Answer:
The limiting reactant in a reaction is the first reactant to be completely converted to products.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we perform a reaction, it is not easy to measure the exact amount of the two reagents to make sure that both of them react completely. That's why typically we have a limiting reagent and a reagent in excess.
The limiting reagent is the one which determines the maximum amount of product formed, as when it's used up, the reaction stops and cannot proceed further, since the other reagent doesn't have anything to react with.
Simply speaking, the limiting reactant in a reaction is the first reactant to be completely converted to products.
The limiting reagent provides the information about the amount of the product formed, as opposed to the reagent in excess which doesn't provide any valuable information.