Limiting Reactant Lab

Research Question How is the limiting reactant identified

EXPLORATION (25%) (include all bulleted sections)

● Background Information:

The limiting reactant is the reactant that gets consumed first in a chemical reaction and
therefore limits how much product can be formed. In order to determine a limiting reactant
you need to calculate the number of moles of each reactant present and compare this ratio to
the mole ratio of the reactants in a balanced chemical equation.

The percent yield means the amount of product that is produced based on the limiting
reactant. The theoretical percent yield is normally higher than the actual percentage yield.

● Hypothesis: What do you think will be the limiting reactant in this experiment?

I predict that Sodium Bicarbonate will be the limiting reactant in this experiment because
the reaction depends on the sodium bicarbonate (base) being added to the vinegar solution
(acid).

● Materials:

○ Sodium bicarbonate
○ Scooper
○ Weight boat
○ Balance
○ 8% vinegar solution
○ 125-mL flask
○ Glass stir rod
○ pH paper
○ Funnel
○ Balloon
○ 30 cm string

● Procedure:

1. Mass approximately 3 g of NaHCO3 and record the exact mass in your data table. Keep off
to the side for later. 2. Mass a balloon with the string and record that mass in your data table.
3. Using the 100 ml graduated cylinder, measure approximately 30 mL of a 8% vinegar
solution. Record the exact volume in your data table. 4. Add the measured acetic acid to a
125-mL flask. 5. Test the pH of the acid by dipping a glass stir rod into the solution and then
touching it to a piece of pH paper. Record the pH in your data table. Save this paper for a
later step. 6. Carefully pour the sodium bicarbonate into a balloon using a funnel. Using the
technique your teacher showed you, attach the balloon to the mouth of the flask. When you
are ready to start the reaction, lift the balloon up so ALL the sodium bicarbonate drops into
the flask. Swirl the flask to mix the chemicals until the reaction seems complete. Record
observations. 7. Remove the balloon and tie it up so that the gas inside is not lost. Tare the
balance weigh your tied balloon with the string attached. Record this mass in your data table.
8. Test the pH of the solution in the flask by dipping a glass stir rod into it and touching the
pH paper used earlier. Record the pH in your data table. 9. Slowly let the gas out of the
balloon and throw it out. Rinse out your flask with water. Clean up the rest of your lab area.

● Safety, ethics and environmental concerns:

This Lab experiment does not have any ethical or environmental concerns, as all the
chemicals used are environmentally friendly. And, even though it can be argued that the
materials of the recipients aren't environmentally friendly, they are non-disposable, meaning
that you only need 1 to perform various experiments. Thereby, making this lab
environmentally friendly and ethically correct.
Regarding safety, this Lab followed the safety protocol. Everyone is required to wear goggles,
lab coat, and hair tied back. And followed lab safety rules: 1. Don't touch anything
unnecessary or other people's experiments, 2. If glass breaks don't touch it, ask your teacher,
3. Follow instructions carefully.

ANALYSIS (25%)

● Observations:

Before reaction took place During the reaction After the reaction

The balloon is in its original The balloon started inflating The balloon is filled with gas
shape and dry. Sodium with gas. The sodium and shaped like a pear. The
bicarbonate is solid, white bicarbonate and the vinegar vinegar solution has bubbles
and grainy (its original solution were incorporated and the sodium bicarbonate
form). The vinegar is still, together. The vinegar is incorporated into it. The
liquid and transparent (Its started bubbling and it is no solution is almost white
original form). longer a transparent instead of transparent.
solution, it is almost white.
Some of the vinegar and
sodium bicarbonate solution
spilled from the flask.

● Data/Calculations

Values

Mass of NaCHO3 (grams) 3.277- 0.22 (boat) = 3.057g

Initial mass of the balloon and string 1.71g

Mass of HC2H3O2 (grams) 31.744 - 2.611 = 29.133g

pH of solution BEFORE reaction 3

Final mass of the balloon (grams) 2.94g

pH of solution AFTER reaction 5

Mass of acetic acid (g) 31.5g

EVALUATION (25 %)

● Balanced equation:

NaHCO3 + HC2H3HO2 ⇾ C2H3NaO2 + H2O + CO2

● Limiting reactants:

3.057 g NaHCO3 x 1 mole NaHCO3 x 1 mol CO2 x 44.009g CO2

x 84.006g NaHCO3 x 1 mole Na HCO3 x 1 mole CO2 =

x 44.05g HC2H3HO2 x 1 mole HC2H3HO2 x 1 mol H2O

EVALUATION (25%)

The balloon inflating from the gas shows that the chemical reaction took place. When the
sodium bicarbonate was incorporated into the vinegar solution, the chemical reaction started
taking place. We were able to first notice it from the bubbles being produced in the vinegar
solution and fastly after the reaction was clear in the balloon. Scientifically speaking this
reaction can be proven from the different Ph levels of the vinegar solution before and after
the experiment. Before the reaction the solution had a Ph of 3, meaning it was very acidic,
and after the reaction it had a Ph of 5, showing the solution to be neutral, this change could
only happen if there was a reaction between the chemicals. This is important because it tells
us whether or not the chemical reaction occurred and if we were successful. The product
collected was carbon dioxide. When sodium bicarbonate and vinegar are mixed together,
hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions. This reaction
creates two new chemicals: carbonic acid and sodium acetate.The second reaction is a
decomposition reaction. The carbonic acid formed as a result of the first reaction
immediately begins to decompose into water and carbon dioxide gas. Resulting in carbon
dioxide. This carbon dioxide is visible as it rises to the top of the flask and creates bubbles.
According to the quantities I used of the two reactants and the amount of carbon dioxide that
I produced, the limiting reactant is the sodium bicarbonate. Using NaHCO3 compared to
H2O, it resulted in 11.92g of H2O. Using NaHCO3 compared to CO2, it resulted in 1.601g of
carbon dioxide. Therefore, the sodium bicarbonate is smaller than the vinegar making it the
limiting reactant. Based on my observations, they were phew indications that this would be
my limiting reactant. Firstly, the sodium bicarbonate (3.057g) needed was a smaller amount
than the vinegar (30g). Secondly, the sodium bicarbonate needed to be incorporated into the
vinegar for the reaction to happen and once it was fully incorporated the reaction stopped
increasing.

Since sodium bicarbonate is the limiting reactant, we can use it to determine the mass of the
excess reactant, meaning the vinegar. We have an excess of 2.185g of HC2H3O. We can also
calculate the mass of the theoretical yield of carbon dioxide in the conversion process above,
it shows the theoretical yield to be 1.601g. The actual yield of carbon dioxide is the mass of
the balloon and string after chemical reaction subtracted from the initial mass of the balloon,
since all carbon dioxide filled the balloon. Therefore, the actual yield of carbon dioxide is
2.94 - 1.71 = 1.23g. Since we know that sodium bicarbonate is the limiting reactant that
produces 1.601g of CO2 and the actual mass, we can calculate the percentage yield of this
equation. The percentage yield of the equation is 76.82%. The percentage yield will never
reach 100% or surpass 100% due to slight errors that might happen during the experiment. In
our case in the recollection of Carbon Dioxide.
The % yield was less than 100% meaning that there was an experimental error that occurred
in the lab. This error could be anything as slight errors happen constantly in labs. But
specifically in the case of this lab what I believe to be the error that affected the percentage
yield the most was that when combined, the vinegar and sodium bicarbonate solution
reacted really quickly, and it was hard to keep all the bubbles inside the flask and despite our
efforts, some of the solution erupted from the flask. We also had issues with our string since I
tied it too early, resulting in it not being properly tied, and us having to take an extra time to
fix it for the balloon to be correctly closed. This contributes to the percentage yield, since
every slight error results in a slight change in the percentage yield. Since some of the carbon
dioxide left the flask, this altered the results. In order for the balloon to get bigger, you would
need to increase the sodium bicarbonate quantity since it is the limiting reactant. Meaning it
is what the experiment depends on. Without the sodium bicarbonate the vinegar would not
create the bubbles that result in the reaction to produce carbon dioxide, thereby inflating the
balloon. The more carbon dioxide produced, the bigger the balloon. You wouldn't need to
increase the vinegar solution, since it is the excess reactant.

REFERENCES APA style:

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