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Ch.4 - Chemical Reactions and Chemical Quantities
Chapter 4, Problem 57

Urea (CH4N2O) is a common fertilizer that is synthesized by the reaction of ammonia (NH3) with carbon dioxide: 2 NH3(aq) + CO2(aq) → CH4N2O(aq) + H2O(l) In an industrial synthesis of urea, a chemist combines 149.4 kg of ammonia with 231.1 kg of carbon dioxide and obtains 172.3 kg of urea. Determine the limiting reactant, theoretical yield of urea, and percent yield for the reaction.

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Key Concepts

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

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 used in the reaction to the stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced equation. The reactant that produces the least amount of product is the limiting reactant.
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Theoretical Yield

The theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that can be generated from a given amount of reactants, based on the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. It is calculated using the moles of the limiting reactant and the molar ratios from the balanced equation. This value represents an ideal scenario without any losses or inefficiencies during the reaction.
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Percent Yield

Percent yield is a measure of the efficiency of a chemical reaction, calculated by taking the actual yield of the product obtained from the reaction and dividing it by the theoretical yield, then multiplying by 100. This metric helps chemists assess how well a reaction proceeds under given conditions and can indicate potential issues in the reaction process or product recovery.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Iron(III) oxide reacts with carbon monoxide according to the equation: Fe2O3(s) + 3 CO(g) → 2 Fe(s) + 3 CO2(g) A reaction mixture initially contains 45.10 g Fe2O3 and 29.56 g CO. Once the reaction has occurred as completely as possible, what mass (in g) of the excess reactant remains?

Textbook Question

Elemental phosphorus reacts with chlorine gas according to the equation: P4(s) + 6 Cl2( g) → 4 PCl3(l) A reaction mixture initially contains 91.38 g P4 and 262.6 g Cl2. Once the reaction has occurred as completely as possible, what mass (in g) of the excess reactant remains?

Textbook Question

Magnesium oxide can be made by heating magnesium metal in the presence of oxygen. The balanced equation for the reaction is: 2 Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2 MgO(s) When 13.1 g of Mg reacts with 13.6 g O2, 12.4 g MgO is collected. Determine the limiting reactant, theoretical yield, and percent yield for the reaction.

Textbook Question

Many computer chips are manufactured from silicon, which occurs in nature as SiO2. When SiO2 is heated to melting, it reacts with solid carbon to form liquid silicon and carbon monoxide gas. In an industrial preparation of silicon, 177.4 kg of SiO2 reacts with 100.1 kg of carbon to produce 71.2 kg of silicon. Determine the percent yield for the reaction.

Textbook Question

Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of solid strontium with iodine gas.

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Textbook Question

Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of solid lithium with liquid water.

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