How Do You Use Limiting Reactant in Stoichiometry

The reactant that is consumed first and limits the amount of product(s) that can be obtained is the limiting reactant. To identify the limiting reactant, calculate the number of moles of each reactant present and compare this ratio to the mole ratio of the reactants in the balanced chemical equation.

What is limiting reactant with example?

So, for example, if the mole ratio in the balanced equation states it takes 1 mole of each reactant to produce a product (1:1 ratio) and one of the reactants is present in a higher amount than the other, the reactant present in the lower amount would be limiting reactant.

How do you use limiting reactant problems with moles?

If you’re given the moles present of each reactant, and asked to find the limiting reactant of a certain reaction, then the simplest way to find which is limiting is to divide each value by that substance’s respective coefficient in the (balanced) chemical equation; whichever value is smallest is the limiting reactant.