Question

Methanol, CH3OH, is the simplest of the alcohols. It is synthesized by the reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Write chemical reactions. If 500 mol of CO and 750 mol of H2 are present, which is the limiting reactant?

Answer 1

The limiting reactant is H₂

Step-by-step explanation:

The reaction of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) to produce methanol (CH₃OH) is the following:

2H₂(g) + CO(g) → CH₃OH(g)

From the balanced chemical equation, we can see that 1 mol of CO reacts wIth 2 moles of H₂. So, the stoichiometric ratio is:

2 mol H₂/1 mol CO = 2.0

We have 500 mol of CO and 750 mol of H₂, so we calculate the ratio to establish a comparison:

750 mol H₂/500 mol CO = 1.5

Since 2.0 > 1.5, we have fewer moles of H₂ than are needed to completely react with 500 moles of CO. In fact, we need 1000 moles of H₂ and we have 750 moles. So, the limiting reactant is H₂.