Question

Consider the following generic chemical equation: 2W + 3X → 3Y + Z When 5 units of W and 6 units of X are allowed to react, the limiting reactant would be:a) W.b) X.c) Y.d) Z.

Answer 1

The answer to your question is letter b) X

Step-by-step explanation:

Data

W = 5 units

X = 6 units

Chemical reaction

2W + 3X ⇒ 3Y + Z

To determine which reactant is the limiting reactant, we must use proportions:

-Theoretical proportion W / X = 2 / 3 = 0.67

- Experimental proportion W / X = 5 / 6 = 0.83

As the experimental proportion is higher than the theoretical proportion, we conclude that the amount of W is higher in the experiment so the limiting reactant is X.