Answer:
To determine the limiting reactant, we need to compare the amounts of each reactant to their stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced chemical equation.
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction of P4 and O2 to form P4O10 is:
P4 + 5O2 -> P4O10
From the balanced equation, we see that 1 mole of P4 reacts with 5 moles of O2 to produce 1 mole of P4O10.
Given that we have 5 moles of P4 and 15 moles of O2, we can calculate the number of moles of P4O10 that could be produced if all the reactants were consumed.
For P4, the moles of P4O10 that could be produced = 5 moles P4 x (1 mole P4O10/1 mole P4) = 5 moles P4O10
For O2, the moles of P4O10 that could be produced = 15 moles O2 x (1 mole P4O10/5 moles O2) = 3 moles P4O10
Therefore, from the above calculations, we see that the amount of product that can be produced is limited by the amount of O2. Hence, O2 is the limiting reactant in this reaction.
Step-by-step explanation: