The Physics Classroom » Task Tracker » Teacher Resources » Concept Builder Questions » Chemistry » Limiting Reactants

Limiting Reactants - Questions

The Limiting Reactants Concept Builder is comprised of 36 questions. The questions are organized into nine Question Groups and spread across three different activities. In the first activity, The Perfect Match, students complete a table in which they relate a given quantity of a reactant and product (in moles) to the number of moles of the other species in the balanced chemical equation. There are six rows in the table and thus six situations to analyze. The calculations presume reactants are present in ratios that match the ratios of the coefficients in the balanced chemical equation. In the second activity, Moles on ICE, students solve four problems in which they must determine the moles of reactant reacting and the moles of product being formed. The reactants are present in ratios that do not match the ratios fo the coefficients in the balanced chemical equation. Students must identify the limiting reactant and determine the moles of excess reactant remaining. The information is organized in an ICE Table. (I=Initial amount; C=Change in amount; E=Ending amount). The final activity, Mass on ICE, is similar to the second activity with the exception that the analysis is done in terms of grams. The amount of mass initially present is a "kind number", typically a multiple or a simple fraction of the molar mass of the species. The exact questions are shown below.

The Physics Classroom grants teachers and other users the right to print these questions for private use. Users are also granted the right to copy the text and modify it for their own use. However, this document should not be uploaded to other servers for distribution to and/or display by others. The Physics Classroom website should remain the only website or server from which the document is distributed or displayed. We also provide a PDF that teachers can use under the same conditions. We have included a link to the PDF near the bottom of this page.

 

Limiting Reactants


 
Activity 1: The Perfect Match
Question Group 1
Question 1
Consider the reaction:   N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3
 
Complete the Mole Table below assuming that the two reactants are available in amounts that match the ratios given by the coefficients of the balanced chemical equation. In other words, there are no left-over reactants.

 
Question 2
Consider the reaction:   N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3
 
Complete the Mole Table below assuming that the two reactants are available in amounts that match the ratios given by the coefficients of the balanced chemical equation. In other words, there are no left-over reactants.
 
 

 
Question 3
Consider the reaction:   N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3
 
Complete the Mole Table below assuming that the two reactants are available in amounts that match the ratios given by the coefficients of the balanced chemical equation. In other words, there are no left-over reactants.



 

 
Question 4
Consider the reaction:   N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3
 
Complete the Mole Table below assuming that the two reactants are available in amounts that match the ratios given by the coefficients of the balanced chemical equation. In other words, there are no left-over reactants.

 



 
Activity 2: Moles on ICE
Question Group 2
Question 5
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 




 
Question 6
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question 7
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 




 
Question 8
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question Group 3
Question 9
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 




 
Question 10
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question 11
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 




 
 
Question 12
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question Group 4
Question 13
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question 14
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question 15
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Question 16
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 






 
Question Group 5
Question 17
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 






Question 18
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 






 
Question 19
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 






 
Question 20
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial # of Moles of the two reactants and one product. Use coefficients to determine the Change in the # of Moles and the Ending # of Moles of the two reactants and one product.
 





 
Activity 3: Mass on ICE
Question Group 6
Question 21
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question 22
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 






 
Question 23
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
 
Question 24
Consider the following reaction:    N2    +    3 H2    →    2 NH3

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question Group 7
Question 25
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
Question 26
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question 27
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question 28
Consider the following reaction:    2 H2    +    O2    →    2 H2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question Group 8
Question 29
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
 
Question 30
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
Question 31
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
Question 32
Consider the following reaction:    4 Na    +    O2    →    2 Na2O

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 



 

 
Question Group 9
Question 33
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
Question 34
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 





 
Question 35
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.
 




 
 
Question 36
Consider the following reaction:    2 Ca    +    O2    →    2 CaO

The ICE Table shows the Initial mass (in grams) of two reactants and product. Determine the Change in mass (in grams) and the Ending mass (in grams) of reactants and product. Identify the limiting reactant.