Question

Lithium reacts spontaneously with bromine to produce lithium bromide. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction. (Use the lowest possible whole number coefficients. If 39.0 g of lithium and 41.5 g of bromine are present at the beginning of the reaction, determine the following

Answer 1

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between lithium and bromine to produce lithium bromide is 2Li + Br2 → 2LiBr. The limiting reactant in this reaction is bromine, as we have less than half of the moles needed for the reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between lithium and bromine to produce lithium bromide is:

2Li + Br2 → 2LiBr

To determine the limiting reactant, we need to compare the number of moles of each reactant and use the mole ratio from the balanced equation. The molar mass of lithium is 6.94 g/mol, so 39.0 g of lithium is equal to 5.61 moles. The molar mass of bromine is 79.90 g/mol, so 41.5 g of bromine is equal to 0.52 moles. The mole ratio from the balanced equation is 2:1, so the bromine is the limiting reactant since we have less than half of the moles needed for the reaction.