levo

Formulae, Equations and Amounts of Substance

Reacting masses and reactants in excess

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit AS 1

Overview

Term limiting reactant and saying a reactant is in excess.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

9.75 g of zinc reacts with 3.20 g of sulfur to form zinc sulfide. Which reactant is in excess?

Key term

Explain what a balanced equation tells a chemist about the amounts of substances reacting.

Process

Describe the three steps used to calculate a reacting mass from a given mass.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Explain what a balanced equation tells a chemist about the amounts of substances reacting.

    Model answer

    The balancing numbers give the ratio in which the substances react and are formed in moles, so a known amount of one substance fixes the amounts of all the others.

  2. 2

    Describe the three steps used to calculate a reacting mass from a given mass.

    Model answer

    The given mass is converted to moles, the mole ratio from the balanced equation is applied, and the resulting moles are converted back to a mass.

  3. 3

    Calculate the mass of magnesium oxide formed when 4.86 g of magnesium burns completely in oxygen.

    Model answer

    The reaction is 2Mg(s) + O₂(g) → 2MgO(s), 4.86 g of Mg is 0.200 mol, so 0.200 mol of MgO forms with a mass of 0.200 × 40.3 = 8.06 g.

  4. 4

    Define the term limiting reactant.

    Model answer

    The limiting reactant is the reactant that is completely used up first and therefore fixes the maximum amount of product that can be formed.

  5. 5

    What is meant by saying a reactant is in excess?

    Model answer

    A reactant in excess is one of which more is supplied than the equation requires, so some of it remains unreacted when the reaction stops.

  6. 6

    How is the limiting reactant identified when the masses of two reactants are known?

    Model answer

    The moles of each reactant are divided by its balancing number in the equation, and the reactant giving the smaller value is the limiting one.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

Formulae, Equations and Amounts of Substance
Atomic Structure
Bonding
Intermolecular Forces and Structure

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

Yellow to .
brownbluegreen

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe reactants total 159.6 + 84.0 = 243.6.
BThe two moles of iron have a mass of 111.6.
CThe atom economy is 45.8%.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

There are 1000 cm³ in one dm³.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Formulae, Equations and Amounts of Substance, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.