Final answer:
The limiting reactant in a chemical reaction is the reactant that is completely consumed and determines the amount of product that can be formed. It can be determined by comparing the expected amount of product formed from each reactant and identifying the reactant that produces the least amount of product.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a chemical reaction, the limiting reactant is the reactant that is completely consumed and determines how much product can be formed. The reactant that is in excess is the one that remains after the reaction is complete. To determine the limiting reactant, you can compare the expected amount of product formed from each reactant and see which reactant yields the lesser amount of product. The one that produces the least amount of product is the limiting reactant.