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Ch.3 - Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions
Chapter 3, Problem 32

The following diagram represents the reaction of A2 (red spheres) with B2 (blue spheres):
(a) Write a balanced equation for the reaction, and identify the limiting reactant. (b) How many moles of product can be made from 1.0 mol of A2 and 1.0 mol of B2?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations involves ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides of the equation. This is based on the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. To balance an equation, coefficients are adjusted in front of the chemical formulas to achieve equal atom counts.
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Limiting Reactant

The limiting reactant is the substance that is completely consumed first in a chemical reaction, thus determining the maximum amount of product that can be formed. To identify the limiting reactant, one must compare the mole ratios of the reactants based on the balanced equation and the initial amounts available. The reactant that produces the least amount of product is the limiting reactant.
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Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the quantitative relationship between reactants and products in a chemical reaction, derived from the balanced equation. It allows for the calculation of how many moles of product can be formed from given amounts of reactants. By using mole ratios from the balanced equation, one can determine the expected yield of products based on the limiting reactant.
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