LIMITING REAGENTS

When there is not enough of one reactant in a chemical reaction, the reaction stops abruptly. To figure out the amount of product
produced, it must be determined reactant will limit the chemical reaction (the limiting reagent) and which reactant is in excess (the
excess reagent). One way of finding the limiting reagent is by calculating the amount of product that can be formed by each reactant;
the one that produces less product is the limiting reagent.

INTRODUCTION
The following scenario illustrates the significance of limiting reagents. In order to assemble a car, 4 tires and 2 headlights are needed
(among other things). In this example, imagine that the tires and headlights are reactants while the car is the product formed from the
reaction of 4 tires and 2 headlights. If you have 20 tires and 14 headlights, how many cars can be made? With 20 tires, 5 cars can be
produced because there are 4 tires to a car. With 14 headlights, 7 cars can be built (each car needs 2 headlights). Although more cars
can be made from the headlights available, only 5 full cars are possible because of the limited number of tires available. In this case,
the headlights are in excess. Because the number of cars formed by 20 tires is less than number of cars produced by 14 headlights, the
tires are the limiting reagent (they limit the full completion of the reaction, in which all of the reactants are used up). This scenario is
illustrated below:
4 Tires + 2 Headlights = 1 Car

+ =
Figure 1: The synthesis reaction of making a car. Images used from Wikipedia with permission.
The initial condition is that there must be 4 tires to 2 headlights. The reactants must thus occur in that ratio; otherwise, one will limit
the reaction. There are 20 tires and 14 headlights, so there are two ways of looking at this problem. For 20 tires, 10 headlights are
required, whereas for 14 headlights, 28 tires are required. Because there are not enough tires (20 tires is less than the 28 required), tires
are the limiting "reactant."
The limiting reagent is the reactant that is completely used up in a reaction, and thus determines when the reaction stops. From the
reaction stoichiometry, the exact amount of reactant needed to react with another element can be calculated. If the reactants are not
mixed in the correct stoichiometric proportions (as indicated by the balanced chemical equation), then one of the reactants will be
entirely consumed while another will be left over. The limiting reagent is the one that is totally consumed; it limits the reaction from
continuing because there is none left to react with the in-excess reactant.
There are two ways to determine the limiting reagent. One method is to find and compare the mole ratio of the reactants used in the
reaction (approach 1). Another way is to calculate the grams of products produced from the given quantities of reactants; the reactant
that produces the smallest amount of product is the limiting reagent (approach 2).

HOW TO FIND THE LIMITING REAGENT: APPROACH 1

Find the limiting reagent by looking at the number of moles of each reactant.
1. Determine the balanced chemical equation for the chemical reaction.
2. Convert all given information into moles (most likely, through the use of molar mass as a conversion factor).
3. Calculate the mole ratio from the given information. Compare the calculated ratio to the actual ratio.
4. Use the amount of limiting reactant to calculate the amount of product produced.
5. If necessary, calculate how much is left in excess of the non-limiting reagent.

HOW TO FIND THE LIMITING REAGENT: APPROACH 2

Find the limiting reagent by calculating and comparing the amount of product each reactant will produce.
1. Balance the chemical equation for the chemical reaction.
2. Convert the given information into moles.
3. Use stoichiometry for each individual reactant to find the mass of product produced.
4. The reactant that produces a lesser amount of product is the limiting reagent.
5. The reactant that produces a larger amount of product is the excess reagent.
6. To find the amount of remaining excess reactant, subtract the mass of excess reagent consumed from the total mass of excess
reagent given.

