How to calculate the limiting reagent in the chemical reaction

JAKARTA – How to calculate limiting reagent important to know. This is one of the materials in the eye Chemistry lesson in grade 10. In Chemistry, the limiting reagent is the reagent whose quantity is very limited and reacts first.

The limiting reagent is used if the moles number of each reagent is known. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the number of moles of the reagent that has been used up or of the limiting reagent.

The limiting reagent is useful as a limiter or benchmark for determining the moles of the reaction product.

In a chemical reaction, not always the mass of the reacting (reactive) substances is completely used to form the reaction products. Sometimes, one of the reactants has a residual mass because it has not fully reacted.

This is because for a reaction to take place completely, the ratio of the masses of the reactants must exactly conform to the ratio of the coefficients in the reaction equation.

The reagent that has run out before the other reactants have reacted will be called the limiting reactant or the limiting reactant, because it limits the continuity of the reaction.

Hence, the molar ratio of mixed reactants is not always the same as the ratio of the reaction coefficients, with the result that a reactant is consumed first. This reagent is called the limiting reagent.

How to calculate the limiting reagent
In chemical formulas, the limiting reactant is calculated by dividing all moles of reactants by the coefficients of each reactant. In order to obtain a number, where the smallest number is the reactant acting as the limiting reactant.

SINDOnews summarizes that the determination of the limiting reagent in chemistry through these steps:

1. If using the molar ratio, first balance the chemical equation. The mole is an internationally agreed unit of measurement for the quantity of a substance.