8.62 grams of ZrSiO4 reacts with 9.50 grams of Cl2 what is the limiting reactant?
To determine the limiting reactant, we need to calculate the moles of each reactant and then determine which reactant produces the least amount of product.
First, we need to calculate the moles of each reactant using their molar masses:
Molar mass of ZrSiO4 (Zirconium silicate) = 183.22 g/mol
Molar mass of Cl2 (Chlorine gas) = 70.906 g/mol
Moles of ZrSiO4 = 8.62 g / 183.22 g/mol = 0.047 moles
Moles of Cl2 = 9.50 g / 70.906 g/mol = 0.134 moles
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between ZrSiO4 and Cl2 is:
ZrSiO4 + 4Cl2 -> ZrCl4 + SiO2
From the balanced chemical equation, we can see that ZrSiO4 reacts with 4 moles of Cl2. Therefore, the theoretical yield of Cl2 needed to react with 0.047 moles of ZrSiO4 would be:
0.047 moles ZrSiO4 x (4 moles Cl2 / 1 mole ZrSiO4) = 0.188 moles Cl2
Since we only have 0.134 moles of Cl2, it is the limiting reactant in this reaction.