Question

If 0.500 moles of sulfuric acid and 0.500 moles of Aluminum hydroxide react to make water and aluminum sulfate. a) which reactant is the limiting reactant b) How many moles of Aluminum sulfate is produced?

Answer 1

The correct answer to a) is sulfuric acid

b) 1/6 moles of aluminum sulfate is produced

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this we need to write out the balaned chemical equation as follows

Al(OH)3(s) + 3 H2SO4(aq) -----> Al2 (SO4)3(aq) + 6 H2O(l)

Here we see that one mole of aluminium hydroxide reacts with three moles of sulphuric acid to form one mole of aluminium sulphate and six ,oles of water

Hence the limiting reactant in this question is the sulphuric acid as 0.5 moles of alumininium hydroxide requires 1.5 moles of sulphuric acid to completely use up the aluminium hydroxide present

Dividing the number of moles of the reactants present by the amount of moles of sulphuric acid required we have

Hence 3 mole of sulphric acid combines with 1 mole of Aluminium hydroxide

0.5 mole of sulfuric acid combines with 0.5÷3 or 1/6 mole of Aluminium hydroxide

Hence the correct answer is sulfuric acid

b) to solve this, since three moles of sulfuric acid produces one mole of aluminium sulfate then 0.5 moles of sulfuric acid produces 0.5/3 or 0.166 mole of aluminum sulfate

hence 1/6 moles of aluminum sulfate is produced