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EXAMPLE 1: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Consider respiration, one of the most common chemical reactions on earth.
C H O +6 O → 6 CO + 6 H O + energy (1)
6 12 6 2 2 2

What mass of carbon dioxide forms in the reaction of 25 grams of glucose with 40 grams of oxygen?
SOLUTION
When approaching this problem, observe that every 1 mole of glucose (C 6 H12 O6 ) requires 6 moles of oxygen to obtain 6 moles of
carbon dioxide and 6 moles of water.
Step 1: Determine the balanced chemical equation for the chemical reaction.
The balanced chemical equation is already given.
Step 2: Convert all given information into moles (most likely, through the use of molar mass as a conversion factor).
1 mol
25 g × = 0.1388 mol C6 H12 O6
180.06 g

1 mol
40 g × = 1.25 mol O2
32 g

Step 3: Calculate the mole ratio from the given information. Compare the calculated ratio to the actual ratio.
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a. If all of the 1.25 moles of oxygen were to be used up, there would need to be 1.25 × or 0.208 moles of glucose. There is only
6

0.1388 moles of glucose available which makes it the limiting reactant.

1 mol C6 H12 O6
1.25 mol O2 × = 0.208 mol C6 H12 O6
6 mol O2

b. If all of the 0.1388 moles of glucose were used up, there would need to be 0.1388 x 6 or 0.8328 moles of oxygen. Because
there is an excess of oxygen, the glucose amount is used to calculate the amount of the products in the reaction.

6 mol O2
0.1388 mol C6 H12 O6 × = 0.8328 mol O2
1 mol C6 H12 O6

If more than 6 moles of O2 are available per mole of C6H12O6, the oxygen is in excess and glucose is the limiting reactant. If less
than 6 moles of oxygen are available per mole of glucose, oxygen is the limiting reactant. The ratio is 6 mole oxygen per 1 mole
glucose, OR 1 mole oxygen per 1/6 mole glucose. This means: 6 mol O2 / 1 mol C6H12O6 .
Therefore, the mole ratio is: (0.8328 mol O2)/(0.208 mol C6H12O6)
This gives a 4.004 ratio of O2 to C6H12O6.
Step 4: Use the amount of limiting reactant to calculate the amount of CO2 or H2O produced.
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For carbon dioxide produced: 0.1388 moles glucose × = 0.8328 moles carbon dioxide .
1

Step 5: If necessary, calculate how much is left in excess.

1.25 mol - 0.8328 mol = 0.4172 moles of oxygen left over

EXAMPLE 2: OXIDATION OF MAGNESIUM

Calculate the mass of magnesium oxide possible if 2.40 g M g reacts with 10.0 g O 2

Mg + O → MgO
2

SOLUTION
Step 1: Balance equation

2 Mg + O → 2 MgO
2

Step 2 and Step 3: Converting mass to moles and stoichiometry

1.00 mol Mg 2.00 mol MgO 40.31 g MgO
2.40 g Mg × × × = 3.98 g MgO
24.31 g Mg 2.00 mol Mg 1.00 mol MgO

1 mol O2 2 mol MgO 40.31 g MgO

10.0 g O2 × × × = 25.2 g MgO
32.0 g O2 1 mol O2 1 mol MgO

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Step 4: The reactant that produces a smaller amount of product is the limiting reagent
Mg produces less MgO than does O2 (3.98 g MgO vs. 25.2 g MgO), therefore Mg is the limiting reagent in this reaction.
Step 5: The reactant that produces a larger amount of product is the excess reagent
O2 produces more amount of MgO than Mg (25.2g MgO vs. 3.98 MgO), therefore O2 is the excess reagent in this reaction.
Step 6: Find the amount of remaining excess reactant by subtracting the mass of the excess reagent consumed from the total mass of
excess reagent given.
Mass of excess reagent calculated using the limiting reagent:
1.00 mol Mg 1.00 mol O2 32.0 g O2
2.40 g Mg × × × = 1.58 g O2
24.31 g Mg 2.00 mol Mg 1.00 mol O2

OR Mass of excess reagent calculated using the mass of the product:

1.00 mol MgO 1.00 mol O2 32.0 g O2
3.98 g MgO × × × = 1.58 g O2
40.31 g MgO 2.00 mol MgO 1.00 mol O2

Mass of total excess reagent given – mass of excess reagent consumed in the reaction

10.0g – 1.58g = 8.42g O2 is in excess.

