number
5. Which of the following is an evidence of a chemical reaction?

25
 a. gases forming
b. water changing to ice
c. boiling water
d. paper being cut in half
6. What is the mass of Lithium Carbonate in 4.020 moles of Lithium
Carbonate? a. 297.0 g Li2CO3
b. 40.0 g Li2CO3
c. 97.0 g Li2CO3
d. 21.0 g Li2CO3
7. Given the balanced equation: NO 2 --------> N2O4. What mass, in grams, of
N2O4 is produced when 10 moles of NO2 is consumed?
a. 153
b. 690
c. 368
d. 460
8. Given the balanced equation: ZnSO4 + SrCl2 ------> SrSO4 + ZnCl2. How many
moles of SrCl2 is consumed when 54 g of ZnCl2 is produced?
a. 0.16
b. 0.79
c. 1.58
d. 0.4

9. Calculate the mass of hydrogen formed when 25 grams of aluminum reacts

with excess hydrochloric acid.
a. 0.41 g
b. 1.2g
c. 1.8 g
d. 2.8 g
10. What is the molar mass of H?
a. 1 g/mol
b. 5g/mol
c. 12.12 g/mol
d. 3.0 g/mol
11. How many grams of NH3 is produced if you react 42 grams of N2?
a. 10.078 g NH2
b. 51 g NH2
c. 62.3 g NH2
d. 51 g NH3
12. How many grams of HgO must react to produce 3.75 moles of O2?
a. 155. 78 g
b. 1624.42 g
c. 662.5 g
d. 451 g
13. How many moles of hydrogen are necessary to react with 2 moles of oxygen
in order to produce exactly 4 moles of water?
a. 4 mole H2
b. 6 mole H2

26
 c. 8 mole H2
d. 2 mole H2
14. How many moles of hydrogen are necessary to react with 15.0 g of oxygen?
a. 0.938 moles H2
b. 0.6 mole H2
c. 1.88 mole H2
d. 11.52 mole H
15. Calculate the mass in grams of 50. 9.03 x 1023 molecules of hydrogen sulfide
(H2S)?
a. 051.1 g H2S
b. 551.1 g H2S
c. 12.3 g H2S
d. 21 g H2S
16. Take the reaction: NH3 + O2 NO + H2O. In an experiment, 3.25 g of NH 3 are
allowed to react with 3.50 g of O2. Which reactant is the limiting reagent?
a. O2 c. H2
b. CO2 d. H3
17. In Problem number 1. How many grams of NO are formed?
a. 2.63 g c. 10g
b. 5g d. 90g
18. If 4.95 g of ethylene (C2H4) are combusted with 3.25 g of oxygen. What is the
limiting reagent?
a. O2 c. H2
b. CO2 d. H3
19. In Problem number 3. How many grams of CO2 are formed?
a. 10g c. 7 g
b. 2.98 g d. 90g
20. A reaction container holds 5.77 g of P4 and 5.77 g of O2. The following
reaction occurs: P4 + O2 P4O6. If enough oxygen is available, then the P 4O6
reacts further:
P4O6 + O2? What is the limiting reagent for the formation of P4O10?
a. O2 c. H2
b. CO2 d. H3O+.
21. In Problem number 5. How many grams of P4O10 are formed?
a. 4.60 g c. 5.60g
b. 5.78 g d. 3.60 g
22. 2 Mg + O2 (g) → 2 MgO What is the limiting reactant if 2.2 g of Mg is reacted
with 4.5 L of oxygen at STP?
a. Mg c. O2
b. M2 d. O
23. 2NaCl + Pb (NO3)2 → NaNO3 + PbCl2. How many grams of lead II chloride are
produced from the reaction of 15.3 g of NaCl and 60.8 g of Pb (NO 3)? What is
the limiting reactant?
a. NaCl c. Na
b. PbCl2 d. Cl
24. In Problem number 8. What is the excess?
a NaCl c. Na
b. PbCl2 d. Cl
25. CO(g) + 2 H2 → CH3OH 2.50 g of hydrogen is reacted with 30.0 L of carbon
monoxide at STP. What is the limiting reactant? a NaCl
c. Na b. H d. Cl
27
II. Balance the following chemical equations. Blank spaces are interpreted as
containing the number “1”.

1. When dissolved barium chloride reacts with dissolved potassium sulfate in

water, barium sulfate precipitate and aqueous potassium chloride are
made.
__________________________________________________________________
2. When calcium chloride and potassium phosphate are dissolved in water,
they react to form aqueous potassium chloride and calcium phosphate
powder.
__________________________________________________________________
3. When sucrose (C12H22O) burns in oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and heat
are produced.
__________________________________________________________________

4. When dissolved calcium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a

precipitate of calcium sulfate, water, and heat are formed.
__________________________________________________________________
5. When sodium metal reacts with iron (III) chloride, iron metal and sodium
__________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

28
29
References: Books

Bajah, S.T. Teibo, B.O. Onwu, G and Obikwere, A. (2002) Secondary Secondary
Chemistry textbook
Lagos, Longman Publishers
Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheets (Over 200 Reactions to Balance):
Chemistry Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers by
Chemistry 10th Edition By ChangFound at
https://www.academia.edu/33200599/Chemistry_10th_Edition_By_Chang_PD
F

Chemical Reactions and Equations by Karthik found at

https://www.academia.edu/38687610/Chemical_Reactions_and_Equations
The Engineering Of Chemical Reactions L. D. Schmidt OXFORD UNIVERSITY
PRESS by
Anup Biswas available at
https://www.academia.edu/36952527/_book_The_Engineering_Of_Chemical_
Reactions_L_D_Schmidt_OXFORD_UNIVERSITY_PRESS
WalterMFrostfoundat
https://www.academia.edu/40826198/Balancing_Chemical_Equations_Works
heets_Over_200_Reactions_to_Balance_Chemistry_Essentials_Practice_Workbo
ok_with_Answers_by

30