M 11

[andrea guzman 1F]

Can someone walk me through part a) what is the limiting reactant for the formation of P4P10?
P4 +3O2 ->P4O6
P4O6 + 2O2 -> P4O10

[Daniel P 3J]

So, in this chemical reaction, we're trying to make P4O10 from P4 and O2. The equation you've given us shows how the reaction goes step by step.

First, P4 combines with 3 molecules of O2 to form P4O6. This tells us that for every 1 mole of P4, we need 3 moles of O2.

Next, P4O6 combines with 2 molecules of O2 to make P4O10. This means for every 1 mole of P4O6, we need 2 moles of O2.

Now, to find the limiting reactant, we need to compare the amounts of P4 and O2 we have and see which one will run out first when we follow these ratios.

Let's say we have 2 moles of P4 and 5 moles of O2. Using the first step, 2 moles of P4 will need 3 * 2 = 6 moles of O2 to react completely. Since we only have 5 moles of O2, P4 will be the limiting reactant because there won't be enough O2 to react with all of it.