Question Detail
Question
When 3.0g of NH₃ reacts with 5.5g of O₂ to produce NO and H₂O, determine the limiting reagent.
Correct Answer
Option D is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
First, balance the equation: 4NH₃ + 5O₂ → 4NO + 6H₂O. Molar mass NH₃ = 17 g/mol, O₂ = 32 g/mol. Moles NH₃ = 3.0/17 = 0.176 mol. Moles O₂ = 5.5/32 = 0.172 mol. From the balanced equation, 4 mol NH₃ reacts with 5 mol O₂, so the required O₂ for 0.176 mol NH₃ is (5/4)*0.176 = 0.22 mol. Since only 0.172 mol O₂ is available, O₂ is the limiting reagent.
Hint
Calculate the number of moles of each reactant and compare their ratios to the balanced chemical equation.