Limiting Reactant – Lab Report

Name: Angelina Hung

Date of Experiment: 2023-08-05

Intro

The aims of this lab are to predict and measure the limiting reactant and excess
reactant, along with the precipitate in a reaction between a solution of Silver nitrate and
Potassium Dichromate.

Predicting how much limiting reactant will produce how much product can be useful so
that you know how much of an reactant you want to obtain, to get the amount you want.

Let’s say a company wants to make a cosmetic type products, and one of the reactants
is really expensive to procure and the other is very cheap and easy to get, in short terms
in great abundance.

Then the said company would wish to use up all of the expensive reactant by reacting it
with an excessive amount of the cheaper reactant to use up all of the expensive reactant
to form the maximum amount of product possible.

Materials

- analytical balance

- filter paper

- Wash bottle( with distilled water)

- two 150 mL beakers, one 500 mL beaker, and one 250 mL beaker

- funnel

- glass stir rod

- 100mL graduated cylinder

- 2.6 g Silver Nitrate

-1.5 g Potassium dichromate

- scoopula

Experimental Procedure

1) Take a new and clean piece of filter paper and set it on the analytical balance, zero it,
and weigh out 2.6 grams of silver nitrate onto the paper
2) Carefully add the silver nitrate to a 150 mL beaker.
3) Taking a second clean piece of filter paper and setting it on the balance, zero it and
weigh out 1.5 g of potassium dichromate
4) Similar to the original pre-lab instruction, use a graduated cylinder to measure 100 mL
of water and add the water to the beaker containing the silver nitrate. Use a wash bottle
to rinse as much of the silver nitrate left on the paper into the beaker
5) Stir the solution until all solid dissolves, then use the wash bottle to rinse the glass stir
rod
6) Carefully add the potassium dichromate to the other 150 mL beaker and add 100 mL of
water. Use a wash bottle to rinse the Potassium dichromate left onto the paper into the
beaker.
7) Stir the solution until all solid dissolves, then take a wash bottle and rinse off the rod into
the beaker
8) Pour the silver nitrate solution into the 500 mL beaker first, rinsing it off and pouring that
also into the beaker. After repeat for Potassium Dichromate
9) Mix the mixture thoroughly with a stir rod and then rinse the stir rod while leaving the
mixture to settle
10) Arrange a set up where a funnel is in the ring of a ring stand above a erlenmeyer flask to
catch the filtrate. (gravity filtration apparatus)
11) Weigh a piece of filter paper on your balance and record the mass of the filter paper and
then flute the filter paper
12) Place filter paper in the funnel and moisten with water from the wash bottle.
13) Pour the mixture from the 500mL beaker to to the filter. Stir the liquid and precipitate
and carefully pour the liquid and solids from the beaker into the filter. Scrape and rinse
(using the wash bottle) all solid from the beaker into the filter.
14) Allow to drip for a while (the video probably cut this out because it paused a bit then
continued on)
15) Transfer the filter paper with the solid still on it carefully using a tweezer onto a Wire
gauze. When completely dry, weigh the filter paper and solid on the balance. Record the
mass of the solid product and filter paper.
 16) Subtract the mass of the dry filter paper from the mass of the filter paper and the solid
product,resulting in the mass of the product.
17) Clean up the lab.

Results

Data and Observations:

Table 1: Mass of reactants and product for silver nitrate and potassium dichromate reaction

Mass (g)

Silver Nitrate Potassium Filter Paper Silver Dichromate Silver

Dichromate + filter paper Dichromate
(AgNO3)
(K2Cr2O7) (Ag2Cr2O7) (Ag2Cr2O7)

2.6 1.5 0.8 3.0 2.2

Table 2: Qualitative Observations for Silver Nitrate and Potassium Dichromate Reaction

Observations

Silver Nitrate The silver nitrate looked like white, refined sugar-like
powder solid.
(AgNO3) solid

Silver Nitrate It was a clear colourless liquid, with a similar appearance to

tap water with no air bubbles.
(AgNO3) solution
Potassium Dichromate It was a coral orange sugar-like powder solid.

(K2Cr2O7) solid

Potassium Dichromate It was an orange liquid, the same color as orange flavoured
jello water before it turns into jello.
(K2Cr2O7) solution

Mixture of silver nitrate and Right after fully mixing the 2 solutions:
potassium dichromate
solutions - It had a water like consistency, and the colour was
more of a dark brown-rouge (brun-rouge)
- The appearance was similar to diary water from
soaking your used paint brushes in

After the mixture was left to settle:

- The top part looked like canola oil, it was light

coloured and liquid like.
- The bottom had a congregation of gunky brown mud
like stuff that was darker in colour than mud

Silver Dichromate solid Before it was left to dry:

product
- It looked like dark chocolate brown grease smeared
over the filter paper

After it was left to dry:

- The appearance was that of a crumbly brownie with

some white-ish specks occasionally

Filtrate The filtrate had an apple juice like colour, it seems

consistent in its appearance throughout

(no floating bits of other stuff, clouds of oily like stuff etc.)

