Final answer:
To identify the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction, you need to calculate the number of moles of each reactant and compare it to the stoichiometric ratio in the balanced equation. The reactant that produces fewer moles of product is the limiting reactant.
Step-by-step explanation:
The limiting reactant can be identified by calculating the number of moles of each reactant and comparing them to the stoichiometric ratio in the balanced chemical equation. In this case, we have 8.54 liters of oxygen and 11.6 liters of hydrogen. To determine the limiting reactant, we need to convert the volumes to moles using the ideal gas law equation: PV = nRT. Once we have the moles of each reactant, we can compare them to the stoichiometric ratio in the balanced equation. The reactant that produces fewer moles of product is the limiting reactant. Therefore, to identify the limiting reactant in this reaction, we need the molar volumes of oxygen and hydrogen gas at the given conditions.