EXAMPLE 3: LIMITING REAGENT

What is the limiting reagent if 76.4 grams of C 2 H3 Br3 were reacted with 49.1 grams of O ? 2

4 C H Br + 11 O → 8 CO + 6 H O + 6 Br
2 3 3 2 2 2 2

SOLUTION
Using Approach 1:
1 mole
A. 76.4 g × = 0.286 moles of C2 H3 Br3
266.72 g

1 mole
49.1 g × = 1.53 moles of O2
32 g

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B. Assuming that all of the oxygen is used up, 1.53 × or 0.556 moles of C2H3Br3 are required. Because there are only 0.286
11
moles of C2H3Br3 available, C2H3Br3 is the limiting reagent.
Using Approach 2:
1 mol C2 H3 Br3 8 mol CO2 44.01 g CO2
76.4 g C2 H3 Br3 × × × = 25.2 g C O2
266.72 g C2 H3 Br3 4 mol C2 H3 Br3 1 mol CO2

1 mol O2 8 mol CO2 44.01 g CO2

49.1 g O2 × × × = 49.1 g C O2
32 g O2 11 mol O2 1 mol CO2

Therefore, by either method, C2H3Br3is the limiting reagent.

EXAMPLE 4: LIMITING REAGENT

What is the limiting reagent if 78 grams of Na2O2 were reacted with 29.4 grams of H2O?
SOLUTION
Using Approach 1:
1 mol
A. 78 g × = 1.001 moles of Na2 O2
77.96 g

1 mol
29.4 g × = 1.633 moles of H2 O
18 g

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B. Assume that all of the water is consumed, 1.633 × or 1.633 moles of Na2O2 are required. Because there are only 1.001 moles
2
of Na2O2, it is the limiting reactant.
Using Approach 2:
1 mol Na2 O2 4 mol NaOH 40 g NaOH
78 g Na2 O2 × × × = 80.04 g NaOH
77.96 g Na2 O2 2 mol Na2 O2 1 mol NaOH

Using either approach gives Na2O2 as the limiting reagent.

EXAMPLE 5: EXCESS REAGENT

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How much the excess reagent remains if 24.5 grams of CoO is reacted with 2.58 grams of O2?
4CoO + O2 → 2Co2 O3 (2)

SOLUTION
1 mole
A. 24.5 g × = 0.327 moles of CoO
74.9 g

1 mole
2.58 g × = 0.0806 moles of O2
32 g

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B. Assuming that all of the oxygen is used up, 0.0806 × or 0.3225 moles of CoO are required. Because there are 0.327 moles
1
of CoO, CoO is in excess and thus O2 is the limiting reactant.
C. 0.327mol - 0.3224mol = 0.0046 moles left in excess.

EXAMPLE 6: IDENTIFYING THE LIMITING REAGENT

Will 28.7 grams of SiO react completely with 22.6 grams of H
2 2 F2 ? If not, identify the limiting reagent.

Si O2 + 2 H2 F2 → Si F4 + 2 H2 O (3)

SOLUTION
1 mole
A. 28.7 g × = 0.478 moles of Si O2
60.08 g

1 mole
22.6 g × = 0.568 moles of H2 F2
39.8 g

B. There must be 1 mole of SiO2 for every 2 moles of H2F2 consumed. Because the ratio is 0.478 to 0.568, 28.7 grams of SiO2 do
not react with the H2F2.
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C. Assuming that all of the silicon dioxide is used up, 0.478 × or 0.956 moles of H2F2 are required. Because there are only
1

0.568 moles of H2F2, it is the limiting reagent.

REFERENCES
1. Petrucci, Ralph H., William S. Harwood, Geoffery F. Herring, and Jeffry D. Madura. General Chemistry. 9th ed. New Jersey:
Pearsin Prentice Hall, 2007.
2. Staley, Dennis. Prentice Hall Chemistry. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.

CONTRIBUTORS
Sarick Shah (UCD)

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