Calculations:

1. Calculate the theoretical yield (mass) of the silver chromate product.

2. Calculate the experimental yield (mass) of the silver chromate product.

3. Calculate the % yield of the product.

The Percentage yield of the product is 100%.

The reaction procedure (actual/experimental yield) resulted in the same conclusion as

with algebraic calculations of the yield (theoretical yield), 2.2 grams approximately of
Silver Dichromate will be produced when 2.6 grams of Silver Nitrate and 1.5 grams of
Potassium Dichromate are combined.

Discussion

Analyze and interpret your results. Answer the discussion questions.

Discussion Questions:

1. Identify​​which​​reactant​​was​​the ​limiting​​reactant​​and​​which​​was​​in​​excess.

The limiting reactant was the Potassium Dichromate, because it was the reactant that produced
the least amount of product, this limits the total amount of product made because while there is
still Silver Nitrate in excess, the Potassium Dichromate has been all used up.
The reactant in excess was Silver Nitrate.

2. Why​​was​​it​​important​​that​​the​​solid​​product​​be​​dry​​before​​weighing​​it?

It is important that the solid product (Silver Dichromate) is dry before weighing it with the filter
paper so that we don’t include the water into the total weight of the final product.

3. It​​is​​highly​​unusual​​to​​obtain​​100%​​yield.​​The​​balance​​we​​used​​to​​weigh​​the​​solid​​reactants​
​and products​​only​​reported​​to​​one-tenth​​of​​a​​gram (one decimal place).​​Discuss​​how​​the​
​precision​​of​​balance​​impacts​​the results.

If the balance cannot measure to greater decimal places, then that means the measurement
can only be accurate to a certain limit. That means if the analytical balance used in the video
displayed let’s say 2.6 grams, it may actually be 2.653948 grams in reality, and we would not be
able to include that in our calculations for actual yield/experimental yield.
This leads to getting calculations that do not reflect the actual experiment.

4. What​​was​​the​​purpose​​of​​using​​the​​wash​​bottle​​to​​rinse​​watch​​glasses​​and​​beakers​​during​
​this experiment?

It was to ensure all of the aqueous solutions created or mixtures created were fully transferred
best to the limited tools available.

5. After​​the​​initial​​solutions​​were​​mixed,​​how​​did​​you​​know​​that​​a​​precipitate​​had​​formed​​in​​this
reaction?
We could tell that a reaction had happened and a precipitate had formed when the Potassium
chromate solution was added into the Silver Nitrate solution, turning into a brown-rouge mixture.
The colour change signified that something happened, and most likely the precipitate had ford
from the initial mixing.

6. The​​waste​​from​​this​​lab​​consisted​​of​​the​​filtrate (​potassium​​nitrate​​solution)​​and​​the​​solid​
s​ ilver dichromate.​​​​Both​​of​​these​​substances were​​stored​​for​​proper​​disposal.​​Why​​did​​we​
​not​​throw​​the​​silver chromate​​solid​​in​​the​​garbage​​(hint:​​you​​need​​to​​look​​this​​up!).

Potassium nitrate and Silver nitrate are both highly toxic and are both oxidizers, which makes it
dangerous to leave in a garbage can where careless people can throw in lighters, or let other
passing by animals peck at and get contaminated by. It can be fatal if in contact with skin, if
inhaled, toxic if swallowed, and intensify fires.

If we leave it in the garbage can, this can lead to toxic substances circulating into the
ecosystem which will be bad for the environment, and other innocent animals or people getting
harmed for no reason other than carelessness of the person who disposed of the substance
improperly.

Conclusion

During this lab, I discovered that the analytical readings of the weights of the reactants ay affect
the accuracy of the measurements of the experimental yield. This may lead to inaccurate
measurements and calculations, which as calculated in above questions leads to a 100
percentage yield. I was able to compare the prediction from calculating the theoretical yield of
this reaction to the actual experimentation, which both of them resulted in 2.20 grams of Silver
Dichromate. In short, 2.6 grams of Silver Nitrate when combined as a mixer with Potassium
Dichromate will produce Silver Dichromate solid with a Potassium Nitrate.

References

Safety Data Sheet - Fisher SCI,

www.fishersci.com/store/msds?partNumber=AA4010714&productDescription=SILVER+CHROM
ATE%2C+99%25+MIN+25G&vendorId=VN00024248&countryCode=US&language=en.
Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.

Safety Data Sheet - Fisher SCI,

www.fishersci.com/content/dam/fishersci/en_US/documents/programs/education/regulatory-doc
uments/sds/chemicals/chemicals-e/S25309E.pdf. Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.

Material Safety Data Sheet - Fisher SCI, fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/48863.htm. Accessed 24

Aug. 2023.